There are different types of mold used in thermoforming. The mold cavity that is used in the forming step of the Thermoforming is very neatly and carefully designed by the manufacturer. It is used to create the required profile of the finished product. This required profile is depended on the customer needs or end-user applications.
The mold tool involves making detailed drawings in the CAD software and CNC program. It’ll help the designer realize the desired patterns. In the process of forming, heated plastic sheets are then removed from the heating equipment. It is then transported to a temperature-controlled heat-mold tool. The plastic sheet will be now able to take the shape of the mold cavity. This cavity contains the desired form of the finished product. This stage gives the three-dimensional shape.
Some of the materials that are used to create the mold are:
- WOOD- Wood is an inexpensive tooling material. Wood can be shaped easily. The manufacturer can make complex designs and also make changes to the wood mold. But despite this, it has disadvantages also. They are uneven and take lengthy cooling time because wood acts as an insulator. It also absorbs moisture which can deliberately cause voids. Tooling made with wood is commonly used as prototypes.
- FIBERGLASS- Like wood, fiberglass also has an economic advantage. We can make a permanent mold tool if the manufacturer only wants to produce lower volume parts. The cooling cycle is also time-consuming.
- ALUMINUM- It has excellent temperature control. It leads to a shorter cycle time and can produce excellent quality parts. Cast aluminum tools are made from wood prototypes. Fabricated aluminum tools are made from single or multiple aluminum blocks.
