Re: Vacuum forming tools

From: Juergen Bauer (University of Bremen), Suman Das (University of Texas at Austin)
Date: Tuesday, December 26, 1995

From: Juergen Bauer (University of Bremen), Suman Das (University of Texas  at Austin)
To: RP-ML
Date: Tuesday, December 26, 1995
Subject: Re: Vacuum forming tools
>
>Who has experience in building tools for vacuum-forming / thermoforming ?
>E.g. by RP methods ? (LOM could be an idea)
>
>The tools are needed to be put under a clamped sheet of ABS (or other) 
>thermoplastics.
>After the sheet is warmed up, the air below the sheet is sucked off, so 
>the material will wrap around the tool shape.
>The tool has to stand approx. 200 degrees celsius and stand 150 to 200 
>forming operations. Size: approx. 100 x 500 mm up to 1m x 1m (for the US: 
>
>4 in x 20 in up to 3,3 ft x 3,3 ft)
>
>How did you do this successfully ?  Any remark would be helpful !
>
>Thank you in advance & merry christmas & a happy new year to you all,
>
>Regards, Juergen
>

     Some work has been done in this area here at the University of Texas at Austin. More information can be found in Kleespies' dissertation:
          Kleespies, Henry Sattoli, 1962- / Rapid prototyping of complex curved
          surfaces with a variable geometry mold. / 1994
        DISS 1994 K67202  PCL Resererves
     The basic idea was to have a rectangular grid of pins that could be individually actuated to different heights so as to form a discrete approximation of a smooth surface. A flexible material was then vacuum
formed over this "bed of pins", so to speak.
     Hope this helps.
--Suman Das
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suman Das							|	das@sffoffice.me.utexas.edu
Laboratory for Freeform Fabrication	|	phone:	(512) 471-5838
The University of Texas at Austin	|	fax:	(512) 471-8727


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