Heavy Gauge Thermoforming — Shirley K’s
Heavy-gauge thermoforming for large, durable, structural plastic parts that injection molding can’t reach affordably.
Heavy Gauge Thermoforming for Industrial OEM Applications
Heavy-gauge thermoforming produces thick, rigid plastic parts designed for repeated use in demanding industrial environments. Shirley K’s specializes in heavy-gauge thermoforming for OEM manufacturers — with in-house CNC trimming and short-run capability.
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Heavy gauge thermoforming example
WHAT IS HEAVY GAUGE THERMOFORMING?
Heavy-gauge thermoforming uses thicker plastic sheet material to produce rigid, structural plastic parts — as opposed to thin-gauge thermoforming used for disposable packaging. Heavy-gauge parts are typically stronger, thicker, and designed for repeated use or long service life.
Typical applications: industrial trays, enclosures and covers, OEM equipment components, returnable dunnage, large structural plastic parts.
SHIRLEY K’S HEAVY-GAUGE CAPABILITIES
- Short-run specialization: dozens to hundreds of units per order
- In-house CNC trimming: precision trimming and hole locations to mate up with other components
- Tool transfer: receive your existing heavy-gauge tool and resume production. Ideal for aftermarket parts manufacturing.
- Reverse engineering: build a new tool from a physical part sample
- Productive rotary equipment for large runs (thousands per order)
- Materials: HDPE, ABS, HIPS, PETG, Kydex, Acrylic, and PC
- Part thickness gauge range from 0.080″ to 0.450″
RELATED
- Custom Thermoforming Overview
- Low Volume Thermoforming
- Heavy Gauge vs Thin Gauge Guide
- Thermoforming Materials
- Part Design & Development
- Material Handling Totes
Common Questions About Heavy Gauge Thermoforming
What counts as heavy gauge thermoforming?
Heavy gauge thermoforming uses pre-cut plastic sheet formed one part at a time, as opposed to thin gauge material fed continuously from a roll. The distinction is less about an exact thickness cutoff than about how material is handled and how parts are produced.
What products are typically heavy gauge thermoformed?
Common examples include equipment enclosures, machine covers and guards, kiosk and cabinet panels, material handling containers, reusable shipping trays, and structural components that would be expensive to injection mold at moderate volumes.
How does heavy gauge thermoforming compare to sheet metal fabrication?
Formed plastic is lighter than equivalent sheet metal, does not corrode, and can integrate curves and contours that would require multiple bends or weldments in metal. Metal generally retains an advantage in stiffness per unit thickness and in high-temperature service.
What is twin sheet thermoforming?
Twin sheet thermoforming heats and forms two sheets simultaneously and fuses them together at the perimeter and at designed contact points. The result is a hollow, double-walled part with greater rigidity than a single formed sheet of similar weight.