Not so long ago, 3D printing and thermoforming were only used in industrial environments. Now, however, they are much more common and accessible to all designers, engineers, and manufacturers. When used together, the technologies can complement one another, adding more value than when used individually. They also share many of the same benefits.
Benefits of thermoforming
Below are a few of the benefits of thermoforming:
- Affordability. For prototyping, tooling, and small production runs, thermoforming techniques such as vacuum forming or pressure forming are often less costly than processes such as injection molding. This is because thermoforming brings with it a lower tooling cost.
- Speed. Thermoforming features a faster turnaround time than traditional manufacturing methods such as injection molding or CNC.
- Flexibility. Because it is often cheaper and faster, thermoforming enables designers, engineers, and manufacturers to more efficiently manufacture and test prototypes – especially because tools can be made of 3D printed or easily modified materials such as wood.
- Materials with unique properties. Thermoforming technology can be used with materials featuring unique properties such as flexibility and transparency. Additionally, certain plastic materials – such as high-density polyethylene – can be sterilized, and therefore suitable for containers used in the food and beverage industry.
Benefits of 3D printing
While many types of 3D printers are compatible with thermoforming processes, the most popular are FDM, SLA, and SLS. Below are a few of the benefits of using 3D printing technology in your workflow:
- Flexibility. 3D printing enables you to manufacture what you need, when you need it. This is ideal in thermoforming, as there are no minimum manufacturing quantities or order size.
- Cost efficacy. 3D printing is often cheaper than traditional manufacturing methods, giving you room to test and retest before committing to a final design. This is especially helpful when printing thermoforming tools, where prototyping is key to success.
- Good mechanical properties. Properties such as strength and temperature-resistance that are well-suited to the creation of thermoforming tools – as they need to withstand high levels of both heat and pressure.
- Complex designs. 3D printing allows for the efficient creation of complex and customized designs that are built for highly specific tasks
- Less waste. When compared to subtractive manufacturing methods, additive manufacturing only uses the amount of material that is needed, resulting in less waste and in parts that are lighter and more suited to specific purposes.
How thermoforming and 3D printing complement one another
In 3D printing and thermoforming workflows, 3D printers are often used to manufacture thermoforming tools. Both technologies can also be used together, resulting in products that feature 3D printed and thermoformed components.
Tool manufacturing
3D printing provides a great deal of flexibility, which goes well with thermoforming’s fast production speed. Additionally, 3D printing is a near-perfect technology for manufacturing tools that adhere to thermoforming’s specific design guidelines. You can read more about those guidelines in our article on how to design for thermoforming.
Tools can be manufactured with even the most common types of 3D printers, such as FDM, SLA, and SLS. If you’d like to learn more about this process, you can read our article on technologies used to create thermoforming tools.
Fast prototyping and production
Both 3D printing and thermoforming boast very fast iteration cycles. With 3D printing, for example, you can manufacture tools in hours instead of weeks. The Mayku Multiplier enables users to run small production batches in hours – entirely in-house and with complete flexibility.
3D printing and thermoforming are closely related technologies. They also share many of the same benefits that allow for faster, more flexible, and localized manufacturing. Used correctly, they can be combined to create an efficient and effective solution for workflows in a wide variety of industries and sectors.
What can be achieved using thermoforming that isn’t possible with 3D printing alone
Thin and resistant parts
Manufacturing large and thin parts with good mechanical properties has always been challenging for most 3D printing technologies. Large parts can easily warp during the 3D printing process, and their properties are usually not homogenous. Thermoforming, however, is well-suited to creating three-dimensional parts with consistent thickness and mechanical properties.
Transparent enclosures
Creating transparent parts with 3D printers is often a complex process, and yields results that often don’t reach the necessary requirements. Thermoforming, on the other hand, is able to make use of fully transparent materials such as PETG or PMMA. This makes thermoforming a great method of manufacturing enclosures that must be transparent or that have transparent components.
Food-safe components
Most 3D printing processes and materials aren’t food-safe, meaning they cannot be used in environments where they can come into contact with food or edible items.
Thermoforming processes and materials, including most Mayku materials, are food safe. This means thermoforming offers a solution to a 3D printing limitation. Thermoformed and 3D printed components can be used in a combined solution in food production.