Technique

I want to make a plastic product. Which techniques are possible?
Plastica Thermoforming offers various techniques for processing plastic, especially vacuum forming, but also techniques such as draping, blowing, bending and pressing.

What is the difference between vacuum forming and thermoforming?
Thermoforming is the term for forming plastic by the means of heat. The technique include vacuum forming, draping, blowing, bending and pressing. Generally, thermoforming and vacuum forming are seen as the same technique.

When do I use which technique?
This depends on various factors, such as design, type of material and series size. Each request is unique. In order to give you a correct answer to this question, please contact us and we would like to give you a free advice.

Materials

What materials are suitable for vacuum forming?
There is a wide variety of materials that are suitable for vacuum forming. We have both clear and transparent plastic and plastic in virtually all colors at our disposal, such as ABS, ASA, HDPE, PC, PET-G, PMMA, PPC, PS, PSU and PVC. Want to know more about the possible materials? Then check out our page materials. Would you like to know which material is suitable for your product? Then you can always contact us for advice.

Design

How do I make my idea feasible?
It starts with a good design. To get your idea done, a 3D drawing is required. When you’re making a 3D drawing, our team of professional engineers is ready for you. We support you and help with the design or make the complete drawing for you.

Which requirements should my design meet?
A design must be vacuum-formable. There are some guidelines for this, see the guidelines on the design page. If you would like a personal advice, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free advice.

Moulds and dies

Can I make my mould or die with you?
If you decide to use thermoforming for your plastic part a mould or die is necessary. Also in this case, Plastica can take care of that : We manufacture a PU foam mould or an aluminum die.

What is the difference between a PU foam mould and aluminum die? 
PU foam is cheaper than aluminum. On the other hand, it’s less robust and therefore better suitable for small series. Aluminum is a lot more durable and lasts longer. Aluminum is therefore more suitable for large series. For more information see moulds and dies

Post processing

Is post-processing always needed?
Post-processing is always necessary after vacuum forming. A post-process can be 5-axis cnc milling, sawing, removing burrs or punching. We can also provide the assembly of your plastic parts. More information can be found on the post-processing page and the assembly page.

Prototyping

Quickly have a prototype?
We can also provide that at Plastica Thermoforming. By means of rapid prototyping, we can basically make a tangible prototype within 24 hours.

What does Rapid Prototyping mean?
Rapid Prototyping makes a tangible model of your design very fast using a 3-D CAD program. For more information, see Rapid Prototyping.