Home
Thermoforming
& Fabrication
CNC Routing &
Computer-aided
Design
Product Examples
Client Testimonials
Thermoforming vs. Injection Molding
Full Motion Videos
About Us
Contact Us
|
|
|
|
Custom Vacuum and
Pressure Forming
Taking
Your Product From Concept to Delivery-Quickly!
|
| |
|
|
Custom Vacuum, Pressure, and Inline
Thermoforming
Thermoforming can revolutionize your product's appearance and quality. The first
consideration
of a designer is whether the new part should be
made out of aluminum,
steel,
wood or plastic.
In today's environment,
many shapes can be readily and economically made using plastic.
If
plastic is the best choice, the next selection is the
specific thermoplastic or thermoset
material,
and the process itself.
Process choices include: compression molding, injection
molding,
rotationally molding, fiberglassing, blow molding or vacuum forming. Each process
has its
advantages and disadvantages. In choosing the best materials and
process for your
needs, InterTrade's thermoforming
expert engineers
use a material-neutral approach,
providing you
with the optimum solution
for your product's requirements.
Typical applications include: Medical trays, Covers, Shrouds, Enclosures, Electronic
trays,
Exercise Equipment, Cosmetic displays, and POP.
Products range in
thickness and flexibility (InterTrade can
achieve
thicknesses between
.0060" and .5")
and attain crisp, sharp detailed finishes.
Typical industries served
include:
| Aerospace |
Exercise Equipment |
| Automotive |
Medical |
| Building |
Military |
| Computers and
Electronics |
Retail Displays |
| Consumer Products |
Transportation |
|
|
InterTrade's
Southern California-based facility has many years of thermoforming
experience
with a wide range of
thermoplastics (materials capable of softening when heated
and of
hardening again when cooled). Thermoforming materials are available in wide variety
of
thicknesses, sheet sizes, colors, surface textures, and features such
as Fire Retardant, High Heat Resistance, glass-filled, FDA approved,
aircraft interior
rated, etc.
Typical materials
include, but not limited to:
| ABS |
Lexan™ |
Polypropylene |
| Acrylic |
PETG |
PVC |
| H.I.S. |
Plexiglass™ |
Styrene |
| Kydex™ |
Polycarbonate |
ULTEM |
| Vacuum Forming
Vacuum Forming is a process where
three-dimensional parts are made by applying heat
to a
flat sheet of plastic, draping it onto a mold, and then extracting a vacuum
to make the plastic
take the contours of the mold. The part is then cooled and removed
from the mold. Usually,
a
secondary trim or drill operation (CNC routing) is necessary to finish the part to the desired configuration.
Vacuum Forming is ideal for
applications where product quantity is low to medium, and low
mold costs are required. |
|
|
|
Vacuum
Thermoformer |
 |
|
Boeing Delta 1V Rocket LOX Tank
Reusable Travel Case Subassembly |
| |
Pressure Forming
Pressure forming is
similar to vacuum forming, but with the addition of applying pressure to
the back of the parts during the forming operation. By using air pressure as a
forming aid,
we
are able to increase the detail on the parts. This allows
for sharper definition and an
"injection molding look"–without the
high cost and long lead times associated with injection
molding. Pressure
forming gives you features– such as ribs, louvers, label recesses, and
undercuts– that are similar to injection molding.
Pressure Forming is ideal for applications where low tooling cost
and critical
"injection molding" appearance are requirements.
|
|
Pressure Forming |
 |
|
Inline
Thermoforming
In this process, the
plastic sheet moves from a roll onto the inline equipment and through
the
heating section. The heated material advances into the forming
section where pressure
and/or
vacuum force the plastic onto a mold. It
then proceeds to another station where
formed parts
are die-cut.
Inline Thermoforming is used to produce items such
as medical trays, electronic trays,
blisters
and clamshells for packaging.
|
Inline Thermoforming |
|
Fabrication
Another area where InterTrade
Industries excels is fabrication and
bending. For those
parts
that do not require vacuum or pressure forming,
we design and build just
the right
fixture to
heat bend and fabricate
the part. Usually these parts are finished
on the CNC router.
Finishing and Assembly
Formed parts are trimmed and
drilled using CNC routers, then
bonded and completed with
inserts and details, as required. The final
steps are deburring, cleaning, final inspection and
packaging. Our
precision equipment enables us to
repeat this process endlessly with
high
tolerances.
In short, whatever your thermoforming needs, InterTrade's
team of experts are ready to
serve them. Our 25 plus years of
business in Southern California shows you we are
committed to
long-term relationships built on ingenuity and dedication to
meeting today's
market demands.
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
Contact
InterTrade Today To Make Your Idea A
Successful Reality!
|
|
email: info@intertradeindustries.com (attach CAD files) |
|
15632 Commerce Lane,
Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1604 |
|
800-944-9277 | 714-894-5566
| FAX 714-894-3927
Se
Habla Español |
|
©2003 InterTrade Industries Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
| |
|