Thermoforming Plastic Sheets

Polycarbonate lexan thermoform plastic sheets polycarbonate often sold under the trade name lexan is the virtually unbreakable thermoform plastic used to make bulletproof glass.

Thermoforming plastic sheets.

Thin gauge transparent polycarbonate is the material of choice for folks who build ultra light thin plastic parts that are exposed to a lot of abuse. Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature formed to a specific shape in a mold and tripped to create a usable product. Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature formed to a specific shape in a mold and trimmed to create a usable product. Use these plastic sheets along with widgetworks unlimited hobby vacuum formers and a kitchen oven to thermoform homemade plastic parts with results that rival expensive commercial machines.

This selection of materials are best known for their excellent formability in addition to their individual traits of toughness chemical resistance and heat resistance for example. Amorphous plastics like abs and polycarbonate generally have wide processing windows and good melt strength making them easy to thermoform. The sheet or film when referring to thinner gauges and certain material types is heated in an oven to a high enough temperature that permits it to be stretched into or onto a mold and cooled to a finished shape.