CUSTOM THERMOFORMING
AND VACUUM FORMING SERVICES
WHY REDLINE
Redline Heavy Gauge Thermoforming and Vacuum Forming: Creating Custom Solutions
Redline Plastics provides custom heavy gauge thermoforming and plastic vacuum forming services for manufacturers that need durable, repeatable plastic components without the tooling investment associated with many other molding processes.
Our Manitowoc, Wisconsin headquarters facility is equipped to form large thermoplastic sheets up to 120 inches, with a focus on heavy gauge materials thicker than .060 inches. We support projects from early design and prototyping through tooling, production, robotic trimming, secondary assembly, testing and fulfillment.
If you are evaluating thermoforming for a new product, replacing an existing supplier or considering converting a fabricated metal component to plastic, our engineering team can help determine whether the process, material and tooling strategy make sense for the application.
We insist upon the best materials available to produce the highest quality products for our customers!
Materials Used in Redline SINGLE SHEET Vacuum Forming:
- ABS
- Decorative Film / Paint Film
- Acrylic/ABS
- PC/ABS
- HDPE
- HIPS
- TPO
- HMWPE
- Hybrid bi/tri layer material/ multilayer thermoforming
Redline Heavy Gauge Thermoforming Capabilities:
- Single sheet thermoforming
- Post secondary assembly, bonding, inserting
- Robotic trimming
- In house testing
- Kitting and component assembly
- Fiberglass reinforced plastic
- Linebending
- Large Format 3D Print Prototyping
For inquiries, collaborations, or to explore how Redline heavy gauge thermoforming and vacuum forming can benefit your project, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to transform your ideas into reality!
Plastic Vacuum Forming
Vacuum forming is a type of thermoforming in which a thermoplastic sheet is heated until pliable, positioned over or into a mold, and pulled tightly against the tooling using vacuum pressure.
After the plastic cools and holds its final shape, the part is removed from the mold and trimmed to specification.
Vacuum forming is particularly useful for relatively large parts where tooling simplicity and production economics are more important than reproducing extremely fine molded detail.
Typical vacuum formed components include:
- Equipment enclosures
- Machine covers and guards
- Interior panels
- Exterior body panels
- Roofs and canopies
- Trays
- Shrouds
- Control-panel housings
- Medical equipment covers
- Agricultural and lawn equipment components
For the right application, vacuum forming can provide a highly practical balance between part performance, tooling investment and manufacturing flexibility.
Heavy Gauge Thermoforming for Production Parts
Heavy gauge thermoforming uses thicker thermoplastic sheet than thin-gauge forming processes typically associated with disposable packaging and lightweight trays.
Redline specializes in forming sheet material thicker than .060 inches for structural, protective and cosmetic components such as housings, panels, enclosures, covers, roofs and equipment parts.
Heavy gauge thermoforming is often considered when manufacturers need:
- Large plastic components
- Durable exterior or interior panels
- Lower tooling costs than injection molding
- Shorter tooling lead times
- Moderate production volumes
- Lightweight alternatives to fabricated metal
- Integrated textures, contours or cosmetic surfaces
- Faster transition from prototype to production
The economics depend on part size, geometry, material, annual volume, tooling requirements and secondary operations. Redline can review those factors before you commit to a manufacturing process.
Fast Facts: What is Thermoforming and Vacuum Forming?
- Thermoforming is a manufacturing process that involves heating a thermoplastic sheet to a pliable temperature, forming it to a specific shape using molds, and cooling it to create a finished product. This process is highly versatile, accommodating various shapes, sizes, and complexities, making it an ideal choice for producing a wide range of items, from simple packaging to intricate parts for industries like automotive, aerospace, and healthcare.
- Vacuum forming is a subset of thermoforming. It utilizes a vacuum to remove air between the heated plastic sheet and the mold, causing the material to conform to the mold’s shape. This method is often chosen for creating items with shallow depth or larger surface areas, such as trays, panels, and covers.
The Thermoforming and Vacuum Forming Process:
- Material Selection: Thermoplastics like ABS, PVC, polycarbonate, and acrylics are commonly used due to their versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness.
- Heating: The chosen thermoplastic sheet is heated until it reaches its forming temperature, becoming pliable without reaching a melting point.
- Forming: The heated sheet is stretched and molded over a pattern or mold. In vacuum forming, the vacuum draws the sheet against the mold’s contours, while in pressure forming, additional pressure aids in shaping the material.
- Cooling: Once the formed material has taken the desired shape, it is cooled, solidifying into the final product.
- Trimming and Finishing: Excess material is trimmed away, and finishing touches such as drilling holes, adding surface textures, or incorporating additional components are applied.
Redline Plastics offers specialized heavy gauge thermoforming services, focusing on custom heavy gauge plastic forming for contract manufacturing. Heavy gauge thermoforming is a manufacturing process used to shape large, thick sheets of plastic into specific forms.
Thermoforming vs. Injection Molding
Injection molding and thermoforming can both produce plastic components, but they serve different manufacturing needs.
Injection molding is often preferred for smaller parts produced in very high volumes where complex detail and tight molded features justify the cost of sophisticated tooling.
Thermoforming can be more economical for larger parts, particularly when annual volumes do not justify an expensive injection mold.
For large enclosures, panels, covers and similar components, the tooling cost difference can be substantial.
The tradeoff is that thermoformed parts typically require trimming after forming and may have more design limitations around wall thickness, undercuts and extremely detailed features.
If you are deciding between injection molding and thermoforming, Redline can evaluate the part based on geometry, tooling cost, anticipated volume and finished-part requirements rather than steering you toward a process simply because it is available in our plant.
When Does Thermoforming Make Sense?
Thermoforming occupies a useful manufacturing space between fabricated components and high-investment molding processes.
It can be particularly attractive for large plastic parts that would be expensive to produce through injection molding because of tooling size and complexity.
Compared with fabrication, thermoforming can also reduce the number of individual pieces, fasteners and assembly operations required to produce a finished component.
Common reasons manufacturers consider custom thermoforming include:
Lower tooling investment
Thermoforming tooling is generally less expensive than comparable injection molding tooling, particularly for large components.
Large-part capability
Thermoforming can economically produce panels, housings, covers and other components that would require very large injection molding equipment.
Faster product development
Tooling and prototyping can often be completed more quickly, allowing designs to move from concept into production without an extended mold-development cycle.
Material flexibility
Different thermoplastic sheet materials can provide varying combinations of impact resistance, chemical resistance, appearance, stiffness and environmental durability.
Design consolidation
Contours, recesses, ribs and other features may be incorporated into a formed component, reducing the need for fabricated subcomponents.
Applications of Redline Heavy Gauge Custom Thermoforming and Vacuum Forming
The versatility of these processes makes them invaluable in various industries:
- Powersports: UTV Roofs & Enclosures
- Automotive: Interior components, panels, and exterior parts.
- Lawn/Agriculture : Farming equipment components, lawn mowers, landscaping, etc.
- Medical: Equipment enclosures and trays
- Appliances: Housing and components for household appliances.
- Metal conversion: Control panels, shrouds, etc. Looking to cut cost and weight and increase overall strength? Convert your metal parts to vacuum formed products with Redline.
We are not market focused, we can make products for any industry you can imagine!
If you’re ready to eliminate supplier complexity, drive down total landed cost, and scale with confidence — let’s talk. Because not all thermoforming is created equal.
Redline Plastics isn’t just a fabricator — we’re a full-service, start-to-finish manufacturing partner. We bring the industry expertise, advanced technology, and people power to create real value at every stage of your program.
Advantages of Redline Plastics Thermoforming and Custom Vacuum Forming
- Cost-Effective: Lower tooling costs compared to other molding processes like injection molding.
- Versatility: Can accommodate various shapes, sizes, and textures.
- Rapid Prototyping: Quick turnaround from design to production.
- Customization: Tailored solutions for specific needs.
- Hands on engineering: Bring your napkin sketch to our team!
- Internal and external tooling and fixture capability: We can offer multiple tooling options for your budget! Fully staffed tooling shop to maintain your tools over time.
Request a Custom Thermoforming Quote
If you are sourcing heavy gauge thermoforming or plastic vacuum forming services, send Redline your project information for review.
GET A CUSTOM QUOTE
Please complete the form below and Redline will provide you a quote on your project.
INDUSTRIES WE WORK IN
Our clients are visionaries searching for a trusted partner that can bring their ideas to life. We provide the engineering, manufacturing, and logistics experience needed to make that happen.
ENDLESS THERMAL FORMING POSSIBILITIES
Redline has been fortunate to have had opportunities to solve many challenges for our customers. We have the capability to thermoform using a variety of materials that include ABS, Kydex, HMWPE, Polycarbonate, HIPS and many others.
- UTV Roofs
- UTV Windshields
- Medical and Kiosk Enclosures
- Point of Purchase Displays
- Pontoon Boat Tables
- Pontoon Boat Seat Bottoms
- Construction Vehicle Hoods
- Construction Vehicle Fenders
More Than Just A Thermoforming Company
Redline Plastics is more than just a Plastic Thermoforming company. From engineering & design to shipping, we can offer all the services you need under one roof.