Virginia Injection Molding and Thermoforming

Advanced Plastiform, Inc. serves clients across Virginia, including Richmond, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Arlington, and Virginia Beach, providing durable plastics through our thermoforming and injection molding manufacturing process.

Industries across Virginia rely on us to manufacture quality, durable plastics that are customized to meet their needs. Using only the best materials and innovative practices in our 250,000 square foot thermoforming and injection molding facility, our clients know that we provide fast lead times and low per-unit pricing without sacrificing accuracy, quality, and attention to detail.

Virginia Injection Molding

Injection molding is often used to produce small parts or plastic pieces that have variable thickness or complex detailing. The basic process involves melting down plastic pellets to a liquid and using a high-pressure injection tool to force the plastic into the mold. Once the plastic is set and cooled, it’s generally ready for use unless further customization is needed.

While this sounds simple, injection molding in Virginia is a complex process in which we have to create a prototype, construct a double-sided mold using steel, copper alloy, or heavy-gauge aluminum, and create an injection tool. This initial start-up process leads to longer lead times and higher initial cost, but because this is a one-time process, it’s a cost-effective method of manufacture for high-volume projects or repeat orders.

Thermoforming Plastics in Virginia

Many of our clients’ orders can be completed through thermoforming, an efficient, lower-cost process of manufacturing custom plastics. Like injection molding, we create a prototype and a custom mold, but the mold is single-sided. Also, because we can use lower pressure to form the plastics, we can use less expensive aluminum to achieve the best result. Once the tool is designed, we shape heated plastic around the tool to create the custom shape.

Thermoforming is the preferred method to make large plastic pieces, like vehicle trunk tubs, shipping trays, and dashboards. To get the best results for our clients, we use three different thermoforming techniques at our API manufacturing center.

Vacuum Forming

Vacuum forming is the simplest way to thermoform plastics, making it an affordable option for our Virginia customers. While it’s not used for plastics that require intricate details or sharply defined corners, it works well for trays, refrigerator liners, and some types of shelving. To create these pieces, the plastic sheets are heated, shaped around the customized tool, and a vacuum is inserted to remove all the air from between the plastic and the tool, creating a more accurate fit.

Pressure Forming

Pressure forming is more precise and advanced, and is often used as an alternative to injection molding and for pieces that require sharp corners, smooth textures, and more advanced detailing, such as medical supplies and phones. In this process, we heat the plastic, and shape it around the heated tool. From there, we use highly pressurized air to push the plastic against the mold.

Twin Sheet Forming

We use twin sheet forming to create hollow or double walled plastics, such as bed liners, air ducts, and chutes. This is a highly-involved thermoforming process that requires perfection in order to get the end piece correct. We heat two sheets of plastic and shape them simultaneously, then we fuse them together, and for them to line up correctly, the process must be in perfect sync while the pieces are in total alignment.

Thermoforming for Virginia Industries

We serve clients in a number of industries across Virginia because our customers know we offer the quick lead times and low costs to best serve the businesses, but more importantly, we only use the best quality materials and advanced techniques. The result is a high-quality product that is customized to meet our clients’ exact expectations.

Automotive

We have extensive experience in automotive part thermoforming and injection molding, and work with both vehicle manufacturers directly and independent and third party parts suppliers. From thermoforming trunk tubs and door consoles to using injection molding to create small knobs and internal components, our automotive industry clients depend on us for durable, long-lasting plastics.

Construction

Like the automotive industry, the farm and construction equipment and parts manufacturers in Virginia come to us for construction equipment part thermoforming. We understand the rigors of agriculture and construction and make sure that the materials we use and the design we implement are able to stand up to the tests of heavy equipment usage.

Transportation

For 18-wheelers, city buses, and other forms of commercial transportation, we utilize transportation part thermoforming to design and produce air ducts, storage units, and seat frames. These vehicles have to comply with strict regulations that change frequently, making our thermoforming processes a cost-effective option.

Recreational

As part of our expertise related to making plastics for vehicles, we also work with manufacturers and parts suppliers for RVs and ATVs. We know that these vehicles require durability as they are used for off-road use and adverse conditions, so as part of our recreational vehicle part thermoforming, we take care to ensure durability with our strongest materials and detailed craftsmanship.

Furniture

From acrylic table tops to office chair frames, we use furniture part thermoforming to create sturdy furniture for distributors and designers. Each piece has the structural integrity necessary to hold up to both residential and commercial conditions while we offer the customization options to tint, paint, and add texture to align with preferred design elements.

Materials Handling

Our materials handling thermoforming process helps you improve your logistics operations by providing you with the chutes, shelving, and storage options necessary to keep your materials safe during storage, transfer, and shipping from your Virginia warehouse or distribution center.

Shipping Trays

Our shipping tray thermoforming also helps you improve your logistics operations by providing you with large trays and pallets needed to move and transfer products safely and efficiently.

Medical

We work with clients in the medical industry across Virginia, designing and thermoforming medical supplies that are in compliance with strict regulations. We create packaging, equipment components, trays, and more, and are able to provide the necessary customizations to ensure safety and quality.

Refrigeration

Commercial refrigeration thermoforming involves creating heavy-duty plastic pieces to be used as refrigerator and freezer liners, shelving, and drawers. We understand that the heavy use combined with temperature and moisture extremes require specific customization and material use to ensure durability and moisture resistance.

Telecommunications

Telecommunication companies in Virginia reach out to us for telecommunication part thermoforming in order to provide the plastic organization components that keep data networks and communication networks neatly organized and easy to maintain, update, and repair.

Water Filtration

Our filtration system thermoforming allows us to produce large air and water filter modules used in water treatment facilities and commercial air and water filters used in large buildings such as hospitals, schools, and offices. While some of these modules measure over 30 feet long, Virginia filtration companies come to us, knowing we have the capability to create these massive structures.

Plastics and Polymers Used in Virginia Thermoforming

We use high-quality, durable plastics in our thermoforming processes, and our large variety of on-hand plastics allow us to choose the best option for our clients’ needs.

Acrylic

When glass isn’t the right option, acrylic is an excellent replacement because it’s impact-resistant, transparent, and durable. It’s often used for signs, windows, and screens on electronic devices.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is widely used both for injection molding and thermoforming due to its low melting point and resistance to corrosion and impact. It’s often used for vehicle interiors and drain and sewage pipes.

High Molecular Weight Polyethyene (HMWPE)

HMWPE offers a smooth, durable surface with a low friction and abrasion resistance. It’s often used in materials handling and shipping trays to keep products sliding smoothly across surfaces or to protect them from damage during transport.

High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)

HIPS is lightweight, versatile, and inexpensive, that’s also simple to customize, fabricate, and thermoform. While it’s not as heavy-duty as ABS, it’s FDA approved for food packaging and storage.

Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO)

TPO is blended with rubber, making it sun and climate resistant. Because it won’t fade, expand, or contract, it’s used in outdoor items, such as lawn furniture.

Polypropylene (PP)

Because it’s flexible and doesn’t leach chemicals, polypropylene is commonly used to make food packaging like yogurt containers, and it’s also used for snaps, closures, and hinges.

Polycarbonate (PC)

Polycarbonate is transparent and impact resistant, it’s commonly used for eyeglass and sunglass lenses.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

PVC is lightweight, inexpensive, and durable, making this a preferred plastic for a wide variety of consumer and construction products, including pipes, window frames, and even shower curtains.

Contact Us for Virginia Thermoforming and Injection Molding

Advanced Plastiform, Inc. serves clients across Virginia, including Richmond, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Arlington, and Virginia Beach, providing durable plastics through our thermoforming and injection molding manufacturing process. We’ll work with you from concept to delivery to ensure you’re receiving the exact plastics necessary for your needs. Call us at  919-404-2080 or fill out the contact form to get started.

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