Vacuum forming, also known as thermoforming, is a relatively simple process whereby a sheet of plastic is heated until pliable, stretched onto or into a custom cut mold, and held against the mold by applying a vacuum between the mold surface and the sheet. This forces the plastic into the mold, creating an exact replica of the mold. This process can be repeated indefinitely, and is useful in mass producing parts or products. The vacuum forming process can be used to make most product packaging, speaker casings and even car dashboards. Vacuum thermoforming is a great method for producing plastic parts that have sharp details and fit nicely to specific products. Bell has the capability to create products that range in size from a half inch square to a six by fourteen foot monstrosity.

Vacuum forming is used to produce plastic parts for various industries, such as the food, cosmetic, medical, automotive, electronics, household products, toys, athletic equipment, entertainment, appliance, office supplies and clothing industries. One of the most important industries that thermoforming serves, however, is packaging. Products that you see every day like blister packs, inserts, trays and clamshells are generally created by vacuum formers. The creation of these incredibly frustrating and nearly impossible to open packages would not be possible without vacuum forming. Consumer product manufacturers often use vacuum forming to produce plastic trays, bowls, or cups. Another interesting use for vacuum formed plastic is the creation of signs for gas stations and convenience stores.

Suitable materials for use in vacuum forming are conventionally thermoplastics, the most common and easiest. Vacuum forming is also appropriate for transparent materials (such as acrylic) which are widely used in applications for aerospace such as passenger cabin windows, canopies for military fixed wing aircraft, and "bubbles" for rotary wing aircraft.

The greatest advantage to vacuum forming is that it involves less parts and tooling than other production methods, and therefore is more cost-effective. It is an efficient method that can be used for small, medium, large, or inhumanly massive production runs. There is great design flexibility available, we can create products from a provided prototype, or help you plan out a custom made design. Time of production is generally short, which makes mass producing products very fast and easy.

When small or medium sized parts need to be made very quickly and in mass quantities, an inline vacuum former is used. These incredibly lengthy and complex machines can run nonstop, pumping out hundreds of parts at a mind boggling rate. At the start end of the machine, plastic sheet is fed from a roll into a set of indexing chains that incorporate pins that pierce the sheet and transport it through an oven for heating to the correct temperature. The heated sheet is then fed into a form station where a mating mold and pressure-box close on the sheet. Vacuum is then applied to pull the material tight onto the mold, creating an exact copy of the mold. After a short form cycle, a burst of reverse air pressure is applied from the vacuum side of the mold to detach the formed part. The sheet containing the formed parts is then fed into a trim station at the end of the same machine, where a die cuts the parts from the sheet.

An integral part of the thermoforming process is the design and planning for the mold. The designs for the mold are programmed into a CNC machine. The CNC machine then cuts and drills away at a medium (usually aluminum) until only the mold remains. Because of the experience of our technicians, the resulting mold can be as simple or sophisticated as the end product needs to be. Once the mold is made, it is simply attached to the vacuum former, and production can begin.