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The Plastic Vacuum formed shape will only ever be as good as the mould or pattern. It is very
important that the mould is correctly made. The mould may be made from plywood, hardened clay or
m.d.f. In Industry the mould may be made from steel or lead. A Steel mould will tend to last longer than
a wooden mould.
Stages of making the mould.

1. The sides of the mould must slope slightly. This is to allow the plastic shape to be removed after
vacuum forming. These are called Draft Angles.

2. The mould must be well sanded, polished or smoothed depending on the materials used. Any
surface detail which is left on the mould will be transferred to the plastic product.

3. The mould may have small drill holes in it to allow the air to be easily sucked through it by the
vacuum pump. This will create an improved definition or shape. These holes are called Vent Holes.
These holes also prevent small pockets of air being trapped when the sheet forms.

4. The mould must not be too deep, otherwise the excess plastic (polystyrene) will stick together at the
corners. This is called WEBBING. This also affects the thickness of the sheet on the vertical surfaces
as it is drawn down.
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Almost any shape can be produced, but not necessarily in one piece. It must
be possible to release the plastic from the mould. This generally means no
undercuts in the shape of the mould; parallel vertical faces can also cause
difficulties.
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When the plastic is moulded over a

tall, steep shape, depending on the
plastic being used, it can form curtain-
like forms. The pic shows it better
than words...
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Put the former

in the vacuum
forming
machine and
clamp the
plastic into
position.
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Heat the
plastic until it
softens to a
'rubber like'
state.
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emove the
heat and raise
the former into
the softened
plastic.
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Turn on the
vacuum. The
plastic will be
drawn around the
shape of the
former.
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When
cooled,
unclamp the
plastic and
remove the
former. Trim
to the
required size
and shape
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