1、 Definition and Principle
Heavy Gauge Thermoforming is a process in which pre cut sheet or plate materials are clamped onto the frame of a molding machine, heated and softened at a suitable temperature with high elasticity, and then pressed tightly against the mold surface with applied pressure to achieve a shape similar to the mold surface. After cooling and shaping, cutting and trimming, the plastic product is obtained. The materials used in this process are usually thicker, hence the name "heavy-duty hot pressing molding".
2、 Materials and Applications
Materials: Commonly used materials for heavy-duty hot pressing include ACRYLIC (acrylic acid), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), Kydex (a thermoplastic), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), LDPE (low-density polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate), and polycarbonate. These materials have different physical and chemical properties, which can meet different application needs.
Application: Heavy duty hot pressing molding is widely used in the manufacturing of various large and structurally complex plastic products, such as computer casings, medical equipment casings, electronic equipment casings, outdoor equipment, sports equipment, etc. These products typically require high strength, rigidity, and durability.
3、 Process characteristics
Low pressure: Compared with high-pressure molding processes such as injection molding, heavy-duty hot pressing molding uses lower pressure for molding, resulting in a simpler mold structure and lower manufacturing costs.
Flexibility: Heavy duty hot pressing molding can adapt to molds of various shapes and sizes, with high flexibility.
Surface quality: Due to the tight fit of materials on the mold surface during the molding process, the surface quality of the finished product is usually good.
Production efficiency: The heavy-duty hot pressing molding process is relatively simple and easy to automate, resulting in high production efficiency.
4、 Process limitations
Depth limitation of parts: The depth of heavy-duty hot pressed parts is limited to a certain extent, and the aspect ratio of the container is usually between 0.5 and 2, with an ideal aspect ratio of less than 1.
Accuracy and uniformity: The accuracy of the parts is relatively poor, with a relative error generally above 1%. Meanwhile, it is difficult to ensure the uniformity of wall thickness in different parts of the same component.
Mold detail reflection: During the vacuum forming process, some details of the mold may not be fully reflected in the parts.
5、 Development Trends
With the advancement of technology and changes in market demand, the heavy-duty hot pressing process is also constantly developing. For example, advanced mold manufacturing technology (such as single point incremental forming technology) and digital technology (such as digital image correlation technology) are used to improve the accuracy and molding efficiency of molds; Developing new thermoplastic materials to meet higher performance application requirements; And optimize the molding process parameters to improve the quality of the finished product and reduce costs.
