Above and Beyond the Basics: An Advanced Thermoforming Seminar

LLCPLASTIC CONCEPTS AND INNOVATIONSTHERMOFORMING & EXTRUSION CONSULTANTS

Guiding Innovations in the Development & Production of Thermoformed Products

Day 1

Materials, Extrusion Basics, Sheet Quality, Sheet Specifications, Heating Technologies

This is an overview of what every thermoformer needs to know about materials, the extrusion process, and the effects of heat on materials.

Plastic Materials➢ Basic definitions of plastic materials

➢ How plastics are made and the effect on material characteristics

➢ Molecular characteristics and the importance of understanding

them

➢ Structures and the effect on material properties

➢ Chemistry – A simple but necessary overview

➢ Material Properties – What are they? What do you need to

know?

• Material Test Methods – The good , the bad, the worthless

• Significance to thermoformers

➢ Advanced Material Properties

• TPOs

• FR Materials

• Nylons

➢ What test(s) should thermoformers use

Sheet Extrusion – What Thermoformers Have to Know!➢ Definitions and the process

➢ Equipment and how it impacts your sheet

➢ Process variables and the effects on extruded sheet problems

➢ Writing Sheet specifications- Tips, clues and pitfalls

What you need to tell the extruder

➢ Sheet Quality-getting what you want every time!

Heating Technologies➢ Types of heat and how they really work

• Conduction

• Radiation

Plastic Materials➢ Basic Definitions of plastic materials

➢ How plastics are made and the effect on material characteristics

➢ Molecular characteristics and the importance of

understanding them

➢ Structures and the effect on material properties

➢ Chemistry-A simple but necessary overview

➢ Material Properties-What are they, What do you need to know

➢ Material Test Methods-The good , the bad, the worthless

➢ Significance to thermoformers

➢ Advanced Material Properties

➢ TPOs

➢ FR Materials

➢ Nylons

➢ What test should thermoformers use

Sheet Extrusion-What Thermoformers Have to Know!➢ Definitions and the process

➢ Equipment and how it impacts your sheet

➢ Process variables and the effects on extruded sheet problems

➢ Writing Sheet specifications- Tips, clues and pitfalls

What you need to tell the extruder

➢ Sheet Quality-getting what you want every time!

Heating Technologies➢ Types of heat and how they really work

• Convection

• Conduction

• Radiation

Processing Advancements-The Good and The BadThis section focus on the machining and fabricating of thermoformed products, the

tooling process, forming methods for advanced materials, new material advances and

troubleshooting to prevent problems.

Tools, Heating, Forming, Materials, TroubleshootingThermoform Tooling Process➢ A specification guide

➢ Temperature Control

• How to measure tool temperatures

• Why be concerned?

• Case study-Development of the thermoformed

outboard motor cover

• Case study-The Fan Shroud Fiasco

Day 2Processing Advancements – The Good and The Bad

This section focuses on the process control of heating, vacuum, tooling processes, forming assists, forming methods for advanced materials, new material advances, and troubleshooting to prevent problems.

An Analysis of Heat Systems Available

Today for Thermoformers➢ Halogen

➢ Ceramics

➢ Quartz

➢ Gas catalytic

➢ Calrods

➢ Others

Controlling The Heating Process➢ What is proper control and why it is important for

advanced materials

➢ How to achieve control

• Zoning and profiling

• Controlling zoning

• Oven controls

• Measurement devices – The myths and truths

• Types

• Techniques

• Effects and corrections

Thermoform Tooling Process➢ A specification guide

➢ Temperature control

• How to measure tool temperatures

• Why be concerned?

• Case study – Development of the thermoformed

outboard motor cover

• Case study – The fan shroud fiasco

Vacuum➢ An overview on a little used but a highly needed technique

New Adventures in Part Cooling Technology➢ The demise of fans

➢ How to achieve uniformed cooling, reduce your cycle times,

and save some money!

Forming Techniques for Advanced Materials➢ ABS with paint films - Case Study – The Dodge Caravan

window conversion project

➢ TPOs

• Techniques

• Pressure-forming - Case Study – The Think car project

• Twin Sheeting - Case Study – Ingersoll-Rand compressor cover

• Tooling

• Proper heat

➢ TPOs with Paint Films – Not for the faint of heart

• Case Study – The Denali story

• Case Study – The HHR stone guard adventures: forming

different gauges in the same frames

New Material Advances – What’s New

Trouble Shooting – A commonsense approach to avoiding problems

CNC Machining of Plastic Parts (Only at the October Seminar Full outline on website)➢ CAD-CAM Systems

➢ Basic 5-Axis moves and Features

➢ Machine Controllers

➢ Basic Programming Concepts

➢ Strengths and Limitations of Equipment

➢ Tool and Cutter Design

➢ Part Fixturing and Trimming