
The Vacuum Forming Process 1-2-3
Today’s Fast Forming has gone through a lot of change over the years, constantly adding capabilities, increasing capacity, and staying on the cutting edge of technology.
Vacuum Forming Process: Design
The design process at FastForming involves several key steps to create accurate and high-quality thermoformed plastic products.
- Establishing a digital 3D model: FastForming can import an existing design or develop one based on the client’s sketches, measurements, and descriptions. This 3D modeling approach allows for comprehensive object analysis from all angles, ensuring the design meets the client’s expectations before proceeding.
- CNC pattern cutting: Once the design is finalized on the Haas GR510 Gantry or Quintax QT-40 Twin-Table 5-Axis CNC Machine, FastForming uses SolidCAM software to generate tool paths for cutting the pattern. We minimize human error and increase accuracy by importing solid models directly and using machine cutting.
- Material selection: FastForming assists clients in choosing the most suitable thermoformable plastic for their projects. They also consider strength, durability, light transmittance, and UV resistance, helping clients select the best material for their budget and application.
- In-house production: By performing all these steps in-house, FastForming significantly reduces lead times for their clients.
This comprehensive approach allows FastForming to turn ideas into workable designs, create patterns and prototypes, and move efficiently into production once the client approves the design. The process combines digital modeling, precision CNC machining, and expert material selection to ensure high-quality thermoformed plastic products that meet client specifications.
Vacuum Forming Process: Prototype
Once the design is approved, FastForming’s toolmakers create temporary tools.
- We create temporary “soft” tools using wood, tooling boards, cast urethane, or polyester resin, as these allow for cost-effective modifications.
- Prototype production and iteration: FastForming uses soft tools to produce prototypes for client review. They are willing to adjust the soft tooling as often as necessary to ensure the prototype meets the client’s standards.
- Prototype approval: The client reviews the prototype and decides whether to approve it or request further modifications.
- Transition to permanent tooling: Once the prototype is approved, FastForming upgrades from the soft tool to a permanent one. Our clients can choose traditional aluminum tools or use our proprietary composite tooling system developed by Del Reedy for Fastforming.
- Benefits of proprietary tooling: Lower cost: These tools are a fraction of the price of aluminum tools.
- Lifetime guarantee our proprietary tooling system.
- Faster production: This can be ready in as little as a day or two, compared to weeks or months, for aluminum tooling.
- Improved consistency for our proprietary tooling system: Lower coefficient of thermal expansion than aluminum, maintaining consistency across production runs.
This prototyping process allows FastForming to quickly and cost-effectively produce and iterate prototypes, ensuring client satisfaction before moving to full production. Using their proprietary tooling system also provides significant speed, cost, and quality advantages for the production phase.
Vacuum Forming Process: Production
FastForming’s production process for vacuum forming is efficient and technologically advanced.
- Custom thermoforming machines: FastForming manufactures its own machines designed for speed and versatility.
- Rapid forming process: Their custom machines can extract heated sheet plastic from attached ovens, position it over the Reedy tool, and form the part in just two seconds. This quick process allows them to vacuum form many parts that other manufacturers would typically pressure form.
- Skilled trimming: After forming, FastForming’s skilled workforce trims the parts using various tools such as saws, blades, and sanders to remove excess plastic around the edges.
- Finishing touches: The parts are cleaned, polished, and packaged for delivery.
- Made in USA: All production activities occur within the United States and are performed by citizens and legal residents, ensuring ethical production practices.
- Quick turnaround: While the production time varies depending on the order’s size and complexity, FastForming can complete and ship simple orders in as little as two to three days.
- Expansion and capabilities: FastForming has recently completed a $1.4 million expansion, adding a new MAAC 5×9 three-station rotary forming machine and a DMS 5×5 twin table 5-axis router to enhance their high-production capabilities.
This streamlined production process, combined with their custom tooling and machinery, allows FastForming to offer fast, efficient, high-quality vacuum forming services for various parts and products.