Custom Vacuum Forming Services
Heavy-gauge vacuum-formed parts for equipment makers, trimmed on 5-axis CNC in runs of dozens to hundreds, made in Zanesville, Ohio.
- Runs of dozens to hundreds
- 5-axis CNC trimming
- New or transferred tooling
- Made in Zanesville, Ohio
Shirley K’s vacuum forms plastic sheet into covers, housings, enclosures, trays, tubs and panels for OEMs. We build the tool or take over yours, form the part and CNC-trim it for your assembly. We run orders of dozens to hundreds, and we offer finished-goods inventory programs so you don’t have to warehouse a large minimum-order buy.
Custom thermoformed parts
More parts we’ve formed
Vacuum forming at a glance
| What you need to know | Shirley K’s |
|---|---|
| Order size | Dozens to hundreds of parts per order, plus larger runs on rotary machines |
| Tooling | A new tool from your design, your existing tool moved here, or a tool reverse engineered from a sample part |
| Trimming | In-house 5-axis CNC trimming for edges, openings and hole patterns |
| Materials | ABS, Kydex, acrylic, HMW-HDPE, HIPS and PETG |
| Sheet thickness | .080″ to .450″ |
| Extras | Assembly, finished-goods inventory programs and drop ship programs |
| Part size and depth | Send your part’s dimensions and draw depth, and we’ll confirm the fit on our equipment |
| Location | Zanesville, Ohio. We ship across the US |
What we vacuum form
- Equipment and machine covers, including plastic guard panels and access covers
- Enclosures and housings for instruments, controls and equipment
- Under-the-hood fan shrouds in a durable glass-filled material, quoted to your drawing
- Trays and returnable dunnage shaped to the parts they carry
- Tubs, lids, liners and panels
Examples include Kydex case bottoms for handheld radiation survey meters and for medical equipment enclosures, the blue covers on a paper-cushioning packaging machine, and tubs and lids for reusable material handling. See custom enclosures, covers and fan shrouds.
How vacuum forming works
- A plastic sheet is clamped in a frame and heated until it is flexible.
- The sheet is lowered over a single-sided tool, and vacuum pulls it tight against the tool’s shape.
- The part cools, is released from the tool, and is trimmed to its final shape on a CNC router.
Because the tool is single-sided, thermoforming tooling is typically less costly than an injection mold, which is why vacuum forming suits large parts and short runs.
Materials we vacuum form
ABS, Kydex, acrylic, HMW-HDPE, HIPS and PETG. We help you choose the material that fits what matters most for the part, whether that is impact, chemical exposure, cold, weight or appearance. See our thermoforming materials.
HDPE vacuum forming
All the HDPE we thermoform is HMW-HDPE, the material behind our food-handling totes and lugs and our returnable dunnage. We vacuum form it into custom trays, tubs, liners and covers that take repeated handling. See HDPE thermoforming, and heavy gauge thermoforming for the full range of parts.
Short runs and production runs
Quick change-over shuttle machines handle low volumes, and rotary machines run larger volumes. Dozens to hundreds of parts per order is our core work, which suits new products with uncertain demand, bridge production and service parts for older models. See low-volume thermoforming.
New, transferred or rebuilt tooling
- New tool. Send your part design or tool design, and we quote the tool and the parts.
- Your existing tool. If your tool sits at another thermoformer, move it here. See thermoforming tool transfer.
- Only a part. Send the part, and we reverse engineer a new tool from it. See reverse engineering.
Trimming, assembly and inventory programs
5-axis CNC trimming creates the edges, openings and hole patterns that mate your part with other components. We also offer assembly and finished-goods inventory programs. Ask how an inventory program would work for your parts.
Choosing a vacuum forming company
When you compare vacuum forming companies, check the quantities they’ll run, whether they’ll build a tool, take over yours or work from a sample part, whether they trim in-house, which materials they form, and whether they’ll hold inventory for you. The table at the top of this page has our answers. We’re in Zanesville, Ohio; see our Ohio thermoforming page.
Vacuum forming in Ohio for customers across the U.S.
Our plant is at 1150 Newark Road in Zanesville, Ohio, and we make parts for companies throughout the United States. Shirley K’s was spun out of Fabri-Form in 2013. Our parts are proudly manufactured in the USA.
How to get a vacuum forming quote
- A drawing or CAD model, a sample part, or details on your existing tool
- Material, if you know it
- Quantity per order and per year
- Trimming, holes, assembly or other finishing you need
More detail: what to send for a custom thermoforming quote.
Common Questions About Vacuum Forming Services
What is vacuum forming?
Vacuum forming heats a plastic sheet until it is flexible, then uses vacuum to pull it over a single-sided tool. Once the plastic cools, the formed part is trimmed to its final shape. It is one type of thermoforming and suits large parts and short runs because the tooling is simpler and less costly than an injection mold.
What materials can you vacuum form?
We form ABS, Kydex, acrylic, HMW-HDPE, HIPS and PETG, and we help choose the right one for the part.
How many parts can you run?
Dozens to hundreds of parts per order is our specialty. Rotary machines handle larger production volumes.
Can you use a tool from another supplier?
Often, yes. Send the tool details and we check its condition and whether it fits our equipment before planning the move and running first articles for your approval.
Do you only work with companies in Ohio?
No. We are in Zanesville, Ohio and make parts for customers across the United States.
Send us the part you need formed
A drawing, a sample part or your tool is enough for a quote.
Call: (740) 868-8140 · Email: orders@shirleyks.com · 1150 Newark Road, Zanesville, OH 43701