two dimension forming

TWO DIMENSION FORMING

Strip Heat Bending

The simplest method of forming Chemcast® GP along a straight line is to use a strip heater, which heats the Chemcast® GP to forming temperature so that it can be formed along that line. The method lends itself to the rapid production of simple boxes, bill clips, and similar items, but is generally limited to straight line bends. The process is usually used for small parts where the length of the bend is relatively short. Long bends (over 24") tend to bow.

The Chemcast® GP, unmasked along the bend line, is placed over the heating element and allowed to remain until it softens. After heating, the Chemcast® GP should be bent to the required shape quickly and held, usually in a jig, until cool. In production, a number of strip heaters and jigs can be arranged so as to make several folds in one operation.

Sharper, straighter bends can be made by strip heating if a 90° groove for right angle bends is machined along the bend line on what will be the inside of the formed part before heating.

Drape Forming

Drape forming is used for all other two dimension shapes and for mild three dimensional shapes.

After heating to the proper temperature, the Chemcast® GP sheet should be removed from the oven and carefully draped over the form. The edges of the sheet will tend to curl away from the form and should be held against the form by a clamping ring or rubber bands until the part is cool. Most uniform cooling and best contour tolerances can be obtained if the parts are covered with a soft blanket or flocked rubber sheet and allowed to cool slowly. This is most important when close contour tolerances and good optical properties are required in a thick Chemcast® GP part.

Forming Methods