FORMING ANALYSIS OF POLYMER SHEETS

Polymers are large synthetic molecules made by joining together thousands of small
molecular units known as monomers. The process of joining the molecules is called
polymerisation and the number of these units in the long molecule is known as the degree of
polymerisation. Polymers is being extensively used in structural applications in the areas of
aerospace, automobile manufacturing, as well as in composite materials subjected to dynamic
loading.
Acrylics, which are more descriptively designated as polymrthyl methacrylate, which is
derived from methacrylic acid methanol, are well suited for thermoforming due to their high hot
strength and wide processing temperature range of 170 oC-180oC [1]. Their excellent optical
properties and clarity are augmented by outstanding outdoor stability and rigidity. All common
molding processes may be used, including injection molding, compression molding, and
extrusion [2]. Cell cast acrylic sheets have the best optical properties and lowest shrinkage but
are highest in cost. Continuous cast sheets are produced by casting a viscous, partly polymerized
monomer onto a metal belt. They are nearly as good in physical properties but may show slight
optical distortions

APPLICATION:
Application of polymers include refrigerator and freezer door liners complete with formed-in
compartments for eggs, butter, and bottles of various types, television masks, dishwasher
housings, washing machine covers, various automobile parts (instrument panels, arm rests,
ceilings, and door panels), large patterned diffusers in the lighting industry, displays in
advertising, various parts in aircraft industry (windshields, interior panels, arm rests, serving
trays, etc.), various housing (typewriters, Dictaphones, and duplicating machines), toys,
transparent packages, and much more[3].

THERMOFORMING OF POLYMER SHEET:

Forming refers to group of processes which involves clamping a sheet of thermoplastic
above an open mould, heating it so that it becomes soft and rubbery and then forcing the sheer to
take up the contours of the mould where it cools and solidifies to shape. This principle is utilized
in thermoforming processes which may be divided into three main types: (a) vacuum forming,
(2) pressure forming (blow forming), and (3) mechanical forming (e.g., matched metal forming),
depending on the means used to stretch the heat softened sheet. Common materials subjected to
thermoforming are thermoplastics such as polystyrene, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate
butyrate, PVC, ABS, poly(methyl methacrylate), low- and high-density polyethylene, and
polypropylene. The bulk of the forming is done with extruded sheets, although cast, laminated
sheets can also be formed.
Vacuum Forming (Non contact type forming):
In vacuum forming, the thermoplastic sheet can be clamped or simply held against the
RIM of a mold and then heated until it becomes soft. The soft sheet is then sealed at the RIM,
and the air from the mold cavity is removed by a suction pump so that the sheet is forced to take
the contours of the mold by the atmospheric pressure above the sheet. The vacuum in the mold
cavity is maintained until the part cools and becomes rigid. Straight cavity forming is not well
adapted to forming a cup or box shape because as the sheet, drawn by vacuum, continues to fill
out the mold and solidify, most of the stock is used up before it reaches the periphery of the base,
with the result that this part becomes relatively thin and weak[4].
Pressure Forming (Non contact type forming):
Pressure forming is the reverse of vacuum forming. The plastic sheet is clamped, heated
until it becomes soft, and sealed between a pressure head and the RIM of a mold. By applying
air pressure. One forces the sheet to take the contours of the mold. Exhaust holes in the mold
allow the trapped air to escape. After the part cools and becomes rigid, the pressure is released
and the part is removed. As compared to vacuum forming, pressure forming affords a faster
production cycle, greater part definition, and greater dimensional control. A variation of vacuum
forming or pressure forming, called free forming or free blowing, is used with acrylic sheeting to
produce parts that require superior optical quality (e.g., aircraft canopies). In this process the
periphery is defined mechanically by clamping and the depth of draw or height is governed only
by the vacuum or compressed air applied [4].

Fig1: forming process: (a)- vacuum forming, (b)-pressure forming [5]

Mechanical Forming: (Contact type forming):
Various mechanical techniques have been developed for thermoforming that use neither
air pressure nor vacuum. Typical of these is matched mold forming. A male mold is mounted on
the top or bottom platen, and a matched female mold is mounted on the other. The plastic sheet,
held by a clamping frame, is heated to the proper forming temperature, and the mold is then
closed, forcing the plastic to the contours of both the male and the female molds. The molds are
held in place until the plastic cools and attains dimensional stability, the latter facilitated by

internal cooling of the mold. The matched mold technique affords excellent reproduction of mold
detail and dimensional accuracy [4].

Fig2: Mechanical forming process: (a) Heating; (b) forming

Lubricants are added to thermoplastic molding to increase internal and external

lubrication during thermoforming. These agents not only reduce the internal and external
coefficient of friction, they may also have positive effects on mold removal, blocking, and
surface gloss. Most lubricants are made from natural raw materials: paraffin from petroleum
residues, lignite carbonization, or bituminous shales; the natural fatty acids (C 16 toC18 acids and
mixtures of same), vegetable and animal fats. Semisynthetic lubricants are based on the
conversion of alcohols to esters, metaloxides or hydroxides to salts or amines to amides. Fully
synthetic waxes include low molecular PE (Polyethylene) and PP (Polypropylene) waxes or
copolymers made from ethylene, VAC, acrylic, or crotonic acid [6]

DEFECTS:
During forming process due to improper process parameter selection or due to any
random phenomenon certain defects are occurred. Some of the defects [7] are
1) Blisters : Probable cause are heating too rapidly , Excess moisture, uneven heating
2) Incomplete forming: Probable causes are sheet too cold, sheet insertion, improper

clamping, and insufficient vacuum.

3) Whitening: Probable cause is stretching below forming temperature.
4) Webbing, Bridging, Wrinkling : Probable cause are sheet to hot, insufficient vacuum,
excess draw ratio
5) Chill mark/ striation: Probable cause is mold temperature too low.
In earlier days glasses were used as wind shield for aircraft. But glass cannot sustain the
bird impact, to overcome that laminated plastics were used. They also introduced an entirely new
set of optical and visual effects that interfered with aircrew visual performance. Multiple imaging
was one of the first issues raised by aircrew. The slope and curvature of aircraft windshields that
are optimum for high speed flight cause optical degradation of pilot vision in the forward
direction. The optical effects of windshield slope (or angle of incidence) and curvature are
reviewed, in terms of displacement, deviation, distortion, binocular deviation, reflections,
multiple images, haze, transmission loss, and reduced resolution[8].

OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH:
As we seen major product are thermoformed using different process. Each process has
their specific characteristics, each process produces different product. The final quality of final
product depends on process parameters. The most prominent defect in contact forming is visual
defect in the application of windshield/canopy of aircraft. The objective of research is to find out
the causes of defects occurs during processing and provide optimum forming parameters by
experimental and numerical methods using finite element method.

REFERENCES:
1. http://www.kaysons.in/acrylic/physicalproperties.pdf
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly%28methyl_methacrylate%29#Processing
3. http://www.hydrosight.com/applications-for-acrylic/
4. Polymer Processing and Structure Development edited by Arthur N. Wilkinson, Anthony

J. Ryan.
5. Y. Dong, R.J.T. Lin, Finite Element Simulation on Thermoforming Acrylic Sheets Using
Dynamic Explicit Method Polymers & Polymer Composites, Vol. 14, No. 3, 2006. pp
307-328.
6. Polymers - Opportunities and Risks I: General and Environmental Aspects, Volume 1 By Peter
Eyerer.
7. SHINKOLITE: Trouble Shooting of Thermoforming for GP Acrilic Sheet.
8.

Industrial Plastics: Theory and Applications by Terry L. Richardson, Erik Lokensgard.

Research scholar

Mr. Patil Jeet P.

Supervisor

Dr. V. M. Nandedkar