instructables

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER

by DajoM

Hi ! In this instructable we will show how we did it.

Let me introduce ourselves If you have any suggestions to improve our design or
you have any questions
We are a group of Industrial Design Engineering please let us know in comments bellow
students from Belgium. For our product engineering
course we had to make a tool that can embed a Have fun building it !
pattern in a sheet of PMMA. After looking for the best
method we came up with a home made
thermoforming machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG8Bzgfx6NM&feature=youtu.be

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 1

Step 1: MATERIALS & TOOLS

MATERIALS TOOLS

- Brich Plywood 5mm - Screwdriver

- Birch Plywood 8mm - Lasercutter

- 4 x Aluminium rails (500mm) - 3D-printer

- Heat unit ( one ceramic cooking plate or three quartz - Soldering iron
lamps)
- Hot glue gun
- Adjustable resistance (2000 W)
FILES
- Wood glue

- Screws - VACUUM BOX.pdf

- Ductape - HEATING BOX_1.pdf

- Aluminum sheet (thickness 0.8mm) - HEATING BOX_2.pdf

- Sandpaper - HEATING BOX_3 + VACUUM SUPPORT.pdf

- 18 x Neodymium magnets ( 5 x 5) - PLATE HOLDER.pdf

- Zip ties - STAR.stl

- INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CENTER LOGO.stl
- Rubber sealing
- POSITION PART (ABS)
- Silicone

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 2

 http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F9I/BG4B/IYAMS13X/F9IBG4BIYAMS13X.pdf

(/ORIG/F9I/BG4B/IYAMS13X/F9IBG4BIYAMS13X.pdf)

http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F64/94C3/IYAMS13Y/F6494C3IYAMS13Y.pdf

(/ORIG/F64/94C3/IYAMS13Y/F6494C3IYAMS13Y.pdf)

http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FSG/EPQ5/IYAMS13Z/FSGEPQ5IYAMS13Z.pdf

(/ORIG/FSG/EPQ5/IYAMS13Z/FSGEPQ5IYAMS13Z.pdf)

http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FHZ/Q11V/IYAMS14L/FHZQ11VIYAMS14L.pdf

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http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FBI/Q67T/IYAMS14I/FBIQ67TIYAMS14I.pdf

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http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F9P/ACJJ/IYAMS14H/F9PACJJIYAMS14H.stl

(/ORIG/F9P/ACJJ/IYAMS14H/F9PACJJIYAMS14H.stl) Print with 3D Hubs!

http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F48/1YF4/IYAMS14J/F481YF4IYAMS14J.stl

(/ORIG/F48/1YF4/IYAMS14J/F481YF4IYAMS14J.stl) Print with 3D Hubs!

http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FCM/T96W/IYAMS14K/FCMT96WIYAMS14K.stl

(/ORIG/FCM/T96W/IYAMS14K/FCMT96WIYAMS14K.stl) Print with 3D Hubs!

Step 2: PREPARATIONS FOR LASERCUTTING

After you have gathered all of your materials you will
need to cut the plywood to the right size. The size of
your plywood sheets is dictated by your lasercutter. If
you have acces to a big one, great cut your sheets of
plywood big and arrange the lasercut files
accordingly. If you have acces to a smaller one, then
you might need to cut more smaller sheets of
plywood and arrange your files to fit that size. We cut
our plywood on the big panel saw at school, but this
could be done with just a circular saw. If you don't
have acces to a saw that can handle big sheets, you
can always ask your wood supplier to cut it to size for
you. The lasercutter we had acces to can handle
600x450mm so that is the size we arranged
everything on.
ADVICE
- If you want no splinters paste some papertape
where the cut will be.
- To save material, time and money you need to make
sure that as many parts are placed on one plate.

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 3

Step 3: LASECUTTING THE FILES
Our thermoforming machine exist almost solely out of
lasercutted plywood, this was the easiest way to get
everything square and accurate. Every lasercutter
uses software to convert the vector files in to usable
data for the lasercutter it self. If you have a
lasercutter, you probably know how to use one. So If
you know how to prepare your files for the cutting, go
ahead and do that. If you don't have acces to a
After you lasercutted the files check the part are
properly formed
You should verify that the parts can be used or not
THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 4
lasercutter yourself the easiest way to get them cut is
to go to find a fablab in your neighbourhood that has
a lasecutter. They will gladly help you with the
preparation and cutting, this can be expensive though
so keep that in mind. After each sheet that is cut, you
take out the finished sheet and put the next one in.
make sure to keep track of al the components.
and if not they should be lasercut again.
Step 4: SUB ASSEMBLY

Our thermoforming machine exist out of three sub-assemblies

first the vacuumbox , second the heatingbox and last but not least the plate holder

Everything is made separately and then assembled together

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 5

Step 5: MAKE THE VACUUM BOX

1. Place the groundplate on the table

2. Assemble the side plates with wood glue
3. Assemble the support structure
4. Place the support structure in the box
5. Close all corners with silicone to make it airtight
6. Glue the suction plate on tot he box
7. Glue the spacers on the sides of the box

THE VACUUM BOX IS READY !

THE VACUUMBOX

There are 3 aspects that you have to consider

1. The hole for the vacuumcleaner has to have the right size. So the diametre of the hole depends on the diametre
of the vacuumcleaner. The more it fits, the less suction their is lost.

2. The top plate of the box, or suction plate, has to be on the same height as the edge of the box. this ensures that
you need less suction. From tests we know that, the higher the suction plate is situated above the edge the better
vacuum you create.

3. The suction holes in the suction plate ensure the suction of the plate. Two very important facts about them that
you need to know, are the diameter of the holes and the number of holes.

The diametre has to be as big as possible so that their is made an optimale suction on the plate. But the diametre
may not be to big beacause otherwise the molden plastic will flow in the holes.

You have to make sure that the holes are distributed equaly and that their are as many as possible.

SUPPORT STRUCTURE

This has to be a firm structure and the air needs to go trough or in this case under the structure so that the suction
is seperated over the whole surface.

FINISH

Place a rubber seal on the edges. This ensures an optimum vacuum.

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 6

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 7
THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 8
Step 6: MAKE THE HEATING BOX

1. Place the top plate on the table

2. Assemble the side plates with wood glue
3. Assemble the inside plates with wood glue into the box
4. Assemble the top plate with glue
5. Glue the small pieces to the box

6. Cut aluminum plates to the proper dimensions so that the whole box is layered with aluminum. This
ensures reflection of the heat and that the wood catches fire
7. Screw the aluminium plates into the box
8. Assemble the control box with wood glue
9. Install the heating unit in the heatingbox (CAUTION !! do not do this if you know nothing about
electricity because this can causes serious injuries)
10. Connect the cables with the adjustable resistance and fit the adjustable resitance into the control
box

11. Connect the grounding cable to one of the aluminum plates

12. Mount the control box to the heating box with wood glue.

13. Place magnets into the holes at the bottom of heater box.

Glue them with with your hot glue gun. Make sure the magnets are well placed. If this is not the
magnets will push the plate holder away from the heating box instead of attract them together.

THE HEATING BOX IS READY !

What is important?
- The aluminum L-profiles serve in the first place to mount the heating element in the box, but on the other hand
they provide for an air layer. This air layer is an insulating layer between the heat-d-element and the box.

- Make sure that the electrical circuit has been tested in advance for assembly.

- The adjustable resistor which is brought into the circuit, assures that the heat is adjustable

- The height of the heating box must be optimized so that the heat is evenly distributed. if its to small then there will
be heated locally and not evenly.

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 9

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 10
THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 11
THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 12
Step 7: MAKE THE PLATE HOLDER

The plate holders are designed to lay the sheet
between it. The position parts ensure that the plate fit
nicely into the plate holders. In order to clamp the
plate between the holders we have chosen for strong
magnets
1. Place the magnets in holes of the upper and lower
holder. In the upper holder you need to place two
magnets. Glue them with with your hot glue gun.
Make sure the magnets are well placed. if this is not
the magnets will push the plates away from each
other instead of attract them together
2. Glue the position parts to the lower holder with
your hot glue gun. Make sure the thickest part of the
position pieces are glued to the holder

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 13

Step 8: ASSEMBLE ALL THE PARTS
First drill holes in the rails so you can assemble it with
the the vacuumbox and the heatingbox. Make sure
your drill is sharp
The only thing you need to do now is mount the four
rails with screws on the vacuumbox and the
heatingbox.
Why aluminum rails?
Because of the relation between weight and strength
THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 14
It is important to have a minimum distance between
the heatingbox and the vacuumbox . Otherwise, the
plate would be heated and at the same time it be
sucked in.
Plate holder and heating box
Because there are magnets in the plate holder and in
the heating box, the plate holder adheres to the
heating box
Step 9: PRINTING THE MOLD

Congratulations you have reached the last step ,this means that you have a working thermoforming
machine, to make parts you will need a would though. We chose to print our mould because it gave us a lot
of freedom what the pattern could be. If you choose to print your own mould we would like to give you
some tips.

Print in ABS or PC, these are both materials that can take more heat than your average PLA.
Do not print a PLA mould, the radiation from the heating element will make the PLA soft and weak.
After a couple of tries your mould will be unusable
.Make sure to add draft angles to your part when you design it, this will help tremendously with the
demoulding.
Create a platform that your part sits on, this way you will be able to cut out the part you want,
otherwise the pmma might not be pulled far enough.
When deciding on how big to make your model, make sure to leave enough room for the PMMA to
be sucked over the sides.

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 15

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJdAbt2d0bo

Step 10: WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH OUR PATTERN?

After you cut out the shape, you can mount a LED strip in it

Then you have your own DIY wall lamp !

THERMOFORMER / VACUUM FORMER / PATTERNMAKEKER: Page 16