Thin-Gauge Thermoforming vs. Thick-Gauge Thermoforming

Thermoforming is a highly efficient method of turning big sheets of plastic into the things that we have come to rely in everyday life, from the lids on our soft drinks to the dashboard panels in our cars. When you start looking a little more deeply into thermoforming, the first major distinction to recognize is thin-gauge thermoforming versus thick-gauge thermoforming.

As you might imagine, thin-gauge thermoforming focuses on creating very thin, usually disposal plastic items. These can include things like throwaway plastic cups and those annoying plastic claim shells that no one can open. If you want to get technical, thin-gauge thermoforming usually deals with materials that are less than .060” thickness. Anything thicker than that, and we move into thick-gauge thermoforming.

Thick-gauge thermoforming is used to make all sorts of different plastic components. Take any major machine, like your refrigerator, a jumbo jet, or a piece of industrial equipment and in all likelihood you’ll find multiple plastic parts inside that were made using thick-gauge thermoforming.

Here at Tru-Form Plastics, we specialize in making the thick-gauge thermoforming parts that businesses and people need!