Manual - Formech 450DT V1.0 - 0317
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After Forming
After forming, most plastics can be subsequently heat formed to add such details as folds or clips. Although
many plastics can be printed, and in some cases painted, the presence of release agent used to help free a
tight moulding may make the surface resistant to further decoration.
Trimming
An ideal moulding will be ready for use when removed from the machine and requires no finishing. However,
most mouldings do require trimming before they can be used.
There are numerous methods available for this process.
Thin materials can be trimmed with a sharp knife. Shaped cutting dies can be used to cut out intricate
shapes. If no flange is required on the finished product then a trimming saw mounted in a pillar drill will cut
the moulding in a horizontal plane to free it from the surrounding material.
In mass production environments the range of equipment available for this requirement encompasses
clicking presses, roller presses, routers, horizontal band saws, water jet cutters, laser cutters and many others.
Formech has available a Vacuum Forming Guide which will cover some of these topics in more details. Please
contact Formech to gain access to this guide.
Post Forming Operations
