Unfortunately my experience with plastic is limited to forming lexan on a press brake within a sheet metal manufacturing environment.
Press forming plastic sheet.
Overhead racks for hanging sheets may be equipped with tracks and trolleys leading to forming equipment to facilitate handling of the sheet note the special considerations section for plexiglas mc acrylic.
While my plastic forming experience is limited i have had reasonably good luck producing good parts by applying sheet metal theories and layout calculations for the flat pattern development.
Thermoform plastic sheets for vacuum forming our thermoform plastic sheets are perfect for inventors small businesses and diy hobbyists who want to make custom vacuum formed plastic parts.
Teflon to protect the surface of the plastic from scratching.
In the vacuum forming machine the sheet is heated until it becomes pliable while being held in place by the clamping frame.
Have a mold ready to use.
Pressure forming produces parts that have crisper detail and sharper features than conventional vacuum formed parts.
Make adjustments appropriate to the specifications of your project.
At this point the pliable polycarbonate sheet is lowered onto the mold.
The example here is the outside of a mold but it can work inside too.
As you ll need to put the plastic sheet into the oven this is your size limitation.
Use these plastic sheets along with with our hobby vacuum formers and a kitchen oven to thermoform homemade plastic parts with results that rival expensive.
Essentially drape forming bottom is clamping a piece of sheet plastic in some type of clamping mechanism putting this material into a heating oven heating the plastic sheet up to a desired temperature retracting it from the oven draping it over a mold trapping the sheet just inside the clamping mechanism over the edge of the mold flange and applying a vacuum to the mold chamber.
Pressure forming uses both vacuum and air pressure to push the soft heated plastic more tightly against the mold giving the part sharp detail.
Kydex overview using standard tools kydex thermoforming sheets can be drilled vacuum formed brake formed or punch pressed kydex is a machinable thermoplastic that can be molded to form fit just about any shape imaginable without expensive tools and machinery.
Large plexiglas acrylic sheets should be hung vertically from racks.
This is a type of vacuum forming where thin or thick gauge plastic sheet is placed over a die heated to a temperature that allows the material to become pliable then is stretched over the surface of the die while vacuum pressure pulls the sheet down and into its final shape.
Thermoforming is useful for clamshell packaging.
