Thermoforming Manufacturing
Thermoforming manufacturing refers to the whole manufacturing process from incoming materials to outgoing product. (RDC 10/3/2011)
The thermoforming of articles is well known in the art. Machines can be made to make single parts or simultaneously make many parts in an x-y array. In general, either a single sheet or roll sheet stock of formable material is heated and fed to a forming station and then through the application of force to the softened material is formed into one or more articles. When several articles are formed at one time from roll stock, they are connected by a web, at least along the outer longitudinal edges of the feed material. The articles are then separated from one another and the web typically by cutting with a die. The web can then be recycled if desired. The separated articles can be stacked and transferred to a storage or use area.” [Benker and Llewellyn, US Patent 8,021,142 (9/20/2011)]
Recent US Patents
9/20/2011
8,021,142
Thermoforming apparatus and method
Benker and Llewellyn of Sencorp, Massachusetts, developed a thermoforming manufacturing line including heating, forming, cutting and separating stations. A stacker is provided to receive formed articles and form an x-y array of stacks of formed articles. A stack picker is provided that is operable to pick up the stacks of articles during a sheet pause cycle portion and move the picked stacks from a storage magazine to a deposit area. (RDC 9/23/2011)