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Thermoforming

Exploring the Benefits of Plastic Thermoforming for Medical Device Manufacturing

Monday, February 13, 2023
Categories: Medical, Thermoforming

What is Plastic Thermoforming and How Does it Benefit Medical Device Manufacturing?

Plastic thermoforming is a manufacturing process that uses heat and pressure to form thermoplastic material into desired shapes. It is a popular method used in the production of medical devices, as it offers numerous advantages over other traditional manufacturing techniques such as injection molding, fiberglass, and sheet metal. The process can be used to create complex, intricate parts with tight tolerances and superior surface finishes, while also allowing for cost-effective production runs. In addition, plastic thermoforming can be used to produce parts with unique features such as integrated hinges and snap-fit components, and bonded attachment hardware. By utilizing these techniques, medical device manufacturers can create high-quality products that meet the stringent requirements of their industry.

The Advantages of Using Plastic Thermoforming for Medical Device Manufacturing

Plastic thermoforming offers many advantages in medical device manufacturing, including cost effective large parts, tight tolerances, industry compliant material, and improved product consistency. Thermoforming can produce high quality, complex, and aesthetically designed medical device parts for everything from device enclosures and paneling to laboratory equipment components and patient bed parts.

Siemens medical device enclosure – pressure formed, surface finished, branding applied, and attachment hardware bonded all at Productive Plastics

Use your mouse or touch screen to interact with and rotate the pressure formed part image. Don’t forget to click on the red hot spots to learn more about the unique thermoforming features of this part.

What are the Different Types of Plastic Thermoforming Processes?

Plastic thermoforming is comprised of two different subtype processes, vacuum forming and pressure forming that can be used in medical device manufacturing. Each type of process has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the application. Vacuum forming is often used for creating large parts with complex geometries while pressure forming is often used for producing small parts with intricate details.

Choosing the Right Type of Plastic Thermoforming Process, Material, and Custom Thermoforming Manufacturer

When it comes to producing medical devices, the type of plastic thermoforming process, thermoplastic material, and custom thermoforming manufacturer you choose are critical decisions. With so many options available, it’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each process and how they can meet your specific production needs. Finding a plastic thermoforming manufacturer with experience in the medical device manufacturing field that can assist with matching your project to the ideal process, material, secondary assembly, and surface finishing options can play a pivotal role in the ultimate success of your project.

Unlock the Benefits of Plastic Thermoforming for Medical Device

Productive Plastics has extensive experience producing custom multi-part component assemblies for numerous industry leading medical device manufacturers. We strive to be a trusted advisor throughout the entire product development process from prototype design through the final delivery of your thermoformed components or assembly. Our highly skilled engineers, manufacturing technicians, and support staff will work with your team to develop the right design, material, and process for your medical device project. Maximizing the advantages of plastic thermoforming and minimizing the cost and production time for your product.

Please visit our Custom Thermoforming for Medical Device page or contact our team to explore plastic thermoforming for your next medical device project.

Additive Manufacturing Advancing Custom Thermoforming at Productive Plastics

Sunday, January 22, 2023
Categories: Company News, Thermoforming

Productive Plastics featured on formlabs’s blog – 3D printed innovations for thermoforming

Productive Plastics was honored to be featured on the formlabs industry blog on January 12th, Problem Solving on the Factory Floor: Manufacturing Aids at Productive Plastics. The article highlights some of the tech and innovations we employ on the manufacturing floor, in particular, our utilization of in-house 3D printed manufacturing accessories to increase process efficiency, reduce lead times, and  maximize the benefits of manufacturing parts and enclosures with plastic thermoforming. All part of our commitment to provide our customers with the highest quality and most cost-effective custom thermoforming solutions in the industry.

Read the rest of the post for more info

Antimicrobial Plastics for Thermoforming Manufactured Custom Components

Sunday, January 08, 2023
Categories: Technical, Thermoforming, Thermoforming Material, Uncategorized

The demand for antimicrobial plastics has risen in recent years as yet another countermeasure to bacterial and viral health threats, such as COVID-19. As a result, plastic and thermoplastic material suppliers have responded by producing a wide range of thermoplastic sheet options, used in the plastic thermoforming manufacturing process, that posses antimicrobial properties and other benefits advantageous to a wide range of industries, not just healthcare.

What is antimicrobial plastic?

Antimicrobial plastics are produced with an additive in the base polymer designed to block the growth of microorganisms, including bacteria, mold, and fungi. The additive integrates into the structure of the plastic, so this benefit exists for the entire product life. These materials are generally measured using ISO 22196:2001 and/or JIS Z 2801 Standards. These antimicrobial additives can also provide an addition benefit to the longevity and structural integrity of a component by protecting against plastic material damaging bacteria that can, over time, degrade certain types of plastic.

Common Antimicrobial Additives for Thermoplastic

Antimicrobial Advantages for Thermoplastic

  • Inhibiting surface growth of bacteria, mold, and fungi
  • Durability – Bacteria may break down polymers over time, by blocking the growth, these additives may provide greater longevity.
  • Reducing odor/discoloration
  • Surface antimicrobial protection between cleanings
  • Antimicrobial protection for the duration of product life

Antimicrobial Thermoplastic Material Datasheets

Below are just a few examples of antimicrobial materials available for plastic thermoformed components

Antimicrobial Industry Applications

Custom Plastic Thermoformed Components with Antimicrobial Properties at Productive Plastics

Productive Plastics has experience working with antimicrobial plastics and long standing relationships with industry leading thermoplastic material suppliers. Our experts can advise you and your team on selecting the ideal thermoplastic to meet the performance demands of your next project. Please contact us to get started!

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Thermoforming for Multi-Part Assemblies – Webinar Recording Available

Wednesday, December 07, 2022
Categories: Technical, Technical Thermoforming Webinar, Thermoforming, Uncategorized

If you were unable to attend our technical webinar this week on the capabilities and advantages of Thermoforming for Mult-Part Assemblies, a recording of the live event is now available on our YouTube channel.

WATCH THE RECORDING NOW

Here is what was covered in the webinar:

  • Vacuum vs Pressure Forming
  • Material Considerations
  • Application to match process
  • Attachment Methods
  • Tolerance Considerations
  • Product Finishing
  • Q&A

Stay tuned for future technical plastic thermoforming webinars from Productive Plastics

Thermoforming for Multi-Part Assembly – Live Webinar with McConnell Co.

Thursday, November 17, 2022
Categories: Plastic Thermoforming Event Hosted by Productive Plastics, Technical Thermoforming Webinar, Thermoforming

At Productive Plastics, many of the thermoformed plastic parts that we manufacture for our customers are not stand-alone pieces, but components of an assembly or multi-part enclosure.  Like a puzzle, these individual parts must be manufactured to fit together with precision and uniformity to successfully create the finished product.

Productive hosted a live webinar on December 6th, 2022, with renown thermoforming expert Robert Browning of the McConnell Company discussing considerations for designing and manufacturing a multi-part assembly with plastic thermoformed parts.

  Some of the topics we covered:

  • Vacuum vs Pressure Forming
  • Material Considerations
  • Application to match process
  • Attachment Methods
  • Tolerance Considerations
  • Product Finishing
  • Q&A

Update* see a recording of this webinar at the link below:

Thermoforming for Multi-Part Assemblies Replay

Understanding Heavy vs thin gauge plastic thermoforming

Sunday, April 07, 2019
Categories: Thermoforming

While the difference in starting thickness between heavy gauge thermoforming (sometimes referred to as thick gauge or sheet fed thermoforming ) and thin gauge (also referred to as roll-fed) thermoforming may only begin as a few tenths of an inch in part thickness, the two are utilized in different applications than one another as the manufacturing techniques, machinery required, and project scope differ.

The machinery required is unique for each process category, meaning most plastic thermoforming manufacturers specialize in only one or the other. For instance, Productive Plastics is a custom heavy gauge plastic thermoforming manufacturer. So, you can save some time when searching for a processor if you know which category of thermoforming is the right solution for your application.

Here are the essential differences between heavy and thin gauge plastic thermoforming:

Plastic Thermoforming Heavy Gauge Thin Gauge
Manufactured Part Thickness (approximate) .060 -.375″ 1.5 – 9.5 mm < .125” < 3mm
Machinery Type Sheet Fed Roll Fed
Thermoplastic Materials Used (Most Common) ABS
Polycarbonate
HDPE
Polypropylene (many material variants available) 		PETG
PET
Clear PVC
Styrene
Polypropylene  
Annual Volume Low – Mid Volume < 10,000 High Volume > 10,000
Typical Applications -Medical device enclosures
-Transportation interior parts (window masks, wall and ceiling panels, seating, luggage racks)
-Kiosk enclosures
-Industrial equipment covers
-Electronic equipment enclosures 		-Clamshell packaging
-Food service packaging
-Disposable cups, plates, and trays
-Food containers
-Small medical device packaging
Heavy Gauge – Medical Device Enclosure
Thin Gauge – Food Packaging

Does your application favor heavy gauge thermoforming? If so, contact us or download our Heavy Gauge Plastic Thermoforming Design Guide for more detailed information on the features and benefits of plastic thermoforming and to explore how Productive Plastics can provide manufacturing solutions for your product.

Please contact Productive Plastics for more information on the thermoforming process
Please download the heavy gauge thermoforming design guide from Productive Plastics

Plastic Thermoforming, Pressure Forming, and Vacuum Forming – What’s the Difference?

Friday, October 12, 2018
Categories: Technical, Thermoforming, Thermoforming Material

The terms “plastic thermoforming”, “pressure  forming”, and “vacuum forming” are all used to describe plastic forming processes. While similar, there are subtle and important differences in these terms and processes that may not be well known outside of the plastic manufacturing industry.

Here is a brief breakdown to get you talking thermoforming like a pro in less than a minute:

Plastic Thermoforming is the generic broad label given to the plastic manufacturing process that heats thermoplastic sheet material (thermo) and then applies pressure or vacuum to form into a 3-dimensional shape (forming).

Pressure and Vacuum Forming are the 2 most common plastic thermoforming manufacturing techniques, under the umbrella of plastic thermoforming. They differ primarily in the method of applying pressure/vacuum to transform the heated plastic sheet into the desired 3-dimensional shape.

Pressure Forming Process

Pressure Forming Process

Vacuum Forming Process

Vacuum Forming Process
 

Plastic Thermoforming

 

Pressure Forming

Vacuum Forming

 Pressure Forming IllustrationVacuum forming Illustration
Process DescriptionSheet thermoplastic material is heated until pliable. Positive pressure is then applied above the heated sheet, pressing the material into the surface of a mold to create the desired 3-dimensional part shape.

 

Full Disclosure – The air under the sheet is also evacuated to assist in stretching the material over the mold, but the positive pressure applied is up to 5x greater.

Sheet thermoplastic material is heated until pliable and placed over a mold. The air is then evacuated between the heated sheet and mold creating a vacuum that pulls the material onto the surface of the mold to create the desired 3-dimensional part shape.

 

 

Watch a 1-minute video of a part being vacuum formed.

Key Benefits
  • Aesthetic surface finishes (texture, branding, in mold design)
  • Often eliminates need for post-production painting
  • High level of detail (rivals injection molding)
  • Tighter radius formation
  • Greater undercut depth and definition
  • In mold vents, louver, and attachment point geometry
  • Larger part capability
  • Faster cycle times
  • Lower tooling costs
ToolingNegative  toolingPositive  tooling (typically)
 

 

Primary Part Surface (Dimensional & Aesthetic)

 

 

 

Outside (part surface contacting the tool)

 

 

Inside (part surface contacting the tool)

Application Examples
  • Device Enclosures (medical, dental, kiosk, electrical, etc.)
  • Transportation (air, mass transit, rail) interior components (seating, window masks, wall and ceiling paneling, etc)
  • Material handling equipment interior components
  • Recreation and utility vehicle components
  • Food service components
  • Handling trays and dunnage
  • Pick up truck bedliners
  • Waste water management components
  • Portable toilet components
  • Large equipment enclosures
  • Agricultural related equipment and components

In addition to pressure forming and vacuum forming, there are other methods, such as twin sheet thermoforming (to be covered in a future post), that give plastic thermoforming a vast portfolio of manufacturing capabilities that offer product solutions to a wide range of industries and applications. Plastic thermoforming often outperforms other processes and materials such as fiberglass (FRP) , metal, or injection molding.

Want to learn more about which plastic thermoforming process is the right solution for your project?

Please contact us.

Please contact Productive Plastics for more information on the thermoforming process

5 Questions to ask your manufacturer to understand if they can repeatably produce high quality parts.

Saturday, August 25, 2018
Categories: Lean Manufacturing, Quality, Thermoforming, Uncategorized

The heavy gauge plastic thermoforming is an agile process capable of producing highly detailed, durable, and tight tolerance parts with almost limitless design possibilities. It provides a cost effective and fast to market solution for a number of applications such as Medical Devices and Rail and Aircraft Interiors. To take advantage of thermoforming, you need to leverage a team with the technical expertise and focus on execution and quality to ensure that you receive a high-quality product every time.

Not every plastic thermoforming processor is equally capable. Issues could arise from poorly designed tooling or poor tooling mediums, lack of processing controls, lack of quality controls, or no repeatable work instructions. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant where the food quality depends on the chef working? You want to ensure you receive the same high-quality product every time.

1. Does the manufacturer have an accredited quality control program?

ISO9001-2015-Certification-Productive Plastics

Ensuring that your manufacturer has adopted an accredited quality control program, such as ISO 9001, will indicate that the company has an active quality control process in place that has been evaluated and certified by an industry recognized third party. The accreditation documentation, often available on the manufacturer’s website, will give you detailed information on what aspects of the company have been certified and supporting quality documentation can often be requested from the processor.

2. Is the manufacturer’s facility organized and clean?

This may seem like a trivial point, but it can be a key indicator to a company’s commitment to quality. A company with a well-organized manufacturing floor is much more likely to take quality, efficiency, process improvement, and safety seriously. If you are not offered a tour of the facility, ask for and witness firsthand the quality control measures in action. Cleanliness and organization are vital since thermoforming is an “open mold process” meaning airborne dirt could end up as an inclusion in the finished part and become a cosmetic flaw.

3. Does the contract manufacturer utilize efficient manufacturing methodologies and conduct process improvement events, such as Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen events?

Lean Manufacturing focuses on the removal of inefficient practices in manufacturing, management, and administration operations, with regular evaluations of current processes with emphasis on continual improvement. Companies that are committed to following Lean Manufacturing techniques tend to have very efficient manufacturing operations, greater investments in equipment, and produce quality parts with a low rejection rate. This will lead to lower part costs from labor as well as a higher on-time delivery percentage.

4. Does the thermoforming partner have dedicated engineering experts to provide tooling design and construction project management?

Properly designed and constructed tooling is the foundation of plastic thermoforming and is essential to producing a high-quality consistent product. Poorly engineered tooling can result in part dimension variations, surface abnormalities, and other defects. See 6 Common Thermoforming Quality Issues Actually Caused by Improper Tooling. Tooling is also a byproduct of part design and leveraging experts can help avoid downstream issues.

5. Does the processor conduct a “Define and Discover” Innovation Engineering approach to seek avenues for collaborative project development and management?

Collaborating early on helps to ensure that the appropriate decision is being made and executed. We for example: start with the question, is this a good application for thermoforming? Sometimes we find ourselves recommending other processes, as your partner should be someone you can trust and leverage.

Ultimately, each project is unique. A commodity type part will likely not require the same level of quality in detail and precision as a multi-part medical device assembly. Finding a partner that can tailor a solution to your specific needs will help you to reduce costs while meeting quality requirements consistently.

At Productive Plastics, we go to great lengths to ensure quality

  • ISO 9001:2008 certified thermoformed plastics manufacturer and designer
  • Lean Manufacturing committed enterprise – Implemented 1998
  • Comprehensive Quality Management System (QMS)
    • Over 6 decades of thermoforming process and quality refinement (oven calibration and thermal environment management, ultrasonic measurement of material sag, and more)
    • Industry leading quality management procedures in every stage of the manufacturing process from design to delivery – High level of documentation, standardization, and tracability.
  • Tooling and Design
    • Dedicated part and tooling engineering team managing supplier performance and tooling construction. Design reviews to ensure expectations are met.
  • Investment in Technology
    • Continual investment in technology, such as the newest sensors, to ensure repeatability.

Have more questions about the role of quality manufacturing for your parts and components? Interested in exploring plastic thermoforming solutions for your OEM product?

Please contact us.

Please contact Productive Plastics for more information on the thermoforming process

Where does your part get painted?

Thursday, July 05, 2018
Categories: Thermoforming

The manufacturing supply chain can be long and complex. Managing independent suppliers for design, tooling construction, assembly, part painting, and more can be challenging, and each has an influence on the quality, timing, and cost of the finished product.

For custom plastic thermoforming, post-production part painting is a key link in this supply chain. That is why Productive Plastics decided to bring our own painting operation under the same roof as our manufacturing facility.

Our cutting edge painting and finishing facility is solely dedicated to meeting the surface finishing needs of custom heavy gauge thermoformed parts manufactured by Productive Plastics.

What are the Benefits to Our Customers?

Reduced Risk

If a supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link, then strengthening or removing that link reduces the risk of a break. Consolidating the painting and manufacturing operation at Productive Plastics means that there is one fewer supplier to manage and monitor. This also ensures accountability, as it avoids any “finger pointing” between a thermoformer and a painter.

Reduced Cost

In-house facilities and complete control over the painting process reduces or eliminates the logistical, quality control, and transportation costs associated with an off-site supplier.

Reduced Lead Time

Our painting facility is 100 feet from the manufacturing floor, meaning that parts can be painted, cured, and ready for shipping or assembly in the same day that they are manufactured.

Increased Process and Quality Control

Incorporating a painting facility into the operation at Productive Plastics allowed us direct control of the painting process and quality management.  We implemented the same lean manufacturing techniques, proven processes, and quality controls and traceability that we have been evolving on the manufacturing floor for over 6 decades.

Strategically consolidating the manufacturing supply chain is just one of the ways Productive Plastics is constantly improving our ability to contribute to your product’s success. Contact us and give us the opportunity to show you how we can provide much more than a high quality plastic part.

Please contact Productive Plastics for more information on the thermoforming process

Choosing Between Injection Molding vs Plastic Thermoforming: Part Size Has a Big Impact

Friday, February 16, 2018
Categories: Injection Molding vs Plastic Thermoforming, Thermoforming

When comparing a heavy gauge plastic thermoforming process and injection molding process to manufacture a part, aside from production volume, the size of the part is the largest factor that can impact the cost and even process feasibility.

In essence, the larger the part the more expensive it becomes to produce with injection molding. Comparatively, part size has a very minimal cost effect on plastic thermoformed parts. The breakeven point on cost between the two manufacturing processes (Deciding Between Plastic Thermoforming and Injection Molding – The Choice is Not Always Obvious) increases as part size increases to approximately 5,000 parts or higher depending greatly on how large the part is.

Why Does Part Size Affect Cost and Manufacturing Process Selection?

The injection molding process requires a very large up-front capital investment in the tooling and equipment needed to produce a part. This is because the nature of the process involves a very highly engineered 2-sided mold to create a part by feeding thermoplastic resin into a heated barrel with a rotating screw. The screw delivers the raw material forward collecting under pressure the amount required to fill the mold cavity and then injecting into the mold at high pressure and velocity. This action requires highly structured molds and equipment capable of withstanding very high clamping pressure.

As part size and dimensions increase, the complexity of design, engineering, and calibration required to construct, install, and process this 2-sided mold results in a significant increase in the cost of equipment, tooling and setup. The per-part production cost and lead time may also see an appreciable increase as the part size increases requiring much more robust molds and equipment. These increased capital expenditures will result in greater investment and overhead costs calculated in the piece price. Injection molding machines have a limited total mold size capability but can often accommodate multiple parts within the construction of a mold. Smaller part sizes equate to a higher number of parts manufactured per mold and machinery cycle. Larger part sizes decrease the number of parts that can be manufactured per mold and cycle.

Think of a muffin tray with 3-inch diameter muffin molds. Now take that same size tray but with 6 or even 10-inch diameter muffin molds and you imagine the impact on production and cost. In fact, most standard injection molding machines can only accommodate a maximum part size of 4’ x 4’. Larger machinery is available but is also drastically more expensive.

The heavy gauge plastic thermoforming process involves considerably less pressure, and most applications only require a single one-sided tool to produce a part. Additionally, only one part is formed per cycle in heavy gauge thermoforming applications cam lead to a significantly reduced initial tooling. While an increase in part size will still increase the tooling investment, the impact on cost is substantially less when compared to injection molding. Heavy gauge thermoforming equipment has oven zoning and variable sheet size capabilities which allow for a wide range of part sizes to be efficiently formed from the same equipment investment. This helps the thermoforming processes remain agile and makes scaling production for larger part sizes a relatively easy process. Since most heavy gauge thermoforming operations utilize cell-based manufacturing and CNC part trimming, a larger part can be produced with little impact, other than increased material, on per part cost, cycle time, and lead time. Productive Plastics can also manufacture part sizes as large as 9’ x 7’ providing a much larger part size capacity than injection molding.

Large part size infographic
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Looking for more technical information?

Download the Thermoforming Design Guide, Process Comparisons, Conversion Guides, and other useful thermoforming information from our technical resource library.

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