Thermoforms

Thermoforms are products or parts produced by thermoforming, a manufacturing process in which a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a finished part. The process is widely used for packaging, consumer goods, medical devices, automotive trim, and displays.

Typical steps include heating a sheet until it becomes soft, forming it against or into a mold using vacuum or pressure (or a combination), cooling to set the shape, and trimming away excess material. Depending on the design, drafts and radii are required to release the part from the mold. Secondary operations such as trimming, drilling, or decorating may follow.

Main forming methods are vacuum forming, where a sheet is drawn onto a mold by vacuum; pressure forming, which uses air pressure to push the sheet into finer details; and twin-sheet forming, which forms two sheets separately and fuses them together to produce hollow parts. Equipment ranges from simple cabinet machines to large industrial lines with integrated ovens, platen presses, and automation.

Common thermoplastics used include polystyrene (PS) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), PETG, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Materials are chosen for clarity, stiffness, impact resistance, food contact compatibility, or sterilization requirements. The material thickness and process parameters influence part weight, strength, and tolerances.

Thermoforming offers lower tooling costs and faster setup than some alternatives, making it attractive for medium-volume production and large parts. Limitations include moderate dimensional tolerances, design constraints for complex features, material waste from trimming, and longer cycle times on some geometries. Recyclability depends on the polymer, but thermoformed scrap can often be recycled into new sheets or trims. The process continues to evolve with improved materials and automation.