Open Access

Stefan Junk, Jing Sämann-Sun, Matthias Niederhofer

• Today, thermoforming moulds are mostly produced using conventional mould-building technologies (e.g. milling and drilling) and are made of metal (e.g. aluminium or steel) or hardwood. The tools thus produced are very robust, but are only cost-effective in mass production. For the production of small batches of thermoformed parts, there is a need for moulds which can be produced quickly andToday, thermoforming moulds are mostly produced using conventional mould-building technologies (e.g. milling and drilling) and are made of metal (e.g. aluminium or steel) or hardwood. The tools thus produced are very robust, but are only cost-effective in mass production. For the production of small batches of thermoformed parts, there is a need for moulds which can be produced quickly and economically. A new approach which significantly reduces the production time and cost is the 3D printing process (3DP). The use of this technology to produce thermoforming moulds offers many new options in the geometries which can be manufactured, and in manufacturing time and costs. In a case study of a thermoformed part (a scaled automotive model), the pre-processing of the CAD model of a mould is demonstrated. The mould can be printed within a few hours, and is sufficiently heat-resistant for moulding processes. The important advantages of moulds printed in 3D, in comparison to moulds built using conventional technologies, are the ability to create any shape of channels for the vacuum and the simplification in the production of tool mock-ups. This paper also discusses the economics of the technique, such as a comparison of material costs and manufacturing costs in relation to conventional production technologies and materials.…