Thermoforming
As a leading materials and technology supplier to this market, SABIC Innovative Plastics offers an expansive portfolio of solutions, including:
• Design and technology innovation
• Global solutions
• No-paint, weatherable resins and sheet
• Low-temperature resins and sheet
• Semi-structural resins and sheet
• High-heat and flame-resistant resins and sheet
• Glazing solutions
If the right material doesn’t exist already, we may be able to leverage two or more SABIC Innovative Plastics resins to create a multilayer sheet solution to help meet your application’s needs.
Though thermoforming represents just one of many options for shaping plastics into finished parts, the tremendous size of the total market assures that sizeable opportunities will continue to exist.
Thermoforming offers many potential advantages over other processing methods. Often, large applications with relatively small production runs are not economically feasible using injection molding. From a cost/quality standpoint, thermoforming may be the only practical processing method.
Thermoforming equipment and molds typically cost significantly less than that required by other processing methods. A wide range of large, thin-walled, lightweight parts are not only possible but also practical with thermoforming. Moreover, many processors can realize these benefits with a relatively low initial investment.
Application Opportunities
The ability to produce large parts with thins walls in a variety of shapes has led to the use of thermoforming in many diverse applications, including:
• Bath and shower furnishings
• Spas
• Components for recreational vehicles
• Siding
• Windows
• Consumer products
• Appliances and housewares
• Components for specialty transportation
• Automotive components
• Marine Components
• Lawn and garden
• Lighting
• Packaging
For more information on the process of thermoforming please go to the Literature section and look under the Processing Guide for more in-depth information on thermoforming
You will find helpful information on the thermoforming process, various forming methods, sheet quality, equipment, drying and heating, mold design, and part design.
