Here are some often-asked questions that may help you understand the thermoforming process, and Waveform Plastics. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time, at info@waveformplastics.com.
1. What is thermoforming and vacuum forming?
2. Is tooling (the mold, in this case) expensive?
3. What do you make molds from?
4. What is a typical minimum run (part quantity)?
5. What's the typical lead time?
6. Should I thermoform or injection mold my part?
7. When thermoforming a part, why can only one side be controlled?
8. What types of plastic can you form?
9. What material thickness can you form?
10. Where can you ship to?
11. How do I get a quote on a part?
12. Where can I find answers to my other plastics and thermoforming related questions?
1. What is thermoforming and vacuum forming?
Thermoforming is the process of heating a sheet of plastic material, and shaping it using a mold. Vacuum forming refers to the use of a vacuum to force the plastic into the shape of the mold. We also do pressure forming, which, as you might guess, uses pressure, along with vacuum, to force the plastic into the mold cavity. Each type of forming has it's own specific advantages. To learn more about the thermoforming process, see this guide (Adobe Acrobat pdf format). 
2. Is tooling (the mold, in this case) expensive?
The molds used in thermoforming are designed based on a variety of factors - life expectancy, finish, complexity, tolerances, to name a few. Generally speaking, tooling for thermoforming is much cheaper than that for other processes, such as injection molding. Molds can be as cheap as a few hundred dollars, depending on the specific requirement. Don't be scared away by up-front costs. Thermoforming can be extremely economical, especially for low to medium volume applications.
3. What do you make molds from?
Molds are often made from various composites which offer long life, easy machining, and good thermal characteristics. For higher volume or long life applications, molds can be machined from aluminum. For prototypes, we'll often make a mold from medium density fibreboard, a wood product.
4. What is a typical minimum run (part quantity)?
Minimums vary greatly, based on setup times and part complexity. We'll do just a few parts if needed, especially for prototyping. There's really no "minimum".
5. What's the typical lead time?
Prototypes are often prepared within a few days. Again, this can vary, but we do try to minimize prototype turnaround to keep your design cycle short. Production lead times can vary based on material requirements and availability, and quantity. Typical production lead time is one to four weeks.
6. Should I thermoform or injection mold my part?
Both process are unique, and offer specific advantages and disadvantages. Thermoforming typically has a lower up-front cost, while injection molding is ideal when you're producing hundreds of thousands of parts. Look here for a more detailed comparison.
7. When thermoforming a part, why can only one side be controlled?
The mold defines the shape of the plastic, and tolerances can be controlled on the side of the plastic that contacts the mold. The opposite side, away from the mold, is predictable, but not controlled, because the plastic will stretch around the mold and produce varying thicknesses. There are a number of techniques that we use to minimize this effect, when it's important.
8. What types of plastic can you form?
There are many plastics that can be thermoformed. Many are designed specifically for thermoforming. You can choose from a wide range of engineering plastics to precisely meet your job requirement. Just few of these materials that we work with include:
- Polyethylene
- Polystyrene
- Polypropylene
- ABS
- T.P.O.
- Polyester
- Acrylic
- Polycarbonate
- Plastic alloys
9. What material thickness can you form?
We typically use materials in the 0.040" to 0.500" range. While we don't typically form materials thicker than 0.500", we can machine parts from thicker plastics on our in-house CNC router.
10. Where can you ship to?
We have customers throughout North America. If you require overseas shipment, let us know, and we can probably arrange that, too.
11. How do I get a quote on a part?
Complete our online quote request form, or contact our sales staff for assistance.
12. Where can I find answers to my other plastics and thermoforming related questions?
Contact our staff for answers to any questions you may have!
Coming soon: Glossary of terms.
