Syntactic Foam Offers Cost Savings for Heavy Gauge Thermoforming

Common problems encountered in the cut sheet thermoforming process include thin spots, webbing, crowning and plug/pusher mark off. Syntactic foam can be used in various ways with both positive and negative tooling to alleviate these issues. Syntactic plugs result in improved material distribution leading to opportunities for down-gauging. Compared to other common plug/pusher materials such as wood and felt-covered wood, syntactic foam results in minimal plug mark-off and improved plug durability. Attached article as published in The Thermoforming Quarterly provides details.

Plug Assist Materials for Improved Forming of Transparent Polypropylene

The performance of a new class of copolymer syntactic foam (HYTAC-FLX and HYTAC-FLXT) was evaluated and compared to an engineered solid polymer (PEEK) and the industry’s leading thermoplastic syntactic foam (HYTAC-B1X) for use as a plug assist when forming transparent polypropylene (PP).  These new copolymer syntactic foams have been designed to minimize scratching and improve clarity when forming transparent materials and offer additional benefits in machining/polishing of plug materials.    The results, including the effect of plug geometry and surface finish quality, for gloss, scratch, haze, clarity, plug mark and material distribution are detailed in the study.