THERMOFORMING | MACHINERY
Recent thermoforming innovations include a machine to boost mono PET tray recyclability, business changes at two major suppliers and a new way of making a mould in 20 minutes
Pressed into action: latest advances in thermoforming
Thermoforming is a widely used technique – espe- cially in packaging – and can offer a rapid, relatively economic alternative to injection moulding. As well as packaging, it also finds use in a range of more industrial applications. UK-based Fyous has developed a high-speed mould-making technology – which uses 28,000 moveable pins to create a mould in around 20 minutes. The system, launched at the Formnext exhibition in Germany last November, could be used to make thermoforming tools, says the company. The product consists of the Polymorphic forming machine, pin tool (the 28k Polymorphic tool) and 3D CAD software (called Pinpoint). The pins can be positioned to an accuracy of
0.1mm, and once locked in position can withstand 6 tonnes of pressure – making them suitable for use in vacuum forming and other techniques such as composite layup, composite bonding and mould- ing polyurethane (PU) products. Pin tools – each about the size of a laptop – can be used together to make bigger moulds. Once the pin tool has been used it can be reinserted into the machine to create a new mould shape with zero waste. There is no
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need to store the mould, just the 3D CAD model. “With the ability to produce perfectly designed custom tooling in minutes, manufacturers can be confident of handling even the largest, most awkward or cumbersome piece, with no fear of damage,” said Joshua Shires, co-founder at Fyous. Sheffield-based Fyous says the product – which took five years to develop it – creates a part around 14 times faster than 3D printing for an equivalent- sized part. It has already been used by a dental- aligner manufacturer and medical shoe maker. “There’s no need to make multiple moulds,” said
Shires. “Simply store the CAD models and re-pro- gramme the machine as and when it’s needed.”
Electric performance Ray Products and Sekisui Kydex have joined forces to develop a housing for an EV charging station using thermoformed sheet. Traditionally, several processes are used in this
kind of part, including injection moulding, struc- tural foam, reaction injection moulding (RIM) and sheet metal for equipment covers. However, they can either fail to meet the outdoor requirements or require secondary finishing processes.
Main image: The PolyMor- phic forming machine from Fyous makes a thermoforming mould from 28,000 pins
� March 2025 | FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION 13
IMAGE: FYOUS
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