Thin walled Containers Thermoforming

Takween uses the thermoforming process to manufacture disposable white, semitransparent and transparent polystyrene cups and lids for the beverages industry with a rim diameter varying from 73 to 116 mm.

Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create the desired product. The sheet, or “film”, is heated in an oven to a temperature that allows it to be stretched into or onto a mold and cooled to a finished shape. An integral part of the thermoforming process is the tooling which is specific to each part that is to be produced.

In comparison with injection molding and blow molding, thermoforming differs in that it is primarily used to manufacture disposable cups, containers, lids, trays, blisters, clamshells, and other products for the beverages, food, medical, and general retail industries. Thick-gauge thermoforming includes parts as diverse as vehicle door and dash panels, refrigerator liners, utility vehicle beds, and plastic pallets, but these are often injection molded in large volumes.

The conventional advantages of thermoformed thin wall and in-mold label containers are their lower capital and 75 operating costs and rapid mold cycles (production rate). The disadvantages are higher wastage, limited part shapes, and internal stresses that are common due to inherent wall thickness variation.