The thermoforming process offers close tolerances, tight specifications and sharp detail. It is often selected over injection molding. Further savings in time and money can be achieved in areas of set-up, prototype and production tooling and engineering.

The thermoforming process:

• A thermoplastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature
• Sheets come in a wide range of thicknesses…thin gauge for small packaging containers
• The sheet is stretched over a particular shape in a mold
• The formed part cools until it becomes rigid and maintains the desired shape
• The plastic part is trimmed to eliminate edges
• It is then fabricated into its final configuration

Advantages of Thermoforming compared to Injection Molding:

• Injection-molded quality
• Shorter lead time
• Tooling cost typically lower
• Speedy for small batch and high speed production
• Extensive choice of patterns, finishes and textures
• Ability to produce thin-walled parts
• Excellent part volume/quality ratio
• Ability to form large parts (48" x 96")
  

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The injection molding process offers high speed, very tight tolerances, and precise detail on complex parts. It is often selected over thermoforming in regards when dealing with highly complex and detailed parts requiring exotic materials. Savings in time and money can be achieved in areas of mass manufacturing and the elimination of certain secondary operations such as trimming.

The injection molding process:

• Plastic is melted in the IM machine using a reciprocating screw in a heated injection unit
• Molten plastic under pressure is forced through a nozzle
• Entering a closed temperature – controlled mold held shut under pressure by a clamping unit
• When the molded cavities cool the mold halves open
• The finished parts are ejected
• And the cycle is ready to repeat

Advantages of Injection Molding compared to Thermoforming:

• High Quality
• High Speed
• High Production
• Sometimes Lower Cost per part
• Extensive choice of thermoplastic molded resins
• Elimination of certain secondary operations
• Ability to produce small, large thin-walled and complex shaped parts
  

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