Today’s electronics, consumer items, and custom-manufactured parts require an exact fit, physical protection, and, in some cases, static protection and cleanliness during shipping or handling. From light-gauge trays, blisters, and clamshells (0.010” in thickness) to heavy-duty, deep-drawn totes and pallets (0.500” in thickness), Kiva Container’s capabilities are unmatched by any other thermoformer on a national scale. In addition, our in-house engineering, tooling, and pattern-making services can significantly shorten pre-production sampling and lead times.
Vacuum Forming/Thermoforming Capabilities
At Kiva Container, the thermoforming technique of vacuum forming is among our core competencies. Our capabilities include:
- Manufacturing. We utilize state-of-the-art thermoforming machinery in-house to handle both roll and sheet stock for light- or heavy-gauge forming, transforming solid plastic into complex shapes with precision using vacuum treatments and heat. Our machinery works with roll-fed substrates up to 23″ by 18″ for inline forming or sheet-fed materials in dimensions up to 46″ by 54″.
- Value-added processes. In addition to our manufacturing processes, our team provides an array of value-added services to finish and decorate products before preparing them for packaging. Our value-added processes include die cutting, hot stamping, welding, pad printing, and silk screening.
- Secondary processes. We also provide secondary routing and trimming, electrostatic dissipative (ESD) processes for anti-static packaging, cleaning, and bagging. To better serve you with greater cost-effectiveness and efficiency, we offer in-house design and production services for new dies and tooling.
Material Selection
Our team of forming specialists is experienced in a wide variety of materials to offer versatile, comprehensive manufacturing solutions. Materials we frequently work with include:
- ABS
- Acrylic
- HDPE
- HMWPE
- KYDEX
- PET
- PETG
- Polycarbonate
- Polyethylene
- PVC
- RPET
- S680
- Statrite M809
- Styrene, including conductive styrene
Vacuum Forming Applications
Vacuum forming is essential for fast, precise component production across diverse industries. Some of the industries and applications that rely on vacuum-formed and thermoformed parts are:
- Aerospace
- Automotive, for parts like bumpers, hoods, plates, panels, and more
- Cannabis vacuum thermoforming packaging
- Consumer goods packaging for products like electronics or toiletry items
- Material handling and handling tray components
- Medical, especially for antimicrobial or contamination-resistant components
- Military and defense
- Point-of-purchase (POP) displays and packaging
Thermoforming vs. Injection Molding
Both thermoforming and injection molding are popular processes that can produce cost-effective goods. However, each process is useful for different types of orders. Manufacturers frequently use injection molding, for example, in the high-volume production of small and complex parts. On the other hand, manufacturers prefer thermoforming for short production runs or larger parts and products.
Advantages of Vacuum Forming/Thermoforming
Thermoforming offers several key advantages over other plastic-based manufacturing processes. Some of the benefits of thermoforming include:
- Speed. This production process requires little lead time compared to other options. This is true for both standard orders and for prototypes. Through thermoforming, we can quickly create accurate prototypes for our clients.
- Cost-effectiveness for tooling. A project’s necessary tooling can significantly increase the cost of short production runs or those for new products. Tooling for thermoforming, however, is cheaper than tooling for injection molding.
- Design possibilities. Through vacuum forming and thermoforming, product designers have a greater range of design options. There’s more flexibility for creating both light-gauge and heavy-gauge products of various dimensions, shapes, and levels of complexity.
- Product options. Thermoformed and vacuum-formed products can have a wide variety of different textures and colors. The components respond well to coating treatments, printing, silk screening, and stenciling. At Kiva Container, we offer extensive options so our clients’ products have the aesthetic that best fits your needs.
Custom Thermoforming at Kiva Container
Kiva Container’s ability to convert a wide range of substrates is our answer to an equally diverse product spectrum. Kiva Container has manufactured items as high-end as cosmetic displays for Sebastian, as utilitarian as luggage handling totes for major airports across the nation, and as specialized as technical ESD inserts for cochlear implants manufactured by Advanced Bionics.
Contact us to learn more about our thermoforming and vacuum forming services, or request a quote today to start your order.
Specifications
-
Capabilities
- Die cutting
- Welding
- Pad Printing
- Silk Screening
- Roll Fed Inline Forming (Max Size 23 x 18)
- Sheet Fed Forming (Max Size 46 x 54)
- In House Tooling
- Secondary routing and trimming
- Hot stamping
- In house design to production tooling
- ESD processes
- Cleaning and bagging
-
Materials
- PVC
- Styrene
- PETG
- PET
- RPET
- Conductive Styrene
- Polyethylene
- Acrylic
- Poly Carbonate
- Statrite M809
- S680
- ABS
- HDPE
- HMWPE
- KYDEX