Custom Plastic Forming

The advanced forming division at Plastic Extrusion Technologies is uniquely qualified to handle single or multi-plane bend plastic forming to create a superior finished product with tight tolerances, within your specs, and with better lead times and parity prices than other companies. We offer three services: pressure forming, thermoforming, and vacuum forming.

• Pressure forming – used mostly for smaller volume runs, offers injection-molded quality and details. The pressure applied (up to 100 lbs/sq inch) makes it possible to obtain highly detailed parts and textured finishes. Advantages include sharp edges, undercuts, and other close-tolerance details.
• Thermoforming – is a common post-extrusion manufacturing process that heats a plastic sheet to a pliable temperature, forms it to a specific shape in a mold, and then trims it to create a whole new shape.
• Vacuum forming – more commonly known as vacuforming, is a simplified version of thermoforming, whereby a sheet of plastic is heated until it is soft, stretched onto or into a single-surface mold, and then held against the mold by applying vacuum between the mold surface and the sheet. The plastic sheet is, in essence, pressed to the pattern by atmospheric pressure.

The materials most suitable for these processes are cast acrylics, ABS, high-impact styrene, high-density polyethylene, and pressed rigid PVC, which become thermoelastic at their optimum forming temperature.

Our experienced staff can determine which form process is right for you with your input. Together, we will ensure that you receive the top-quality parts you seek. As an added-value service, we will happily provide you with a prototype upon request.