Lämpömuovaamalla

Lämpömuovaamalla, often translated as thermoforming, is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a malleable temperature and then formed into a desired shape by applying vacuum, pressure, or both. This technique is widely used for producing a variety of products, from food packaging and containers to automotive parts and medical devices.

The process begins with a plastic sheet, typically made from thermoplastics like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This sheet is placed in a thermoforming machine and heated to its softening point. Once pliable, the heated sheet is stretched over or into a mold. The mold dictates the final shape of the product.

There are several common methods within thermoforming. Vacuum forming is the most basic, where a vacuum is used to draw the softened plastic tightly against the mold. Pressure forming utilizes higher pressure to force the plastic into intricate mold details. Other variations exist, like twin-sheet forming, which creates hollow parts by forming two sheets simultaneously and bonding them together.

The cooled plastic then solidifies in the mold, retaining its new shape. After cooling, the formed parts are trimmed from the excess material, often referred to as scrap or web. The advantages of thermoforming include its relatively low tooling costs compared to injection molding, high production speeds, and the ability to create large and thin-walled products. It's an efficient method for mass production of many plastic items.