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Plastic sheet stock can be formed into various shapes of mechanical parts.
This can be accomplished by two methods utilizing low cost aluminum tooling.
1) A preheated flat sheet is Vacuum Formed around, or over, a male mold in a Vacuum Press. This process can utilize wood, epoxy, or aluminum tools. Aluminum is the preferred tooling because of it's longer life, ease of forming sharper details including sharp corners, deeper depressions, better contours, undercuts, crisp lines, and raised lettering and logos. Aluminum tooling is cut on high speed CNC machining centers.
2) A preheated flat plastic sheet can be Pressured Formed with a two piece male/female mold. Again, aluminum is the preferred material for the tooling.
Typical aluminum tooling for Vacuum Forming can run from $500 to $3,000.
Some draft on angles is required and some thinning of the material's starting thickness will occur at corners and depressions with both processes. The material has to be "stretched" or "pushed" into deep corners and undercuts.
Approximately 15 different materials can be Vacuum or Pressured formed. These include UL rated fire retardant sheet stock. Hundreds of stock colors are available.
In addition, custom colors can be produced. Also, most materials used in this process can be wet painted with polyurethane paint. Many stock materials have a "haircell" texture.
Selective texturing can be applied to the aluminum tooling.
Materials include - ABS, Polyethylene, Polyester, Polycarbonate, Styrene, Acrylics, Kydex, Polypropylene, Polyolefins. These are available in Fire Retardant, Antistatic, Chemical Resistance, Weather Resistant, Clear and Translucent.
Secondary finishing includes CNC routing and trimming, CNC machining, hot stamping, die cutting, sonic welding, solvent bonding and welding, hardware installation, including threaded inserts, and internal bosses.
Parts can be produced in multiples, (more than "one up") to lower piece part costs.
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