Plastic Extrusion Forming
The advanced forming division at Plastic Extrusion Technologies is uniquely qualified to handle your single or multi-plane bend plastic forming in order to create a superior finished product with tight tolerances, within your specs, and with better lead times and parity prices than other companies. Three services we offer are 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, at their optimum forming temperature, become thermoelastic.
With your input, our experienced staff can determine which form process is right for you. Together, we will ensure that you receive the top-quality parts you seek. As an added-value service, we will be happy to provide you a prototype upon request.
To learn more about our Forming services, request a quote or contact our division of forming experts today!