The Thermoforming workshop will outline the background of the Thermoforming process, looking at materials for products and a host of applications for both thin gauge from roll-fed stock and thicker gauge from sheets. It will examine types of thermoforming machines from very simple hand operated machines to fully automatic. Post thermoforming processes will also be looked at with many methods of hand and robotic trimming examined. An overview of the latest materials available coupled to the philosophy of multi-layer raw material will be examined. Types of tooling and methods of tooling manufacture will be overviewed and the formal part of the session will finish with the pros and cons of the process, also comparing it with other plastic moulding processes.

A question and answer period will follow with the speakers being available to answer anything on the various topics including twin sheet moulding, pressure forming, conventional thermoforming, and other techniques, such as drape and press moulding.