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HOW IT WORKS

Thermoforming is a general term that refers to the process of transforming a plastic sheet into a 3-dimensional shape by using heat. This can be augmented with the application of vacuum or pressure. Vacuum forming specifically involves forming a part by heating and stretching the plastic across a mold using a vacuum. Normally the mold is open and the force involved with forming the sheet is limited to about 15 psi. Vacuum forming can be done for Thin gauge or Thick gauge thermoplastic. Thin gauge is generally used for commodity items such as packaging. Thin gauge refers to the starting thickness of the plastic used which can be a maximum of 0.75 mm. Acros Specializes in thick gauge vacuum forming, for which the starting thickness can be as low as 1.5 mm to all the way to 12 mm thick sheets.

The basic raw material for this process is extruded thermoplastic sheets. Thermoforming can process almost all engineering plastics that can be extruded. Acrylic, polycarbonate, ABS, PVC, PP, TPO, TPU and many more are all being formed today at Acros.
This enables companies to select from a very wide range of properties available, ultimately helping them design better products for their customers. Many additional properties can be incorporated as per customer requirement can range from ESD protection, UV stabilization, Fire retardancy to even antimicrobial properties. Contact our experts to know how we can assist you in selecting the right material for your needs.

The basic thermoforming process is a very simple process, You heat a sheet to glass a pliable state and then vacuum it onto the mold. It looks deceptively simple, but open machine conditions and tricky materials often pose challenges that only a reliable, experienced thermoformer can tackle in tight timelines that are often encountered when creating exceptional products.
Molding has several strategies that we employ to constantly evolve to push the boundaries of thermoforming excellence. Pre Blowing, plug assists, plungers, magic blocks and many others are all strategies that we at acros have perfected over the years. Explore our case studies to see how we employ these techniques to bring sustainable cost advantages to our customers

THERMOFORMING APPLICATIONS


Agriculture

  • Tractor Interior and Exterior Parts
  • Sprayer Shells
  • Lawn and Garden Tractor Components
  • Feed/Water Containers
  • Calf Housings
  • Bale Wagon Enclosures
  • Animal Housing Stalls
  • Seat Bases
  • Hood Assemblies

Automotive

  • Dashboard Assemblies
  • Interior Door Panels
  • Interior Paneling
  • Seating Parts
  • Engine Bay Paneling
  • Exterior Body Panels
  • Bumpers
  • Air Ducts
  • Pickup Truck Bedliners

Medical

  • Medical Electronics Housing
  • Imaging (X-Ray, CT Scan, MRI, etc.) Enclosures
  • Bins & Trays
  • Hospital Room Panels
  • Hospital Bed Components
  • Stands & Support Equipment

Pre-Drying

Polymers are often Hygroscopic, meaning they will over time absorb water. While this doesn’t significantly impact the physical properties of the polymer. It does impact the processing significantly. Thus it is essential to have the right procedure and equipment to ensure that the moisture levels in the material are at the acceptable level. This is especially a challenge in tropical countries like India where there are 3-4 months wherein the relative humidity is above 80% constantly.

Thermoforming

The thermoforming process involves heating and molding a plastic sheet using vacuum or air pressure. Vacuum Forming: One of the most economical thermoforming technologies is vacuum forming. During the vacuum forming process, a vacuum pulls thermoplastic material against a mold to create a contoured surface.
Pressure Forming: When aesthetics is important, pressure forming is the best option. Pressure forming uses both a vacuum to pull thermoplastic material into the cavity of a mold and air pressure to push it tightly against the surface. The extra pressure allows the plastic to pick up precise detailing.

CNC

Every thermoforming part has to get CNC trimmed to create holes, slots and get rid of the extra material. Plastics pose a unique machining challenge. From cutters to work holding and even machines we over the years have perfected the art and science of plastic machining. Our facility hosts three fully automated 5 axis CNC routers that can cut and geometry thrown at them. The last thing that customers want is beautiful parts not fitting or not getting their parts on time due to unreliable cutting.
When you develop parts at Acros you will see our designer working very hard to ensure that your requirements and design intent are at the core of our process designing. Check our programs to see which one is fits best your product development needs.

Assembly

Acros as a solutions provider understands that customers want to simplify their supply chain from that simple understanding we have developed expertise in sub-part development and assembly that greatly improve the productivity of our customers.
We have established a robust assembly process and a wide vendor network helps us develop and integrate parts from multiple processes into our thermoformed parts. Such that the customer receives ready to use parts. We work with vendors into various processes such as sheet metal, rubber molding, injection molding and many more. We have also developed expertise in multiple adhesive chemistries to help you go as far as possible to deliver value to your products