Vacuum Forming
Safety
There are several safety precautions you should take when Vacuum Forming:
Be cautious of the Vacuum Forming heater, it is hot. Use the provided safety gloves while operating the machine.
Use this machine for vacuum forming only, it is not intended for any other purpose, misuse will result in the damaging of equipment.
Do not block or cover the slots on the heater cover, those are ventilation used to prevent overheating.
Rules
Any material not provided by the makerspace must be approved by staff
Do not use vacuum-forming machine for anything other than vacuum-forming items
Please ask staff for any assistance with the vacuum-forming machine
How do I get access to this machine?
There is no quiz required to use this machine. Reach out to a staff member for one-on-one support when first using this piece of equipment.
Materials
We offer several materials to use with the Vacuum Forming Machine:
1mm HIPS Vaquform, charged $1.65 per sheet.
1mm PETG Vaquform, charged $2.77 per sheet.
1.5mm VFlex, charged $4.16 per sheet.
2mm VFlex, charged $5.00 per sheet.
How does it work?
The Vacuum Forming Machine is used to create molds of specific objects using a heated plastic sheet and vacuum suction.
Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic material sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature and used to create a mold of an object placed on the tray below.
The sheet is then stretched over a shape and once the material is brought down on the shape, a vacuum is applied. This vacuum sucks the sheet around the shape. The process allows for the creation of a very precise and detailed final mold.
The Vacuum Former is often used for sampling and prototyping but has found industry application in packaging, automotive, recreation, and even horticulture.
