moulding-additive-manufacture > Drape Thermoforming

Drape Forming is a process used to form thick, plastic sheets.

The process involves heating the plastic sheet until it can be pressed over a form or mandrel. The major difference to other Thermoforming processes is during the process the material is not stretched, therefore it retains its full dimensional thickness.

It is possible to manually form the sheet or male and female dies can be used. It is best suited for low volume production due to the longer cycle times, although water cooled moulds can be used, to speed up the cooling process.