Looking for some help.

[tallpaul]

I found a machine for sale and I'm trying to find the manufacturers web site, if there is one.

I don't have pics of the actual machine, but, I did find some on the web while searching for used machines:

Model MBE2436M
24" X 36" FORMING AREA
TOP AND BOTTOM PLATENS
TOP AND BOTTOM HEATERS
MANUAL CONTROLS
SELF CONTAINED VACUUM SYSTEM
12" STROKE EACH PLATEN








Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[drcrash]

I found a machine for sale and I'm trying to find the manufacturers web site, if there is one.

I don't have pics of the actual machine, but, I did find some on the web while searching for used machines:

Model MBE2436M
24" X 36" FORMING AREA
TOP AND BOTTOM PLATENS
TOP AND BOTTOM HEATERS
MANUAL CONTROLS
SELF CONTAINED VACUUM SYSTEM
12" STROKE EACH PLATEN

I don't have a web site for you but I think it was made by these people:

AAA Plastic Equipment Inc.
2617 North Ayers
Fort Worth, Texas 76203

You could probably get a phone number for them if you call information.

Paul

[One of Many]

That was funny. I was thinking of the exact same Company before I read your response! ESP-Zone or just too much plastic equipment exposure?

At first glance it does have the distinct triple A look, but the MBE in the number throws a little bit of a curve.

DC

[drcrash]

At first glance it does have the distinct triple A look, but the MBE in the number throws a little bit of a curve.
DC

I don't actually have your eye for thermoformer manufacturers. I just googled up various permutations of the model number (including leaving the MBE part off) and words like "vacuum former" and "thermoformer."

I found a listing for an AAA <model number> thermoformer somewhere. (I don't recall whether I included the MBE in the model number there.) I looked at other listings at that site, and it seemed that AAA was in the position of the manufacturer name, so I figure it likely was that. Then I did some googling on "AAA" and other vacuumformy keywords, and found references to the company.

[tallpaul]

Thanks for the help DC & One.

I found another used machine site with this picture:



Is $2000 a good price for this machine? The one I'm looking at is 220 single phase and in much better shape than the photos above.

[chan luci]

>Is $2000 a good price for this machine? The one I'm looking at is 220 single phase and in much better shape than the photos above.[/quote]

The photo looks aweful and I doubt if it works! If it is within reach you may have a trial run done on that, as the price is quite Ok. If you want a new one built, with no much of automation, then we can get one done. Pls give me the details of your:
power supply
size of forming, depth to be achieved, materials to be formed and their thicknesses, volume of forming per day expected. BAsed on that I can work on a new machine itself for you.
Good luck,
Chan Luci
www.custompartsonline.com

[One of Many]

I'd not buy it sight unseen/untested of course. Looks do not mean much if all is functional. They do take an exterior beating and keep on forming!

Have you seen it in person yet? Can you request some drive time and kick the tires etc so as to see if the asking price compares to the condition on your terms?


The one thing I can say about the triple A machines is they are workhorse equipment in my experience. Not much can go wrong with them that you cannot fix yourself. 1 or 2 timers, Cal-Rods and a couple relays. Besides, the vac pump and manual valves take the most wear and tear.

2G's is certainly not a bad price if you have a job that will keep it busy. With a little ingenuity, they can be automated quite easily with a PLC or plain old timers. At least install a lightbulb or beeper to signal the end of the heat cycle. I've seen new operators forget the material is cooking and when it hits the cal-rods, it gets ugly!

DC

[tallpaul]

I have seen the machine in person and I don't think a test drive would be a problem.

What I'm looking to do is form 1/10th scale R/C car bodies. I originally built the Hobby-Vac for this purpose but now I need a bigger machine. I was going to build a machine like Ringo's Proto-Form but this AAA kind of fell into my lap.

Here's a finished R/C body:



and my original wood mold along with 2 pulls from the Hobby-Vac:

[One of Many]

It comes down to how many car bodies you need to pull in order to get the machine to pay for itself including overhead, the material and operator time.

Nice work on the car body. Stinky styrene, uhg? Find good way to ventilate the area without losing too much heat in the building. Yet, be aware of drafts through the oven creating cold spots etc.

DC

[tallpaul]

I only used the styrene to form on the wood mold then I poured a 2 part urethane in it for a mold to use with lexan.