Vacuum Forming with 3D Printed Die
At the prototype level of any design process, the need for functional parts (manufacturer production materials) for testing of product designs are commonly obtained at a high cost and with a long delivery based on tooling design & manufacture. Vacuum forming is a common process to manufacture high volume plastic parts.
3D Printed Die
- Able to withstand heated vacuum form materials such as ABS, Polystyrene, etc.
- Very complex shapes can be easily and quickly printed
- Does not require hand finishing; can go directly from the 3D printing machine to part manufacturing
Conventional Metal Die
- Formed from solid pieces of metal, the process can be time consuming and expensive
Conventional Vacuum Forming System
Limited part configurations for this process
Low tooling investment
Good part accuracy
Finished Part
Low cost 3D printed tooling combined with a standard vacuum forming process enables low volume production parts to be produced with a greater than 50% cost reduction at a 50% reduction in delivery time.
3D Printed Tool +
Vacuum Forming
50 Parts
1 Week delivery
$25.00 per part
Prototype Parts for
Product Development
Total Savings
$10,000
Time: 3 Weeks
Conventional Metal Tool +
Vacuum Forming
50 Parts
3 Week delivery
$58.00 per part