Not so long ago, 3D printing and thermoforming were only used in industrial environments. Now, however, they are much more common and accessible to all designers, engineers, and manufacturers. When used together, the technologies can complement one another, adding more value than when used individually. They also share many of the same benefits.

Benefits of thermoforming

Below are a few of the benefits of thermoforming:

• Affordability. For prototyping, tooling, and small production runs, thermoforming techniques such as vacuum forming or pressure forming are often less costly than processes such as injection molding. This is because thermoforming brings with it a lower tooling cost.
• Speed. Thermoforming features a faster turnaround time than traditional manufacturing methods such as injection molding or CNC.
• Flexibility. Because it is often cheaper and faster, thermoforming enables designers, engineers, and manufacturers to more efficiently manufacture and test prototypes – especially because tools can be made of 3D printed or easily modified materials such as wood.
• Materials with unique properties. Thermoforming technology can be used with materials featuring unique properties such as flexibility and transparency. Additionally, certain plastic materials – such as high-density polyethylene – can be sterilized, and therefore suitable for containers used in the food and beverage industry.

Benefits of 3D printing

While many types of 3D printers are compatible with thermoforming processes, the most popular are FDM, SLA, and SLS. Below are a few of the benefits of using 3D printing technology in your workflow:

• Flexibility. 3D printing enables you to manufacture what you need, when you need it. This is ideal in thermoforming, as there are no minimum manufacturing quantities or order size.
• Cost efficacy. 3D printing is often cheaper than traditional manufacturing methods, giving you room to test and retest before committing to a final design. This is especially helpful when printing thermoforming tools, where prototyping is key to success.
• Good mechanical properties. Properties such as strength and temperature-resistance that are well-suited to the creation of thermoforming tools – as they need to withstand high levels of both heat and pressure.
• Complex designs. 3D printing allows for the efficient creation of complex and customized designs that are built for highly specific tasks
• Less waste. When compared to subtractive manufacturing methods, additive manufacturing only uses the amount of material that is needed, resulting in less waste and in parts that are lighter and more suited to specific purposes.