Plastic Thermoforming Process vs. Fiberglass - How to Choose?
Productive Plastics' core competency is the design, engineering and manufacturing of custom heavy gauge plastic thermoformed parts.
Plastic thermoforming and fiberglass molding can be used to make similar parts, but there are distinct advantages and disadvantages that should be taken into account when choosing the process that is right for a specific plastic component. The information on this page provides some general guidance on how to choose between fiberglass and thermoforming.
Plastic thermoforming is a plastic production process that heats a two dimensional rigid thermoplastic sheet and uses vacuum and/or pressure to form that sheet into a three dimensional shape. Thermoforming is typically used for production quantities of 250 to 3000 annually, offering lower tooling costs, rapid product development cycles, and parts with color and texture.
Fiberglass molding is a process in which fiberglass reinforced resin is formed into useful shapes. The resin is applied in multiple layers to increase strength and to attain desired thickness. This process and material is best suited to making large structures requiring high strengths, however it carries high tooling cost and slower production rates.
Choosing the Best Manufacturing Process for Your Plastic Part
Productive Plastics works with customers to make sure the technology, production processes, and materials are right for each job. Here are some guidelines and considerations for deciding between thermoforming and fiberglass molding.
Volume
Fiberglass parts are mainly utilized in smaller production volumes and prototyping projects. Thermoforming is more cost effective when compared to fiberglass when used for production quantities of 250 to 3000 annually. Neither thermoforming or fiberglass molding processes is cost effective at high production volumes.
Material
Thermoplastic PolyOlefins (TPO) is the plastic material of choice for replacing fiberglass parts. This material is more durable, crack resistant, UV resistant, conductive, and lighter when compared to its fiberglass counterpart. Click for more information on TPO.
Lead Time
The fiberglass molding process is labor intensive which results in slower production rates and longer lead times compared to thermoformed plastic production. Productive Plastics completes tooling and first production runs, on average, in less than 10 weeks.
Finish and Branding
The fiberglass process produces a high quality finish but limited in scope. Thermoformed plastics are available in a wide variety of colors and finished textures. Silk screening, distortion printing, and post-process painting can also be utilized to increase branding and graphic potential on thermoformed plastic parts..
Tooling
Due to the complexity and labor intensive, open contact molding process associated with fiberglass part production, multiple tools are often required to complete a single part. This generates increased tooling costs and production time requirements for each part.
The thermoforming process is highly automated, requires less labor, and most applications require only a single tool per part. Consequently, the tooling costs are less and the production rate drastically increased compared to the fiberglass molding process.
Weight Considerations
Thermoformed plastic parts are lightweight and can offer substantially reduced part weight when compared to fiberglass. Typical thermoformed parts are 10-20% lighter than their fiberglass counterparts.
Environmental Factors
Thermoformed plastic and the manufacturing process is environmentally safe and its material is recyclable. The fiberglass process produces large amounts of environmentally hazardous styrene and is non-recyclable.
Industry Examples
Here are two examples of recent projects in which fiberglass parts were converted to thermoformed plastic.
The manufacturer of this tow truck opted for the more durable and impact resistant thermoformed plastic material over fiberglass when they redesigned their rear fender and light assembly.
This utility vehicle took advantage of the benefits of lighter material when the hood and steering assembly were converted to thermoplastic.
Converting from Fiberglass to Thermoformed Plastic
There are many advantages to using thermoformed plastic in place of fiberglass parts. Whether converting an existing fiberglass part to thermoformed plastic or creating a new one, Productive Plastics has the experience and expertise in design, engineering, and lean manufacturing to meet the needs of even the most challenging projects. Please Contact Productive Plastics to start the process of converting a plastic part from fiberglass to thermoformed plastic.
Thermoforming Alternatives
There are some circumstances where other manufacturing processes such as fiberglass molding are a better choice. These circumstances include high strength and very complex designs. Please Contact Productive Plastics for assistance with choosing the best process.
Contact Productive Plastics for Plastic Thermoforming
Please Contact Us for assistance or to get a quote for custom plastic thermoforming contract manufacturing or to explore the option of upgrading fiberglass parts to thermoformed plastic parts.
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