Skyline Plastic Works, Manufacture - Blowing, Pressing & Vacuum Forming

Forming is the process of shaping plastic to the required shape without cutting the plastic and gluing other plastic pieces to it.

The process of Forming plastic is divided in two different types: Blowing and Pressing.

In all two processes the forming takes place after the plastic is heated to make it pliable enough to be shaped as need be.

The difference between each forming process is the way the forming takes place, as explained below:

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The blowing process is very simple and can produce only symmetrical shapes, that is shapes that are the same all round. The process starts by heating the acrylic enough to make it pliable. Once reached such condition, the acrylic is locked on a special table and a strong plate is placed on top of it, having a cut-out in the shape of the required final out-come.

The table on which the acrylic is placed has a hole in the centre through which a controlled air pressure is released (blown). This blown air extends the pliable acrylic, equally up in all directions through the plate cut-out, thus creating a semi-circular dome according to the shape of the cut-out.

The final shape does not have to be exactly circular to use this process but must always be rounded not squarish. This is because the process is controlled from the pressure (blowing) created in the middle of the pliable acrylic.

The Pressing process is also very simple and the total opposite of the Blowing and Vacuum processes. With the Pressing any shape can be produced no matter if the final result will be symmetrical or not..

In order to use this process, two moulds that fits one into the other, commonly known as a female and male moulds, must be produced. These moulds once fitted together must be the exact copy of the finished product and must be made from a heavy-duty material that can withstand heavy pressure and heat.

The process starts by heating the acrylic enough to make it pliable. Once reached such condition, the acrylic is placed on top of the female mould, whilst the male mould is placed on top of it.

Pressure is made on the male mould through which the male mould enters the female mould, pressing in the processes the pliable acrylic inside the two moulds, thus shaping the acrylic in an exact copy of the moulds.

The final shape of the acrylic once it is removed from the moulds is the same as the two moulds fitted together but hollowed, unlike the moulds which are solid.

Two points that must be kept in mind regarding the Pressing process is that fine details are very hard to get in the finished product and very little acrylic material is lost since large shapes and products can be easily manufactured by this method, thus this process is very economical.