Thermoforming is a process where sheets of plastic are heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape on a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. Includes vacuum forming, billow forming, and pressure forming.
The tooling is inexpensive compared to other plastic processes. Usually it is quick turnaround for prototypes. It is suitable for small and large volume production. There are multiple high-quality virgin thermoplastic options. It is suitable for full-scale secondary fabrication and assembly. Thermoforming can go up to heavy gauge (0.090 to 0.300 in thick).
Vacuum forming is perfect for creating parts with uniform thicknesses at shallow depths.
Pressure forming uses compressed air to produce parts with greater definition and enhanced surface detail.
Billow forming uses a draw box to produce a uniform wall thickness on parts with greater depths.