Vacuum Forming Equipment

Vacuum forming is a process that is actively used in many industries related to the production of various plastic products. The principle of operation of this technology is the effect of a low level of pressure or a high level of vacuum on the plastic, which in the process begins to melt and turn into a liquid-like form. Further, this plastic, or thermoplastic material, can be poured into some other forms, creating completely new products. Most often, this method is used in the case of mass production, where the main focus is on the scale of production.

It is not difficult to guess that vacuum equipment is considered the most important component in this process. If you are interested in the molding process being high-quality, fast and reliable, then in any case you will have to use some kind of equipment. Fortunately, the market now provides us with a wide variety of molding installations that cope with such processes without any problems.

Types of Vacuum Forming Equipment:

Thermal vacuum forming unit - the main emphasis is on the thermal effect inside the working chamber. Such installations allow you to achieve the optimal temperature level much faster and consistently keep it at a high level.
Membrane-vacuum molding installation - due to the membrane installed inside, it is possible to make the molding process not only sterile, but also as stable as possible. Such installations rarely malfunction during operation, which is why they are in great demand among buyers.
A machine for vacuum forming is used rather in mass production, where the main emphasis is on the speed of vacuum forming operations.
Vacuum forming unit - can be used in a variety of areas, from large industries to home use. The main thing is to find a suitable variation of the vacuum forming machine.

Speaking about the above variations of molding equipment, we can say that these are only the most popular variations. In addition to them, there are a considerable number of other types of similar equipment on the market. You can find high-quality molding equipment in any store, and at a very affordable price. To do this, you just need to devote a little of your time and thoroughly analyze the entire market in search of suitable equipment.

Vacuum forming machine

After the matrix is ready, it is placed in a vacuum forming machine and covered with ABS plastic, fiberglass, polyethylene, PVC, PET, organic glass or polystyrene. Each of the materials is individual, but is distinguished by sufficient strength and wear resistance. The material is then heated to a certain temperature, causing it to melt and take the form of a matrix.

The next stage is cooling and processing the product. If required, the product is painted and dried. In addition, you can optionally apply an image to the product using digital printing or pasting with self-adhesive film. As a result, vacuum molding allows you to obtain a durable, due to the absence of seams, and voluminous product of any shape.

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Using the equipment produced, it is possible to vacuum form (vacuum forming) various parts: cases, tuning items, forms for various purposes, trays, racks, inserts of packaging elements, etc. having various applications in many industries. Vacuum forming is a technology based on the use of thermoplastic materials (TPM) in a heated (“hot”) form by subjecting them to vacuum or very low pressure. To carry out vacuum forming, it is necessary and sufficient to comply with a number of conditions: - the use of TPM, - the absence of negative angles (less than 90°), - the creation of a vacuum between the material used and the matrix. Vacuum forming has a number of advantages over other methods of producing TPM products.

Wide range of thicknesses of materials used from 0.05mm to 5mm
The geometric dimensions of the resulting products are up to several meters
Relatively low cost of the matrix (possibility of its manufacture from scrap materials (MDF, wood, aluminum, etc.)
Large range and low cost of consumables
Possibility of simultaneous formation of parts of various geometric sizes
Replication of parts (serial production)
Production that does not require highly qualified personnel, large raw materials and technological costs

Various types of acrylics (milky, transparent, tinted), polystyrene, ABS plastic, PVC, polyethylene, this is not a complete list of materials that can be used for work.

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Vacuum forming machine - a reliable assistant in production

According to its technical characteristics, the vacuum forming machine is considered universal. Because on the one hand it is easy to use, on the other hand it is ergonomic. The principle of operation is also quite simple: a heated workpiece is placed in a vacuum chamber and, during the process of pumping out air under the influence of atmospheric pressure, the workpiece takes the required shape. Smoothing of the wall thickness is ensured by a special mechanism equipped with a vacuum forming machine. And to ensure production safety, vacuum forming equipment is equipped with a locking system.

If fast production is required, then vacuum forming machines are an excellent choice. Their main application is not only in shaping, but also in stretching and flanging of transparent materials. This forming equipment is distinguished by its own characteristics. Firstly, the vacuum forming machine has a user-friendly interface that is easy to use. Secondly, the control is carried out automatically, with power, heating, molding, as well as cutting and, most importantly, laying the product. Vacuum molding allows you to make absolutely any product: from disposable tableware to car tuning parts. All this can be achieved thanks to vacuum forming machines.

Main components of a vacuum forming machine

Among the main components that may be included in the machine kit are:

pump unit or, as it is also called, a vacuum system that pumps air out of the chamber and creates a pressure difference in it;
air-injecting fans that ensure uniform heating and cooling of the plastic workpiece;
electric heating elements (heaters), which provide the workpiece temperature necessary for operation;
a clamping unit consisting of a frame system to give the workpiece the required shape;
machine stand;
a frame on which the vacuum chamber is located;
sealed chamber for the vacuum process;
compressor, pumping air from the chamber;
a system of sensors and regulators for changing the heating parameters of the matrix, monitoring the modes of evacuation and processing of the workpiece.

To carry out the vacuum forming process, a necessary element is the presence of a special matrix on the basis of which the product is produced. Such a matrix is made according to the size and shape required for the manufacture of the product. Its material is special heat-resistant and durable compounds that allow vacuuming to be carried out more than once.

Depending on the degree of automation of the vacuum forming process, such machines can be equipped with various additional equipment such as:

workpiece heating panel control system;
sensors protecting the workpiece from sagging;
control system for workpiece stretching (installation dome);
control system for the mechanism for changing the table level and emergency lines of limit reed sensors with the ability to disable the systems;
sensor and time controller for forming operations;
sensor and time controller for workpiece cooling operations;
control system for the process of “shooting” the workpiece from the matrix;
adventure system from automatic to semi-automatic operating mode.

Price of vacuum forming and equipment

The cost of vacuum molding directly depends on factors such as material, product size, initial data, circulation, and the complexity of molding. Therefore, if you want to know the exact cost of the future product, then you should take into account all these nuances in advance. Our company’s specialists will help you with this, who will not only competently select high-quality materials, but also make all the necessary calculations. Also, the price of vacuum forming depends on the complexity of forming and processing the product. At the same time, accuracy and professional precision will allow you to obtain a high-quality product.

As a rule, the more complex the product, the more expensive it is. At the same time, this price is justified and, to a large extent, pays off over time. This is due to the fact that the resulting product has an attractive appearance, is obtained without seams or gluing, due to which it makes the proper impression and looks very realistic. This is precisely what becomes the key to the success of vacuum-forming products.

If you are interested in the price of machines and machines for vacuum forming, we recommend visiting the “Forming Equipment” section, where you can familiarize yourself with the models, technical characteristics and cost of equipment for vacuum forming.

Bumper Manufacturing Business

Demand creates supply, and there will always be a demand for affordable bumpers for cars. That is why such a business idea as your own machine for producing bumpers has the right to exist. Moreover, there are already a lot of instructions on the Internet on such a topic as organizing all the necessary processes in detail. If you wish, you can even find approximate estimates of the cost of creating this type of business from scratch. By studying them in detail, as well as comparing the indicators with data from suppliers who actually offer similar products, you can get the cost of finished production.

Sales channels

In addition to information on how to organize any kind of production, you also need to think about what channels the finished product will be sold through. Of course, only if a source of sales is found will organizing production be profitable. In the case of car bumpers and body kits, the following categories should be divided:

— retail outlets;

— online stores;

— wholesale companies;

— car markets and individuals;

— other companies (tuning studios, service centers, service stations).

It should be understood that when working with retail outlets and service stations, you can achieve high margins with relatively small sales volumes, while wholesale companies will purchase products in large volumes, but at a lower price. Therefore, choosing how to organize sales should be based on how production works - the faster and easier it is to make each bumper, the more copies can be sold, while lowering the price.

Prospects for expanding such a business

Despite the fact that, in addition to the need to have a machine for the production of bumpers, you also need to control a number of other processes (material supply, labor costs, energy consumption, rent or purchase of premises, logistics), this type of business has some advantages. One of them is the possibility of expanding the range of products.

In addition to the fact that the same equipment for the production of bumpers can produce a product for different car models, the same equipment can easily produce decorative body elements, for example, body kits. Such elements are in great demand among those who like to modify their car, improve it, or make it non-standard. In particular, we are talking about various tuning studios, with which in this case it would be very profitable to cooperate.

One success story

Two guys - Oleg Kireev and Andrey Vasiliev from the Don capital - decided to start producing plastic body kits for cars. “The desire for individualism is inherent in every person by nature,” explains Andrey Vasiliev. “Not only guys go for it, but even cooler guys.” Young entrepreneurs rented a 50 m2 box and began making bumpers. First of all, they advertised in a local portal and newspaper.

It must be said that the first clients did not come to the new entrepreneurs right away, and friends had the feeling that their startup was doomed. “But we didn’t waste time,” Oleg Kireev shares his memories. “That’s why they started learning how to make dies for bumpers.” The Hyundai Accent, the most common car in our city, was chosen as a test.” The guys' instincts were correct - the very first client was the owner of this car.

Profitability turned out to be high, about 70%. “A new bumper for Assent costs about 5,500 rubles,” says Andrey Vasiliev. - We sold it for 2,100 rubles. Without taking into account the cost of manufacturing the matrix, the cost was 1,300 rubles.” Ultimately, the startup was successful, allowing young people to become independent and self-sufficient.

Alexander Sitnikov, specially for Equipnet.ru

First of all, the matrix

The bumper production process begins with the manufacture of a matrix. Indeed, the word matrize, from the Latin matrix, means source, beginning, motherhood. And, although this term was originally introduced for the casting of typographical letters, it is fully consistent with the technologies for small-scale production of body parts. The easiest way to make a bumper matrix is from technical plasticine, which does not float when the polyester is heated and, most importantly, does not react to the polyester resin. This method is suitable for one-time bumper production.

But for small-scale production of bumpers, a more resistant matrix will be required. To mold it from materials, you will need polyester resin, Aerosil or aluminum powder (thickener), car Teflon polish, which acts as a separating layer, and, of course, glass mat grades 300 and 600 for the first and second layers. To process the matrix, you need to have a grinder and sandpaper of different grain sizes.

“If the bumper has a complex shape, it is better to make it in fragments, and the bumper itself is taken as the basis,” technologist Vasily Nagnibeda shares his experience. “To do this, flanges should be provided for connecting them.” Each fragment of the matrix must have formwork barriers made of the same technical plasticine with a height of 5-7 cm. In order for the workpiece to move well away from the matrix, it is necessary to apply a separating layer of Teflon polish. Next, using Aerosil as a thickener, polyester resin is diluted to the desired consistency and applied to the surface of the plasticine matrix. Then glass mat 300 is laid, and then glass mat 600 is laid down the chain. The result should be a matrix with a wall thickness of 4 mm.

Registration and documentation

You can start producing bumpers for cars without any special permits or documents. In principle, you can do this even as a private individual. However, in this case, you should sell your products either directly to private hands or on the automobile market. In order to cooperate with wholesale companies and retail chains, you need to register as a private entrepreneur or found an enterprise. In the future, you can also register your own trademark in order to brand the product with your name and thus promote it on the market.