This process is when a single extruded sheet is heated and positioned over a horizontally oriented mold and sealed at its perimeter.
The air between the mold and heated sheet is evacuated and atmospheric pressure forces the sheet to conform to the surface of the mold. Plugs, which help stretch the material to create vertical wall thickness, are used to optimize material distrubution to critical areas. Material handling industry products, such as; pallets, totes, trays, containers, and components are manufactured using this process. Other advantages of this process include, low cost prototype parts, low cost tooling, partially encapsulated substrates, and the full range of options associated with extruder sheet.
TWIN SHEET Thermoforming (TTF) heats two individually engineered sheets, on two individual molds, positioned horizontally; one above the other.
Before the two sheets are brought together to form a single welded part, a stiffening substrate can be positioned between the sheets, which then is encapsulated by the welding step. The large size of TTF machinery, and the high cooling capacity of twin molds, provide relatively high processing volumes. The combination of high material distribution efficiency and the ability to weld two individually engineered sheets together provide high performing hollow light weight structures. Low cost custom prototype parts and moderate cost molds are additional benefits unique to TTF.
