Vacuum formers allow makers to bend or form plastic sheets into complex shapes for product packaging, prototyping, mold making and more. Its low cost, ease of tooling, efficiency and speed of replication for small run prototyping makes it an ideal option for makerspaces.
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Not only is vacuum forming a cost effective, efficient method for processing plastic processing applications, but its applications are also diverse. Applications are found in industries like electronics, film & theatre, automotive, aerospace, confectionary, packaging, education and more.
The technology pairs well with the one-off prototyping capabilities of 3D printers and other equipment commonly found in maker labs. While it may not be the earliest investment for a makerspace, a vacuum former is still on most dream equipment lists.
If you are considering a vacuum former for your lab, there are two key factors to be away of.
Power Requirements
Pay attention to the power requirements of the system you are considering. Since vacuum formers need to get very hot, they typically require at least 220V single phase power. This means they will not simply plug into a standard power outlet. If you are not sure of the power requirements, you can usually find this information on the machine’s datasheet.
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Heat Zones
The number of heat zones in a system corresponds with the ease-of-use of a system. A plug and play single zone system is easy to operate and experiment with, making it the perfect solution for hobbyists and first time users. More heating zones offer greater range of control to form challenging shapes and materials. Larger systems will boast four, six and – on large format vacuum formers – 15 heat zones.
To learn more about the value vacuum formers add to makerspaces, download our recently updated STEM Lab, Makerspace and Machine Shop Fundamentals Guidebook.
