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

Autorentext

Peter W. Klein, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Engineering Technology and Management at Russ College of Engineering and Technology at Ohio University. Dr. Klein developed and taught a variety of courses including: Plastics Forming and Fabricating, Industrial Plastics, Plastics Molding Processes, Composites, Quality Assurance, and Introduction to Manufacturing Processes. He also taught Operations Management for the College of Business at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive MBA levels. Prior to joining the faculty at Ohio University in 1990, he held various management positions in the manufacturing operations areas at Hewlett Packard, IBM, and AMPEX Corp. Dr. Klein has authored numerous publications in the areas of plastics processing, operations management, and quality assurance. Michael Kennedy, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Management at Ohio University. His M.S. thesis in Mechanical Engineering focused on composites. He continues to study plastics materials and processes.

Inhalt
Introduction.- Plastics Materials.- Thermoforming Process Overview.- The Forming Process.- Part Design Mold.- Tool Design.- Quality Control Issues.- Lean Operations.- Environmental Issues.