Vacuum forming. Protective Packaging

Phone Number: 01380 827 022

Vacuum Forming Services 

Vacuum forming is a method that is used to form a range of plastics.  Vacuum forming is cost effective and high quality.

The benefit of plastic vacuum forming is its versatility. It offers a good price, performance and rate of production. Prototypes can be created promptly and properly. These are used to prove components before full production tooling is needed. 

vacuum forming
vacuum forming
vacuum forming


For many industries, plastic products are created using vacuum forming. We can manage your vacuum formed products throughout all the stages involved in plastic forming.

An example of a vacuum formed product is a plastic tray. The tray mould is placed in a vacuum former and a pressed polystyrene sheet is placed above it. The polystyrene is then heated and vacuum formed to the shape of the mould.

Many daily products have been vacuum formed by doing this. Take a look around your home. Many food products are also packaged in vacuum formed materials. 

Advantages of vacuum forming: 

  • Cost-Effective
  • Ability To Form Very Large Parts
  • Sharper Details
  • Tighter Tolerances
  • Allows for Undercuts
  • Quicker Tooling
  • Allows for Moulded-In Texture

Common usage of vacuum forming:

  • Point-of-Purchase Displays
  • Leisure Vehicles
  • Equipment Enclosures, Bezels, Housings and Covers
  • Automotive Interior and Exterior
  • Swimming pool and Spa
  • Dunnage Material Handling Trays & Pallets
  • Health and fitness Equipment

Innovative equipment and moulds are used of for continuous computerised production. This is used for of high quantity products like yogurt pots, non reusable mugs and sandwich packs.

Unlike various other plastic forming procedures, where powder or material are the beginning factors, vacuum forming uses squeezed out plastic sheet. With vacuum forming a second process might be needed to cut the developed sheet to reach the completed part. The trimmed waste could after that be re-ground and recycled.

Typical products produced by vacuum forming:

  • Baths & Shower Trays
  • Ski-Boxes
  • Equipment Guards
  • Refrigerator Liners
  • Outside Shop Sign
  • Yogurt Pots
  • Watercraft Hulls
  • Car Door Liners
  • Sandwich Boxes
  • Parts of vehicle cabs

Tooling prices are also significantly less expensive in contrast to most other plastic procedure production. It is particularly less expensive than shot moulding. This makes vacuum forming perfect for big components or brief production runs.

People also ask

Vacuum forming, or 'Thermo' technology, is one of the most common and oldest techniques used to process various materials and products.

The process involves a plastic sheet that is heated to a specific temperature until it is soft and malleable to be draped over a mould that it can fit into. A high-quality vacuum is then applied, and it carefully sucks the sheet into the mould and ejects it when completed. Such a method uses advanced heat, pneumatic, and hydraulic controls to achieve more detailed, faster applications.

Agricultural components

It is often utilised throughout the agricultural industry to create a vast range of plastic components to help enhance processes, such as heavy-duty machinery and transportation vehicles.

Automotive parts

Vacuum-formed plastics are a restorative material employed for use in the automotive industry, helping in functional and aesthetic areas. Everything inside a car, including the door panels, dashboard and various other controls, are often designed and curated with thermoforming.

Packaging

Plastics utilised during the process are ideal for the purposes of packaging. Vacuum forming is a cost-effective method perfect for large production lines. They are essential for packaging as they are hygienic, durable and provide a broad range of size and shape options.

Place the mould into the vacuum former

Once the mould has been made, it is sufficiently placed into the machine's vacuum former. Above the mould, a plastic sheet is clamped above. 

Position the heater above the plastic

The heater inside the machine's former is placed above the plastic, where the sheets are heated to warm up the plastic and make it more flexible and susceptible to being moulded. 

Move the shelf towards the plastic

The plastic must then be set at the proper temperature for successful moulding. Professionals can then use a handle to move the shelf of the positioned mould upwards so that it sits perfectly on top of the plastic. 

Switch the vacuum former on

Finally, the vacuum former removes all the air from its machine once switched on, which enables the plastic to curate the right shape.

MDF is one of the best-used materials for creating moulds at a fast speed, which is ideal for smaller production runs. Unlike cast ones, such moulds can wear out, and the joint marks made in plastic material or sheets can be more visible. 

A vast number of companies worldwide use techniques and methods like vacuum forming to curate and manufacture various acrylic or plastic-based products. Many use vacuum forming as a way to make automotive and industrial components, trays, enclosures, film and stage props, POS retail displays, signage, rapid prototyping and product development.

One of the best and most commonly utilised plastic materials for vacuum forming is HIPS (High Impact Polystrene Sheeting), and this is due to how flexible it is; it can be successfully moulded into any shape at all. Another plastic that is also of similar status in the industry and used for vacuum forming is PC (Polycarbonate).

Get In Touch

If you would like find out more about our vacuum formed and pressure formed products, then get in touch using the information below:

Contact Details

Phone: 01380 827 022

Email: info@vacforming.uk.com

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