Wildcard week

This week is wildcard week. This means that we can decide which tools in the fab lab we want to experiment with that we have not yet covered.I decided to try thermoforming. I want to make a packaging of my bust that I made during the 3d scanning and printing week 6.

Prepare the object for the thermoforming

I took the same 3D file from week 6 and cut myself in half. The reason is that I want to make a packaging that will support the part in the back. I printed myself in two copies. Two copies because I wanted to try two different ways to thermoform.



The test I want to do is to drill holes in one of the two models to see if the holes will make the suction uniform. I guess the holes will help to suck more plastic and have a better definition of the curves. I used a drill to make the holes.



I drilled as many holes as possible uniformly without affecting the quality of the part.

Prepare thermoforming machine

This is the thermoforming machine I used. This machine has a perforated plate to suck up the plastic sheet. There is also a heating element above the plastic sheet to heat it.



It is important to unscrew to open the frame that holds the plastic sheet in place and close it tightly.



I used a commercial vacuum to be able to do the suction and connected it to the right place on the side of the unit.



I placed the two models with a good distance between them so that the plastic can take shape. It is important not to put the models ready on the side because during suction the plastic may lift and break the seal.

Time for the thermoforming

You have to turn on the machine to start heating the plastic. It is important to lift the frame at the top of the machine so that the heating element is close to the plastic. The plastic will form a larger and larger bubble when it heats up. It is possible to gently touch the plastic to see its rigidity. When it is malleable enough, the frame is quickly lowered onto the parts and the vacuum must be started. It is necessary to allow some time to create the suction on the plastic. Thereafter, I suggest letting the plastic cool down for about 5 minutes before unmolding. The only problem I had was that the vacuum cleaner was not powerful enough. I didn't have a more powerful vacuum cleaner so I partly solved the problem by gently pressing on the hot plastic to help it take shape.

The result

The result is good but I can only notice a slight difference between the molds with the drilled and the undrilled part.The plastic on the contour of the part is slightly closer to the surface. The contours are therefore better defined.



Here is the result of the plastic mold. I am satisfied with the result that this will bring. I wanted to practice thermoforming so that I could make packaging for the parts. Packaging is an important step in the design of a product and now we have seen all the design steps as part of the Fab Academy.



I printed a bust of the same size to be able to test the packaging, the mold is so well done that the part fits into the mold and stays in it but remains easily removable.