[SCzEngrgGroup]

I needed a vacuum former to make the housings for the milling machine ATCs I sell. After using a Formech machine for several months at a local TechShop, I built my own machine using, mostly, scrap material that was given to me by a friend, and things I had laying around. About the only things I had to buy were the heaters, PID controllers, and plumbing.

Here is a thread with details on the build: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/novako...mo-former.html

It works absolutely PERFECTLY - FAR better than I ever dared hope, and FAR better than even the Formech commercial machine I used to use! I use 1/8" ABS, in 24"x24" sheets. The entire sheet heats to an almost perfectly even temperature in under 4 minutes, and forming takes only seconds, with perfect pull-down. Results are absolutely 100% consistent and repeatable, which was not the case with the Formech. The only things I plan to change at some point are really minor some touch-ups (mostly in my crappy welds in the plastic "frame", stronger air cylinders (to ensure solid sealing), perhaps add penumatic clamps for the plastic, to speed loading and unloading, and ,eventually, perhaps automating the whole heat/form/cool cycle, making forming a single-button-push affair. But, for now, I am absolutely thrilled with the results.

Regards,
Ray L.

[asuratman]

Do you have any video?

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Do you have any video?

I don't yet, only because I work alone, and can't operate the machine and a camera at the same time. I will do one at some point...

Regards,
Ray L.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Here is a link to a short video of the machine in action: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/novako...ml#post2087998

Regards,
Ray L.