Emma Hockley, Big Bear Plastics, Thermoforming and Materials

1. Thermoforming

2. Overview
Big Bear specialise in the production
manufacture of large and medium-
sized thermoformed parts in single-
sheet, twin-sheet and pressure
forming technology.

3. Moulding
UK’s largest single and twin sheet
rotary moulding machines -
up to 3.5m x 2.5m x 1.2m.

4. Moulding

5. Machining and Trimming

6. Assembly, Clean & Pack, Delivery

7. Material Selection
Big Bear has experience with a
wide variety of thermo-plastic
materials enabling us to advise
customers on the best material
selection for their product.

8. Airline Seat Backs

9. Concept and Styling
.

10. Big Bear

11. History of Thermoforming

12. Twin Sheet

13. Advantages / Disadvantages
Disadvantages:
• Higher production part costs compared to injection
moulding due to sheet extrusion, trimming and trim
waste.
• Trim waste can be granulated and re extruded.

14. Advantages / Disadvantages
Advantages:
• Low tooling costs compared to injection or
compression moulding or processes.
• Tooling can be tailored to type & volume of parts
required.
• Ability to mould different thicknesses, colours & types
of materials when developing products.

15. Advantages / Disadvantages
Advantages continued!
• Ability to try different techniques at development
stage before committing to production tooling.
• Ability to mould very large parts which are very
difficult and expensive to produce with other
moulding processes.

16. Tools for Vacuum-Forming
• Quick to produce vs. higher volume applications e.g.
steel tooling for injection moulding.
• Timber, MDF & Ureol can be used for very low volume,
prototype / development parts.
• For higher volumes, temperature controlled aluminium
tools are ideal.

17. Thermoforming Applications

18. Applications

19. Applications

20. Applications

21. ABS

22. Foil-Laminated ABS

23. PMMA - ABS

24. Polyolefins
• HDPE
• MDPE
• PP
• TPE

25. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

26. Bearex Bumpers

27. Bearex Bumpers

28. Warwick Sub

29. Warwick Sub

30. Warwick Sub
Innovation Award – 1st Place

31. Warwick Sub
“…The collaboration with the specialists at Big Bear
has been hugely beneficial and successful. To very
tight time constraints, a student-designed, complex
hydrodynamic nose-cone has been produced,
overcoming significant manufacturing difficulties to
produce an excellent result…”
Dr Ian Tuersley, Project Director

32. Anti-Microbial Materials

33. Bio-Plastics