Automotive Thermoforming Company
Setting industry standards for thermoforming plastics in the automotive industry with durable, quality, and timely solutions.
A North Carolina-based Automotive Themoformer Serving the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern US
Advanced Plastiform, Inc. partners with a wide variety of companies in the automotive industry, from vehicle manufacturers to independent parts suppliers, across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. We are a full-service plastics manufacturing center, designing, manufacturing, and delivering our custom plastics from our centrally located North Carolina manufacturing center. With our innovative automotive injection molding and automotive thermoforming techniques, we are able to provide safe, durable plastic components at a low per-unit cost and a fast lead time.
Custom Automotive Thermoforming
Automotive thermoforming is the act of heating a single plastic sheet until it is soft and malleable enough to form or shape around a custom-designed mold or tool.
To ensure the most accurate shape at the lowest cost, we work with you to determine which of the three types of thermoforming is best.
- Vacuum forming: A strong vacuum is inserted between the tool and plastic to suction any air, pulling the plastic more firmly into the mold and creating a defined shape. This is the least expensive and simplest method that's best for less defined shapes like trunk tubs and dashboards.
- Pressure forming: The plastic is fitted to the tool, then blasted with highly pressurized air to press it more firmly against the shape. This requires stronger force than the vacuum, but it's easier to get sharper angles and more intricate detailing.
- Twin sheet forming: While this is the most complex method of automotive thermoforming, it's ideal for cylinders, hollow products, and pieces requiring separate interior components.
Commonly thermoformed automotive parts include:
- Center consoles
- Interior door panels
- Truck bed liners
- Shaped tub for trunks
- Bumper fascias
Why Choose Automotive Thermoforming
Using thermoforming to manufacture automotive parts has two major benefits for our customers - time and cost.
- Time: We design and develop an aluminum 3D mold at the same time we are creating the plastic sheets to be formed. Once everything is ready, we can begin the tooling process which includes molding and forming the components, followed by trimming, applying paint or silk-screening, or coating them as necessary. The process takes around 14 weeks from design to shipping out for delivery.
- Cost: Automotive thermoforming is a relatively inexpensive method to mold plastic components due to the relatively low cost of tooling, especially for annual orders of 3,000 pieces or less.
Why Choose Our Automotive Thermoforming Company
Our customers depend on us because they know we are their partner from start to finish, providing customized and comprehensive service from design to delivery. Our experienced plastics engineering team will sit down with you to create a design and model, taking into account the best materials and method of manufacturing to get the results you need. We will assist with 3D modeling and CAD drawings that we can use to form the prototype. We don't move on to tooling design and manufacturing until you're 100 percent satisfied with the prototype.
Once we have moved to manufacturing, our team works with care and precision to ensure accuracy and consistency through the entire order, and when it's complete they provide any needed customization, trimming, and painting. From there, the components are either assembled as part of our value-added services or are made ready for delivery.
Your Automotive Thermoforming Experts
If you are seeking high-quality, long-lasting plastic products and components for cars, trucks, and other vehicles, reach out to Advanced Plastiform, Inc. Our team of experts is available to help you create the perfect pieces for your vehicle or vehicle parts that add safety, value, and durability to vehicles. We proudly serve seven states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia.
