Every day you take advantage of plastic thermoforming in large and small ways. For example, if you were to go into your kitchen and open your silverware drawer, chances are there would be a tray there. If you’re the organized type, that tray probably has 4 or 5 raised partitions to separate spoons, forks knives, and other miscellaneous forms of cutlery. That tray was thermoformed. Sure, unless you are truly passionate about cutlery trays, it’s likely not a major part of your life – but it does make it easier.

If you ever played sports, you probably had to use a cup or a mouth guard at some point. Both products protected you in vital ways, preventing serious and possibly irreparable damage to parts of your body you generally want to remain undamaged. Again, thermoforming is to thank. So, what then is thermoforming?

Thermoforming is a manufacturing process that takes a plastic sheet and heats it so that it is pliable. That sheet is than shaped into a mold and trimmed to create a product. Typically, the plastic sheet or film is heated in an oven first, stretched onto or into a mold, and then cold to produce the finished shape.
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