Vacuum Forming Machine open source project

[openforming]

Hi CNC Zone

We are a group building an open source vacuum forming machine. We would love to get feedback on our project, and our design, both positive and especially negative.



See more on our project page: open-forming - Open Source Hardware Vacuum Forming machine - Google Project Hosting

The design is more advanced than the typical vacuum forming machines, but we think a more complete machine could be useful for semi-professionals, not wanting to invest several thousands in a commercial machine. We plan to make it semi-automatic, controlled by a arduino microcontroller.

We hope that contributers can help us simplify, refine and extend our machine, to make it cheaper to construct and even more useful. We have some specific challenges on our page, if you want to help: http://code.google.com/p/open-forming/wiki/Challenges.

We are still constructing our first prototype and finishing the CAD-drawings, but they will hopefully soon be ready to be published.

The project is licensed under the Open Source Hardware License, so you are free to create, or even mass-produce the design.

Thanks for your time
Open Forming Project Group

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[Bob La Londe]

Is the trolley the heating element? Would a front and rear interference plate to mate the trolley to the sheet holder reduce incidental air flow for more uniform and faster heating with a more contained air space between the sheet and the heater element? Perhaps the addition of an internal low speed circulation fan to homogenize the heated air volume?

I don't know anything about vacuum forming really. I've done some DIY vacuum forming with a pegboard screwed to an MDF box and a hole drilled in the side for my shop vac. LOL. My results were mixed from passable to "Holy crap! That looks bad."

My first thought about your project was the position of the trolley handle. I am not crazy about reaching across the plastic sheet when its heated. I just have this fear of shedding workshop dust from my protective gear onto the hot sheet, and not being able to remove it when the project is complete. Maybe a pull rope and a pulley to slide the trolley back without any personal proximity to the heater elements or the heated plastic?

[LaughingLarry]

This design would/should work.
I have sold plastic materials to vacuum formers for years, so my experience is in the material side. I mostly supply Polycarbonate and ABS to vacuum formers, and their machines are all 'material moves' type of machines. My thought is that the heating element area perhaps should be stationary. The shuttle would be for the material to move from the front - back to under the heaters. When hot, shuttle back to front for forming. The reason is that the heaters moving requires a wire harness that moves with the heaters, and the movement is not good for most heating elements.
Perhaps look at moving the plastic, not the heaters.
Just a thought from the dozens of machines that I have seen.