SPE Announces Winners of Thermoforming Parts Competition
More than 30 parts submitted for annual contest at SPE thermoforming conference.
The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has announced the winners of the annual parts competition.
The awards were presented during the Thermoforming Division’s annual conference, held earlier this month in Atlanta. They were presented in 20 categories as well as in a student parts competition. The Peoples’ Choice competition resulted in a tie and the award was presented to two companies.
The categories and winners are:
â— Peoples’ Choice: , Twin Lakes, Wis., for a mobile light tower enclosure, and Plastitel, Chazy, N.Y. for the “pods,” used for the Stryker Isolibrium bed.
The Allied part is a twoâ€piece enclosure that houses the engine and fuel tank for a mobile light tower. The material is a high flexural modulus TPO with varying color combinations. A starting thickness of 0.275-in. is used for the front enclosure and 0.325-in, used for the rear.
Parts are produced from waterâ€cooled, cast aluminum production molds. The molds were castâ€oversized, then 100% CNC machined to the customer supplied CAD data. Part orientation on the tool was very critical, as depth of draw versus multiple potential undercut features needed to be addressed. The parts had to be designed with structure, as the plastic enclosures replaced a metal housing. A metal frame was incorporated into the design to help reinforce the new TPO housing.
The new tough, durable shell eliminates the need for painting and is corrosion proof. The TPO housing offers a weight savings when compared to the metal housing that is replaced.
The Plastitel part is a vacuum formed component for the most recent technology offered for patient care in the medical industry. The pod`s role is critical to the success of the 2015 Stryker IsoLibrium Bed (as the main support surface).
The pods are divide into 4 sections individually controlled to maintain the correct pressure needed for the patient. They help the mobility of the patients ensuring regular movement while they are in the bed helping some vital organs function. The pods also help reduce bed sores and improve circulation.
Two major challenges are ensuring a minimum thickness on every individual pod and accurately measuring them. Every vacuumed part is subjected to vigorous inspection.
Material is a custom color blue TPU with a matte finish. The part size is 58 in.x
28 in. x 6 in. with a total of 69 individual pods.
The component is assembled and tested on site prior to shipping to OEM. Custom packaging was design inhouse specifically for the component to ensure its integrity during shipping. The reusable thermoformed cases are disassemble and shipped back to be reused eliminating packaging waste.
â— Roll-Fed Consumer-Gold. , Altona, Manitoba (Canada) for the Gillette Venus Swirl.
This project is the first printed and formed blister packaging with think4D technology to be heatâ€sealed in a fully automated environment.
Production challenges include the need for very tight tolerances on every packaging component and custom ink formulations to withstand the stresses of the 400 F heatâ€sealing process without splitting or cracking. Heatâ€sealing flat lids to an arched surface is very challenging and traditionally has higher scrap rates.
This was solved by think4D using their innovative packâ€out system. The multiâ€dimensional lids are packed hot right off the thermoforming line onto thermoformed
packing trays and residual heat maintains the desired arc required; resulting in packagingâ€line efficiencies, reducing scrap rate while increasing line speeds.
â— Roll Fed Consumer–Silver. Madison, Wis., for the Gillette Fusion ProGlide with FlexBall.
In order to allow easy, no scissors required access to the product without risk of injury to the consumer, a 360° perforation was created around the periphery of a thermoformed PET blister, which is then heatâ€sealed to a paperboard insert.
A pull tab, embossed with an arrow at the top of the blister, indicates for it to be pulled downward by the consumer. Using one fluid motion, the consumer can easily separate the blister along the perforations allowing the razor to be easily accessed. Perforations outlining the periphery of the package required complex tooling. The difficulty of perforation tearing was controlled by adjusting stop blocks and changing the height in the tool allowing for the perfect blend of easy (for consumer satisfaction), but not too easy (to ensure product protection) perforated slitting. The ease of opening was designed to extend aroundthe perimeter of the package to allow the blister lid to be smoothly and completely “peeled” off from the bamboo base.
â— Roll-Fed Food–Gold. , Cross Plains, Wis., for the Sargento two- compartment, yin yang tray design. This thermoformed two-compartment tray holds a healthy snack that keeps the ingredients fresh and prevent unwanted mixing of the items.