Vacuum molding at home

Today, vacuum molding, or rather, products made using this technology, is becoming very popular. With its help quickly and easily done plastic dishes, packaging, mannequins, paving slabs and much more. Using such a technology at home will require the purchase of a special machine. The cost of such devices is quite high, and they occupy a lot of space. This article will tell you how to create a vacuum forming machine yourself, using a vacuum cleaner and an oven.

Vacuum molding by one's own hands

Of course, the homemade machine will not be so powerful, so bulky items will not work and time for manufacturing will have to spend more. But the interest and small household needs of such a machine is quite satisfactory. Also, this device is suitable for the manufacture of various models (aircraft, ships, cars). This is a kind of analogue 3D printer.

Materials for manufacturing

Vacuum molding begins with the manufacture of the machine. This will require:

• Powerful vacuum cleaner;
• Oven (to heat the plastic);
• Wooden bars;
• drill;
• Few self-tapping screws;
• Screwdriver (or screwdriver);
• plywood;
• Sealant (silicone);
• Plywood or fiberboard (for the working surface);
• Aluminum scotch tape;
• Material for creating the form (gypsum, wood).

Step-by-step instruction

1. The size of the vacuum machine. The main element of such a machine is a frame (plastic is heated on it). In size, the frame must match the oven. The size of plastic sheets here also matters. To make a frame, you will need wooden blocks.
2. Vacuum chamber. Vacuum molding is not complete without a vacuum chamber. It "sucks" the plastic, which then envelops the form. A vacuum chamber is made from a sheet of plywood or chipboard (16 mm). In its essence, it is a box that corresponds to the size of the frame. First of the bar, you need to make a frame, and screw the plywood to its bottom. To ensure the tightness of the chamber, all seams after assembly are greased with a sealant. The vacuum chamber also has a working surface, where the products are formed. The working surface is made from a sheet of fiberboard or plywood, in which the holes are drilled evenly. It is important here not to let the work surface bend, so it is better to center the spacer in the center.
3. Connecting the vacuum cleaner. For the convenience of connecting the vacuum cleaner to the vacuum chamber, you can use the nozzle from the vacuum cleaner. It is screwed to the vacuum chamber with screws, lubricated with a sealant or wrapped with an aluminum tape. Preliminary in the nozzle you need to make a hole for pumping air.
4. Create a form. The shape can be made of various materials: wood, gypsum, polyurethane, etc. If the shape has concave places, then they need to make holes (0.1-0.5 mm in diameter). This is done so that the plastic "sucks" in the grooves.

Vacuum Forming Process

After all the stages of preparation, the vacuum molding of the plastic itself begins. All work is done in the kitchen, as an oven is needed. The vacuum cleaner is connected to a vacuum chamber, and a mold is mounted on the work surface. To plastic fit form to the very bottom, under it you can put coins.

After that, you need to cut out the plastic sheet in accordance with the size of the frame (plastic must be thin - 0.1-0.4 mm) and nail it with staples.

Now you can load the plastic in the oven, preheated to 190 degrees. After the plastic has heated and sagged in the frame, it must be removed and installed on the vacuum machine. After turning on the vacuum cleaner, the plastic will begin to envelop the mold. Vacuum cleaner should work for about 20 seconds, then you can get the product.

So, the subject is ready. Now it should be painted and processed at your own discretion. This is how vacuum molding works at home.