Why is the FormBox not picking up all the details from my tool?
Add air holes
The better air flows through a thermoforming tool, the higher the final part quality. By adding air holes to a tool, you can create parts or molds with higher degrees of detail and prevent air bubbles.
By adding air holes, the air gets sucked into the cavity. Without the air holes, there will be nowhere for the air to escape which will result in poorly formed mold. Make sure the holes are small enough so they don’t affect the mold, tiny 0.5mm air holes or as small as you can.
You can read more about how to design tooling for optimal forming quality in tool design and creation.
Tip: How to check if the air holes are clear
- Use an air gun to blow air through the air holes
- For resin (SLA 3D printed tools), ensure the holes are clean before curing, as they can fill if not properly cleaned.
Issues operating the FormBox
- The sheet is not being heated long enough - look for when the material just starts to bow. When you see it start to get "bouncy", bring both trays down over your mold. This video demonstrates what a Mayku Sheet will look like when it’s ready to form.
- Make sure your vacuum hose and adapter are not leaking and are sealed well. Even if your vacuum adapter is at an angle and doesn’t look like it should fit, it will! Just push it in so it’s nice and snug.
- Some shop-vacs have a cycle-up time before it starts gaining suction strength so try to turn on the vacuum directly before adapting to form your plastic, and make sure that the plastic is definitely soft enough to form.
- If you have followed all of the above and your vacuum is fitted and your FormBox is still not forming properly, check that your mesh tray is level and has not been bent, as this could cause the your mold not to form properly.
My 3D printed tool melted in the FormBox
It’s best to work with tools made from a material with a melting point greater than that of your sheet material, ideally greater than 100°C.
If your tool melted in the FormBox, we suggest reprinting the shape with thicker walls or, if the tool is not for an end part and you are in the early stages of prototyping, you can improve the 3D printed structure by filling the printed tool with plaster to give it extra strength like in this YouTube video:
How many objects can I fit onto the forming bed?
The number of objects you can fit on the forming bed really depends on the height, width and shape of the objects you’re trying to mold.
Placing multiple tools or design features too close to each other can lead to webbing during the thermoforming process. To avoid that, consider leaving a gap greater than the height of the tallest tool or design feature.
What type of material can I use to fill in gaps in a 3D printed tool before forming?
Wood filler is a good option: It's easy to sand and sticks to the surface of the 3D printed part or tool. Plaster doesn't stick to 3D printed plastic and the plaster layer may get stuck to the mold once the shape is formed.
Longevity of the tool
To increase longevity of the tool:
- Let the piece cool down slowly between forms.
- Add fillets and large draft angles, pressure is exerted on sharp corners and results in chipping over longer periods of time (this also helps with demolding).