Thermoforming
50 Ideas That Changed Plastics
Very few readers of this issue can remember, or even imagine, what it was like when an injection molding machine did not have a screw, but only a smooth-bore plunger.
Read MoreLatest Enterprise Software Features Enhanced Scheduling and Web Access
Until recently, plastics processors looking for fully featured enterprise business software may have been aware of only two choices that were tailored specifically for their needs.
Read MoreThermoforming PPS: New Resin Choice Adds High-Performance Opportunity
For parts needing high heat and chemical resistance, thermoformers get a new way to compete with injection molding.
Read MoreEngineering Thermoplastic Processes Like a Thermoset
The first quarter of 2005 will see the first commercial production of a dramatically new family of resins that offer the processing advantages of liquid thermosets plus the properties and recyclability of engineering thermoplastics.
Read MoreK 2004 Wrap-Up on Thermoforming: Twin Sheets and High-Speed Packaging Share Center Stage
Innovations in thermoforming at K 2004 included new twin-sheet technology for automotive fuel tanks, a highly flexible and modular "plug-and-play" industrial vacuum former, and a range of high-speed units for cups and packaging.
Read MoreK 2004 News Preview: Thermoforming
Thermoforming innovations at K 2004 include several new trim-in-place units for packaging, the first in-line packaging system with an infrared scanner that automatically adjusts oven temperatures. and improved halogen heating that works better with preprinted sheet.High-speed packagingIllig of Germany will introduce the RDK 80, a high-speed automatic trim-in-place pressure former whose advanced servomotor control is said to allow very precise setting of variable platen strokes and speeds.
Read MorePPS Role Shapes Up in Thermoforming
Thermoformers may find new opportunities in higher-performance applications with the arrival of thin-gauge PPS sheet from Penn Fibre Plastics (PFP). Highly crystalline PPS has until now resisted extrusion at less than 0.25-in. thickness due to its poor melt strength and the resulting sheet’s tendency toward brittleness.
Read MoreThermoforming Shines in Exterior Vehicle Panels
Thermoformers are gaining a foothold in large exterior panels of specialized automobiles and utility vehicles.
Read MoreHow to Thermoform Top-Quality IMD Inserts
Wider adoption of in-mold decorating (IMD) for demanding industries like automotive, appliances, and consumer electronics will require thermoformers to have the right know-how and equipment.
Read MoreThermoforming Goes Paint-Free, Too
Thermoformed parts play two roles in the expanding field of in-mold decorating (IMD) of plastic parts: For injection molding, IMD begins by thermoforming a thin film into decorative shells that are placed in the injection mold cavity and then back-molded with a compatible substrate.
Read More
