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What is Vacuum Forming:
Vacuum forming is a manufacturing method used to shape various types of thermoplastic materials into specific forms. During the vacuum-forming process, it involves heating a sheet of plastic until it becomes pliable, then pulling around a single mould using suction to suck the air out from underneath the sheet, causing it to conform to the shape of the mold.
Overview of the Vacuum Forming Project:
This project focuses on new manufacturing skills that are learnt in the A Level Theory course. The project includes designing something useful for daily life (up to our creative freedom)by using the vacuum former and plastic. This project starts by designing the mould that will be vacuumed over and then using the machine to make the product. This is to improve my understanding of the manufacturing processes and to gain hands-on experience in the theory course.
Inspiration Board
I have decided to make a jewellery trey to put my everyday Jewelry into one place (an organisation product) instead of putting it randomly next to my sink. Here are some inspirations I found for the jewellery trey, you can see that some pictures are made from materials such as ceramic but I intend to use these ideas and apply them to plastic. The inspiration will then help me try to create my design ideas using ideas of shapes and sizes from the inspiration board, then to improve the product even further.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
The first step I took was designing the mold shape and deciding the size of the mold since it can not be too big or too small that my jewellery can't fit in it. On the left picture is me cutting the mould and will be outlining the photo onto two pieces of MDF of Two different thicknesses (the one with the hole is the piece that is thicker). I then used the scroll saw to cut the outline of both pieces of wood
After cutting out the outside of the shape, I decided to go with a start. Using the sander I cleaned out the curves of the stars and used files to clean out the shapes even more. On the bottom is a picture of when the inside of the star has been drilled.
I used the ruler and measured from the curves 1cm and dotted the distance. I then connected the dots together to make a smaller star inside. I decided to draw shapes on the tip of the stars to indicate which corner goes with which on the other pieces of MDF.
After finishing drilling the hole in the inside of the star. I used the roughest bit of the Dremel drill to file out the inside to make the hole wider and closer to the line I drew
After this, I used the files again to file out the parts that the Dremel could not reach and clean out the curves thsat the Dremel made to make straight lines
I continued to use the Dremel again the clean out everything, using the smoother drill pit, I curved the edges of the star so that the plastic could be taken out easier.
Using wood glue, I will stick the two pieces of wood together.
Making sure that the shapes on both wood pieces align, as the corners would match better.
Using the table clamp I clamped the two pieces so they wouldn't move while drying.
Here are the two wood pieces stuck together after I let it dry for 2 hours after taking the table clamps out.
After the glue had dried, The edges and corners of the stars still had not fully aligned because when the clamps were in place it slightly moved the stars a bit (I sanded it out so that there would be no gap in between the two wood pieces), so I used the Dremel again to clean out the edges and smoothen the corners for a cleaner finish which would make it easier during the forming to take out the mold.
Vacuum Forming:
Heating the plastic as you turn on the machine
The plastic is ready, as you can see from the sinking
Push the level and switch to vacuum
Pull the leaver back and switch to blow
--> The pictures during the vacuum forming process weren't from when I was doing the process because while I was doing it I did not take photos.
Finish
Future improvements
Further improvements to the current version would be to make the top part of the mold again and curve the inside of the mold by making a slop outwards instead of cleaning the edges inwards at the bottom, which would prevent the plastic whilst vacuuming from getting stuck between the gaps making it hard to take out, which was something that I struggled with (getting the mould out of the plastic sheet). I would also like in a future version to make sure that during sanding + trimming the plastic to not get other parts of the plastic scratched in the process.
Notes
How Does Vacuum Forming Work?
Material Selection: Vacuum forming typically utilizes thermoplastics such as ABS, polystyrene, acrylic, and PVC. These materials soften when heated and can retain their shape when cooled.
Heating the Plastic: The plastic sheet is heated until it becomes pliable. This can be done using various methods including ovens, infrared heaters, or radiant heaters.
Mold Preparation: A mold, often made of wood, aluminium, or machined resin, is prepared according to the desired shape of the final product.
Vacuum Forming Process:
The heated plastic sheet is clamped into place above the mold.
A vacuum is applied beneath the sheet, causing it to be drawn tightly over the mold.
Once the plastic cools and solidifies, the vacuum is released, and the formed plastic retains the shape of the mold.
Trimming and Finishing: After the formed plastic cools completely, excess material is trimmed away, leaving behind the desired product.
Applications of Vacuum Forming
Packaging: Vacuum forming is commonly used to create blister packaging for consumer products.
Prototyping: It's often used in product development to quickly produce prototypes and small-scale production runs.
Automotive Industry: Vacuum forming is used to create interior components, such as dashboards and door panels.
Medical Devices: Many medical devices and equipment housings are manufactured using vacuum forming due to its cost-effectiveness and versatility.
Advantages of Vacuum Forming
Cost-Effective: Vacuum forming molds are typically less expensive to produce compared to injection molding or other methods.
Rapid Prototyping: It allows for quick turnaround times, making it ideal for prototyping and small production runs.
Versatility: Vacuum forming can accommodate a wide range of shapes and sizes, making it suitable for various applications.
Low Tooling Costs: Tooling costs for vacuum forming are relatively low compared to other molding processes.
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