The Polymer Processing Laboratory, Room 284 of the Mechanical Engineering Building, is equipped with a small thermoformer by Control Automated Machinery. The thermoforming laboratory exercise, employing this machine, is part of the junior level course (ME313), required for all Mechanical Engineering undergraduates. Click on the image to play MPEG clip.

The animation, by graduate student Mr. Antoine Rios, begins with the insertion of a square plastic sheet into the thermoformer. The sheet is then pinned along its edges with pneumatic clamps, and then thrust into a large oven for radiative heating. Just after melting, the square sheet slides back over the mold cavity. A male portion of the mold then descends, so that it first touches, and then deforms the molten sheet. Pinholes in the mold cavity (not shown) allow a vacuum to be applied under the sheet. Air pressure can also be applied atop the sheet through holes (also not shown) in the male portion. A plastic cup then emerges from the thermoforming machine, now ready for the next manufacturing cycle.

Last Modified: Thursday, 23-Apr-1998 10:40:18 CDT This website is copyrighted. Address comments to rheology@engr.wisc.edu