Reheating Acrylic Sheet After Forming

A photograph of a steel frp steel frp hat profile.

Reheating acrylic sheet after forming.

This article uses a sheet about 1 4 thick so all times are about 10 to 15 minutes per step. For thicker sheets it will take longer and for thinner sheets it will take less time. It is important to provide sufficient clamping of the sheet during the forming process. Wear gloves as you do this to avoid burning your hands.

This device can reduce appreciably the labor required for clamping and unclamping sheets preparatory to forming. Set the sheet of acrylic across the rests on the strip heater and turn it on. For thicker acrylic you will need to use a metal bar clamped very securely and you may only be able to work with narrow strips of material as your heat source may not be able to heat wider areas of thick material. It can also shorten the time required to transport the heated sheet from the oven to the forming equipment thus minimizing the possibility of cold forming.

Twenty four hours at 176 f 80 c dries most sheets. The vacuum pump can be switched on which will draw air out from under the mould attracting the soft plastic over it. The process involves heating the plastic sheet to a temperature range where it is soft or malleable. A mold any object shape you can press the acrylic into to give it shape mallet and or a peen for shaping caution i ve only tried this in an electric oven.

A b c fig. I can t recommend for. Heated plastic sheet from below. Jim throne consultant in applied plastics engineering handbook 2011.

Plexiglass or acrylic sheet this system works well for small pieces of plexiglass in thicknesses of up to 1 8 inch. Modify the timing as necessary. To reduce the length of the forming cycle pre dry the sheet in a spare oven and transfer it directly into the forming oven at 176 f 80 c after the drying period. The only major variable that can affect the forming process is the thickness of the plastic sheet.

Be sure that the marked line is above the heating element. Acrylic oven baking sheet aluminum foil timer felt for handling the acrylic and to prevent scratches tools for forming tools for forming may include. Turn the sheet of acrylic over on the heating element every 30 60 seconds in order to avoid damaging it. Release mechanism for hanging plexiglas acrylic sheets in heating ovens.

Thermoforming represents a group of sheet forming processes that includes vacuum forming drape forming billow of free. Thermoforming is a generic term that refers to a process that begins with an extruded sheet of plastic.