Sheet: Thermoforming
This is one of the most common and basicform of molding process that ranges from academic education to industrial manufacture (we use this technique to create the plastic mold for out vessel project from our previous Industrial Design Princicple class) in which we will be using this project to talk about this process.
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Basically, all we need is a plain sheet of thermoplastic place securely centered and clamed above the top of out desired shape (in this case two halves of a single blue foam model coated with a layer of wood filling) The sheet is then heated for a few nimutes at a temperature roughtly around 100–200 degrees Farenheit. When the sheet is still soft from the melting process, the former (which is the part that contains the two halves part) is raised and the shapes are being pressed in an upward position against the thermoplastic sheet. During this time, the thermoplastic sheet endures a downward push force as the results of the vacuum being applied from the former that has been raised againts the still soft and saggy sheet.
The vaccum plays a role in terms of wrapping the thermoplastic around the two halves of the vessel model to form a basic outline structure. Once the thermoplastic cools down it will hardens and return to its original state, the two blocks of wood-filling covered blue foam can be taken out. The results is the two halves of the vessel made from plastic that can be attached together to form the basic mold for the plaster model of the vessel.
