Today, vacuum forming is becoming very popular, or rather, products made using this technology. With its help, plastic utensils, packaging, mannequins, paving slabs and much more are quickly and easily made. Using this technology at home will require the purchase of a special machine. The cost of such devices is quite high, and they take up a lot of space. This article will tell you how to create a vacuum forming machine yourself, using a vacuum cleaner and an oven.
DIY vacuum forming
Of course, a homemade machine will not be as powerful, so bulky items cannot be made and more time will have to be spent on manufacturing. But such a machine will fully satisfy interest and small household needs. Also, this unit is suitable for the manufacture of various models (aircraft, ships, cars). This is a kind of analogue of a 3D printer.
Materials for making
Vacuum forming begins with the manufacture of the machine. For this you will need:
- powerful vacuum cleaner;
- oven (to heat plastic);
- wooden bars;
- drill;
- a few screws;
- screwdriver (or screwdriver);
- plywood;
- sealant (silicone);
- plywood or fiberboard (for countertop);
- aluminum tape;
- material for creating the form (gypsum, wood).
Step by step instructions
- Vacuum machine size. The main element of such a machine is a frame (plastic is heated on it). The size of the frame must match the oven. The size of the plastic sheets also matters here. To make a frame, you will need wooden bars.
- Vacuum chamber. Vacuum forming is not complete without a vacuum chamber. She "sucks" the plastic, which then envelops the form. A vacuum chamber is made from a sheet of plywood or chipboard (16 mm). At its core, it is a box that matches the size of the frame. First, you need to make a frame from a bar, and screw plywood to its bottom. To ensure the tightness of the chamber, all seams are coated with sealant after assembly. The vacuum chamber also has a working surface where products are formed. The working surface is made from a sheet of fiberboard or plywood, in which holes are evenly drilled. It is important here not to let the work surface sag, so it is better to install a spacer in the center.
- Connecting a 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 self-tapping screws, lubricated with sealant or wrapped with aluminum tape. First, you need to make a hole in the nozzle to pump out air.
- Creating a form. You can make a mold from various materials: wood, gypsum, polyurethane, etc. If the mold has concave places, then you need to make holes in them (with a diameter of 0.1-0.5 mm). This is done so that the plastic is "sucked" into the recesses.
Vacuum forming process
After all the stages of preparation, the vacuum forming of the plastic itself begins directly. All work is done in the kitchen, as you will need an oven. The vacuum cleaner is connected to a vacuum chamber, and a form is set on the working surface. To make the plastic fit the mold to the very bottom, you can put coins under it.
After that, you need to cut a sheet of plastic in accordance with the size of the frame (the plastic should be thin - 0.1-0.4 mm) and nail it with staples.
Now you can load the plastic into the oven, preheated to 190 degrees. After the plastic heats up and sags in the frame, it must be removed and installed on a vacuum machine. After turning on the vacuum cleaner, the plastic will begin to envelop the mold. The vacuum cleaner should work for about 20 seconds, then you can take out the product.
So, the item is ready. Now it should be painted and processed at your discretion. This is how vacuum forming works at home.
