ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
THERMOFORMING TRANSFORMED
How are 3D printed moulds transforming thermoforming processes with time and cost optimisation
D
ue to supply disruptions, manufacturers are turning to additive manufacturing (AM) to help them accelerate
production processes while maintaining quality and reducing costs. Many plastic thermoforming companies are now leveraging AM to assist in traditional vacuum and thermoforming processes, making them faster, more cost-efficient, and more agile.
ENABLING PRODUCTION EFFICIENCIES In conventional thermoforming processes, plastic sheet materials are shaped over moulds, often with the assistance of a vacuum, to produce the final part. Te moulds can be produced in different ways, including using cast ceramics and CNC machining of metals, wood, tooling board, or hand-sculpting of wood. To create the desired shape, these subtractive processes selectively remove material from a block or billet with a spindle. Alternatively, AM methods build
the part layer by layer. Tis is done using an extensive range of polymers, including standard and high-performance thermoplastics, thermosets, filled and photopolymer resins, and even metals. Additively manufactured moulds offer freedom of design in comparison with conventional means. AM also increases efficiency, yielding a mould or prototype within hours or days while traditional manufacturing often necessitates weeks and months.
GAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE It’s important to consider which 3D
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The EXT 1270 Titan Pellet 3D printer
printing technique is most suitable for the mould production. For medium- to large-scale parts, pellet extrusion has demonstrated many benefits, including the ability to optimise times, reduce the cost of mould production, and production flexibility.
Termoplastic pellets are considered
the lowest-cost raw material for AM - up to 10 times less than other printing materials, such as thermoplastic filament. In addition to material cost savings, pellet extrusion 3D printers can print moulds up to 1270 x 1270 x 1820mm (50 x 50 x 72 inches) using high-performance and high-temperature materials at speeds reaching a half metre per second. To achieve a high-quality final part, 3D-printing production moulds for
thermoforming require minimising mould distortion. Termoforming companies such as Duo Form, for example, have validated glass-filled polycarbonate pellets as a proven material for such applications, along with carbon-fiber-filled ABS pellets and even some nylon pellet feedstocks as viable mould materials. Several factors should be considered when selecting a pellet feedstock for AM moulds: the gauge of the final sheet being formed, the temperature requirements of the final material, and the availability and cost of the pellet feedstocks. For example, when a thinner gauge is utilised as the final formed sheet, lower temperature mould materials are acceptable, such as CF-ABS pellets. For applications that require a thicker gauge or higher
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