Vacuum Former
Objectives
Process
Results
Future Improvements
- Quickly demonstrate internal abilities to make parts quickly out of HIPS and ABS (1 day design, 1 day build)
- Form parts that were repeatable and durable +/- 1mm
Process
- Research current vacuum formers that were made at home
- Sketch an initial design, and determine part measurements (of Wood/MDF)
- Build the design out of MDF and Wood
- Test, refine, and document the process for future use
- Form usable parts over a 3D printed mold
Results
- Former worked successfully after some initial troubleshooting – needed to use aluminum foil to ensure the heater effectively heated the plastic
- Successfully formed parts over a 3D printed mold for use on a vehicle
- Found better results could be obtained using a two part mold and pressing in addition to the vacuum to reduce creases in the part
Future Improvements
- Better Vacuum for more pressure may reduce wrinkles in the material and reduce need for a second top mold
- A more robust frame clamping mechanism would be easier to use for quick part making
- A connected heating system could increase throughput