What is Thermoforming?
Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. The sheet, or "film" when referring to thinner gauges and certain material types, is heated in an oven to a high-enough temperature that it can be stretched into or onto a mold and cooled to a finished shape.
In its simplest form, a small tabletop or lab size machine can be used to heat small cut sections of plastic sheet and stretch it over a mold using vacuum. This method is often used for sample and prototype parts. In complex and high-volume applications, very large production machines are utilized to heat and form the plastic sheet and trim the formed parts from the sheet in a continuous high-speed process, and can produce many thousands of finished parts per hour depending on the machine and mold size and the size of the parts being formed.
Thermoforming differs from injection molding, blow molding, rotational molding and other forms of processing plastics. Thin-gauge thermoforming is primarily the manufacture of disposable cups, containers, lids, trays, blisters, clamshells, and other products for the food, medical, and general retail industries. Thick-gauge thermoforming includes parts as diverse as vehicle door and dash panels, refrigerator liners, utility vehicle beds, and plastic pallet
text obtained at wiki
In its simplest form, a small tabletop or lab size machine can be used to heat small cut sections of plastic sheet and stretch it over a mold using vacuum. This method is often used for sample and prototype parts. In complex and high-volume applications, very large production machines are utilized to heat and form the plastic sheet and trim the formed parts from the sheet in a continuous high-speed process, and can produce many thousands of finished parts per hour depending on the machine and mold size and the size of the parts being formed.
Thermoforming differs from injection molding, blow molding, rotational molding and other forms of processing plastics. Thin-gauge thermoforming is primarily the manufacture of disposable cups, containers, lids, trays, blisters, clamshells, and other products for the food, medical, and general retail industries. Thick-gauge thermoforming includes parts as diverse as vehicle door and dash panels, refrigerator liners, utility vehicle beds, and plastic pallet
text obtained at wiki
Thermoforming table with a bluegun
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The Red/Orange material is high temp silicon.
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Here vacuum has been applied to the thermoforming sheet heated to 350 degrees
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Fun stuff in and around Amarillo, TX
The Amarillo Sox are a professional minor league baseball team based in Amarillo, Texas. They are currently members of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league unaffiliated with Major League Baseball. They play their home games at the Amarillo National Bank Sox Stadium.
The team relocated to Amarillo in 2011. They were previously known as the Pensacola Pelicans, based in Pensacola, Florida. The new team's general manager is former Amarillo Gold Sox and San Diego Padres pitcher Mark Lee.
Free Sundays (not the ice cream kind)
Also new for 2014 will be free admission on Sundays, courtesy of our premium corporate sponsors. The Amarillo Sox have teamed up with Aqua One, Suddenlink, Amarillo National Bank, AutoNation Chevrolet, Sonic Drive-In, Barker Bariatric Center, and Karr & Hardee Dentistry to buy out the stadium for each Sunday home game this season.
The team relocated to Amarillo in 2011. They were previously known as the Pensacola Pelicans, based in Pensacola, Florida. The new team's general manager is former Amarillo Gold Sox and San Diego Padres pitcher Mark Lee.
Free Sundays (not the ice cream kind)
Also new for 2014 will be free admission on Sundays, courtesy of our premium corporate sponsors. The Amarillo Sox have teamed up with Aqua One, Suddenlink, Amarillo National Bank, AutoNation Chevrolet, Sonic Drive-In, Barker Bariatric Center, and Karr & Hardee Dentistry to buy out the stadium for each Sunday home game this season.