MY THERMOFORMER

Why would a nut like me build my own custom thermoformer?

Over the years as I developed a love for building and driving R/C cars and trucks, I realized that I also had a passion for painting car and truck bodies. As my hobby progressed I developed the interest in being able to produce my own custom vacuum formed bodies and parts. I began to do research on how it was done, and what machines are needed to produce vacuum formed parts. Having discovered that the cost of purchasing an industrial vacuum forming machine would be well beyond my financial resources, I decided it was time to put my resourcefulness to work and build my own machine.

This project of building a custom thermoforming machine from the ground up became a labor of love that was yet another"on and off / hobby project" that I occasionally worked on over the course of a number of years. I'm happy to say that now as of 2020 the machine is complete, fully operational, and ready for its first project.

WOOD WORK

I built the machines "cart" from planed down (cleaned up) 2x4 pine lumber. I used birch plywood to create shelves for the vacuum pumps, tanks, and stock plastic sheets to rest on. The machines upper and lower boxes are made from 3/4" solid oak. All the wood work was then sealed and protected with a Minwax oil based polyurethane.

TURNING THE LAST SCREW

This was a very fun and educational project to complete. This project utilized a myriad of skills including: design, engineering, CAD drafting, wood working, wood finishing, metal fabrication, welding, sheet metal fabrication and forming, multiple forms of electrical and electrical control systems, vacuum systems, vacuum plumbing, heating element construction and insulation, and even electromagnetic radiation mitigation.

The next chapter will include mold and form making, and learning the ins and outs of actual vacuum forming.

I'm excited to get started FORMING!

ELECTRICAL

Up to this point in life, I had really never worked with any projects that required working with AC line voltage. Jumping into this project was a real learning experience having to properly build and wire multiple 120v and 220v circuits. As well as setting up 220v circuits in my garage to power this machine.

HAND FORMING ALUMINUM

Starting with a flat sheet of aluminum. I needed to form the edges and corners of the sheet to create the "platen", or forming surface for the machine. To do this I made the platen core from 1" thick polyethylene plastic. I rounded over the upper edges of the core with a router. I then clamped the sheet of aluminum to the plastic core, and proceeded to hammer and form the aluminum over the core with a rubber coated dead blow hammer and a steel laminate roller. That was a new experience that both turned out well, and one that I really enjoyed.

CONTROLS

Switches, lights, wires "oh my". Properly setting up the switches and controls came with probably the biggest learning curve of this entire project. Having multiple switches utilizing the same power input, and having to control separate output functions, without having influence on other switches within the same circuit was a daunting task. But with a little perseverance and a multimeter in hand, it all came together.

BUILDING A CUSTOM OVEN

The oven is made up from a series of hi-temp insulation boards with nickle-chromium wires that I coiled and mounted to each. Each tile is resting on aluminum t-extrusions and angles that are secured to a custom sheet aluminum oven box that is suspended between the upper steel chassis rails. The oven is wired as two separate circuits so it can heat either 2' or 4' plastic sheets.

"IT'S ALIVE! ALIIIIVE!!!

That "Mad Scientist" moment when you THROW THE SWITCH for the first time, and you can see two hundred and twenty volts surge through your creation. And its eyes glow red for the first time!

MUWAH.HA.HA.HA.HAAAA!

(Que the thunder and lightning)

STORY TO BE CONTINUED....

PHOTOS OF MY FIRST FORMS AND COMPLETED PARTS WILL BE POSTED HERE WHEN THEY ARE COMPLETED.

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