Pressure forming produces highly-cosmetic close tolerance, formed components by forcing a hot thermoplastic sheet against a mold through introducing compressed air to the outer side of the sheet. The process is used for creating parts that rival injection molding with a lower tool cost and shorter lead times.

As a plastic molding process, pressure forming offers greater precision than many of the other existing processes. A slightly more sophisticated version of the vacuum forming process, pressure forming uses air pressure to increase the detail of the molded side. Resultantly, a plastic product that’s remarkably similar to an injection or structural foam molded part is created at a price comparable to vacuum forming products.

Pressure forming is an ideal process for developing relatively large, quality parts with clean, crisp mating lines in assembly applications. The process calls for mating components to be interlocked through the use of undercuts or formed-in locking features.

With the pressure forming process, as much as 100 pounds of pressure per square inch can be applied, which is about five times the pressure that can be applied in the vacuum forming process. Such a magnitude of pressure allows for extreme detail and texture on the finished product.

SMI uses an inline pressure forming process on a high-volume, continuous-roll feed production machine. Our process allows for material thickness up to .060 inches and uses both top and bottom heating.

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