Types and applications of vacuum forming mold

In the articles of the previous few weeks, we learned about the development history and application of thermoforming process and the technology, and we also knew clearly the flow of this thermoforming process and the production process of the product. So now we come to understand one of the links in the process-mold and mold classification and application.

Mold materials and their advantages-

The mold materials we generally use at present are aluminum, we have also tried some other mold materials, such as copper, wood, and gypsum, but after long-term experiments and comparisons, we have found that the mold material has a great influence on the thermoforming of the product. the copper mold accepts the temperature faster and dissipates heat faster, which is not conducive to the thermoforming of the product at a high temperature for a long time, wood molds are even worse, they will crack and deform after continuous high temperature, and they are not suitable for long-term use. After the plaster mold is heated at high temperature, it cannot be used for a long time, and the surface will be deformed or wrinkled.

In contrast, aluminum molds is more stable, heat dissipation is slow, heat-receiving quickly, and suitable for long-term use, and it is more convenient in terms of later modification and welding. The most important thing is that the price of aluminum material is economical, and it is not expensive compared to other materials, so aluminum material has become the material of choice for thermoforming molds.

Type of vacuum forming mold–

When we know the material of the mold, what are the types of the mold? Thermoforming molds are generally divided into two types, positive molds and negative molds, which are also called male molds and female molds. 

Male mold:

The structure of the male mold is that the main body protrudes upwards, and the plastic sheet wraps the mold when it is blister, and protrudes upwards. This is a commonly used mold type. The inner surface of the product touches the surface of the mold, and the size of the mold surface is the size of the inner surface of the product. Used for plastic covers, plastic housings, and some plastic products with external appearance requirements. As show as below picture –

Female mold:

The structural feature of femal mold is generally concave downward. The plate is concave downward during thermoforming, and the back of the plate contacts the front of the mold, so the front dimension of the mold is the back dimension of the product. This kind of mold is generally used to control the outer surface size of the product, and is suitable for some plastic products whose outer size is strictly controlled- as show as below-

Mold with sliding block-

For products with some special structures, we will make a stretchable aluminum block according to the structure of the product. During thermoforming, the aluminum block stretches out to help shape the structure. After molding, the module shrinks to make the mold surface flat. Easier to release from the mold surface.

The above is an introduction to the mold material and type of vacuum forming mold ,

If you have a project related to thermoforming process, you can contact me at any time, I believe we can give the most professional opinions and plans to realize your wild ideas :).

My email is sales03@dgdtxs.com.cn

Looking forward to your email! !

Thanks !!

 Gene

2021-6-10