The process of heating and reshaping plastics sheet and film materials has been in use since the beginning of the plastics industry. This process is known as thermoforming. Today this process is used for industrial products including signage, housings, and hot tubs. It also produces much of the packaging in use today including blister packs, egg cartons, and food storage containers. This process has many advantages over other methods of producing these products, but it has some limitations. This book has a twofold purpose. It is designed to be used as a text book for a course on thermoforming. It is also intended to be an application guide for professionals in the field of thermoforming including manufacturing, process and quality engineers, and managers. This book is focused on process application rather than theory. It refers to real products and processes with the intent of understanding the real issues faced in this industry. In addition to materials and processes, part and tool design are covered. Quality control is critical to any operation and this is also covered in this text. Two areas of focus in today's industry include Lean operations and environmental issues. Both of these topics are also included. Table of Contents: Introduction / Plastics Materials / Thermoforming Process Overview / The Forming Process / Part Design Mold / Tool Design / Quality Control Issues / Lean Operations / Environmental Issues

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Dr. Peter W. Klein is Chair of the Department of Industrial Technology in the Russ College of Engineering & Technology at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He has been a faculty member since 1990 and has been responsible for the development and teaching of a variety of courses including: Industrial Plastics, Plastics Forming & Fabrication, Plastics Molding Processes, Quality Assurance, Introduction to Manufacturing, Introduction to Manufacturing Processes, and Product Manufacturing. He has also taught Operations Management for the College of Business at the undergraduate, graduate, executive MBA, and international MBA levels. Prior to joining the faculty at Ohio University he held various management positions in the manufacturing operations areas within Hewlett Packard, IBM, and AMPEX corporations. He began developing and teaching classes in plastics processing in 1975 at Colorado State University. He has authored numerous publications in the areas of plastics processing, operations management, and quality assurance. He regularly makes presentations on these topics at national and international conferences. He is a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Association of Rotational Molders International, American Society of Engineering Educators, and the National Association of Industrial Technology.