Design Nomenclature / Physical Model Making
Vacuum forming
Also called vac forming, vacforming, vacuum moulding
This entry has not been translated yet and is shown in English.
Heating thermoplastic sheet until it sags, then pulling it down over a form with vacuum. Tooling is cheap — MDF, plaster, even a printed pattern works — and one afternoon produces a housing. The sheet thins wherever it stretches most, so deep draws come out translucent at the corners and the form needs draft and vent holes.
