Over the course of doing business we have advised many customers on the specifics of developing custom tooling for their various applications. Here we demonstrate a few commonly used techniques from the do-it-yourself to the utilization of high-end machinery.
Easily Create Molds for Vacuum Forming
The first step of the vacuum-forming process is to create your mold, also known as ‘tooling’. If you have an easy-to-use, professional grade vac-forming machine then this step is probably going to be the most in depth part of the process. It’s easy, and Formech successfully advises our customers on this initial step quite frequently.
There are several ways to create a tool for vacuum-forming, and which one you use will ultimately depend on what you are attempting to achieve, the resources you have to achieve it, and how long or how many runs you will need the tool to last. Here are a few suggestions on common mold types:
§ Cast | Plaster, Clay, or Resin: To the right we have an example of a plaster mold utilized by our customers at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
You can actually form right over the plaster, as demonstrated with the mask below, courtesy of our friends at the London College of Fashion.
American Museum of Natural History Workshop
Here we see course leader Caroline Gardiner using a plaster tool to make a foam mask with the Formech FM660.
This ‘Azote’ foam is handy for mask making applications and maintains excellent shape after cooling.
NOTE: One thing to definitely keep in mind when using plaster or clay is to periodically remove excess dust before and after forming. Otherwise, debris will build up inside the pump over time. Also, plaster or clay may only last for a few runs but aluminum or mineral resin tools are more permanent.
Mineral resin ‘paint tube’ tooling utilized for packaging
If necessary, you can always duplicate your brittle molds by forming a part and then using that negative mold to pour a mineral (or some other type of resin) into the cavity. More is explained in our Vacuum-Forming Guide Email us at info@formechinc.com if you’d like a free digital copy.
Another method is just to sculpt the tooling out of resin as demonstrated in this video by Mr. Andrew Ainsworth with Shepperton Studios. You may know him a little better as the creator of the original Storm Trooper outfit for Star Wars. Here Mr. Ainsworth walks his audience through exactly how he created the Storm Trooper molds from scratch and then shows how he forms the real-life costumes on his Formech 660 machine.
More on creating vac-forming molds with an additive manufacturing machine – click here.
The above 3-D printed tool came courtesy of Stratasys – www.stratasys.com
§ 3-D prints: Did you know that you can also use your 3D prints as tools for vac-forming? Also, if you print them as ‘sparse fill’ you won’t need to drill any holes for the air to pass through. The ABS plastic will typically hold up for quite a few runs but if you need something more permanent, then you can use the resin trick listed above.
§ CNC. This is another commonly used method to create tooling. The durability of the mold will depend on the material that you use and can range from foam block all of the way up to aluminum. A really neat material on the market today is called Metapor, and it is a porous aluminum material that can easily be cut with a CNC machine. Its porous qualities make it ideal for vacuum-forming. More on Metapor here
Those are some of the main methods of mold-making but there are many more. For instance, you can also form right over an existing object in order to replicate it. Need to make a soft wrench or a hammer for stage or film? Form right over the wrench or the hammer and pour silicon right into the cavity.
§ Here’s a good example of how Chef Pilon at the Mandalay Bay utilized a toy starfish to create a chocolate mold:
Questions? We have answers so don’t hesitate to get in touch, we are here to help! info@formechinc.com
Formech has been manufacturing and selling thermoforming and vacuum forming equipment for 30 years now. We have a wide range of machines spanning from simple manual equipment to computer controlled automatic machines built to order.
Over 8000 customers worldwide utilize Formech machines to fulfill their requirements. Among them range companies such as Ford, Kraft, Nike, Jim Henson, Disney, the U.S. Army, and even NASA (to name only a few examples). Whatever your vacuum forming requirements you can be sure that you'll receive specialist advice and assistance from our team of qualified personnel.
Formech Inc. 