Influence of processing conditions on the thermoformability of PP-sheet material

The quality of semi-finished products, as they are used in thermoforming, highly depends on the raw material used and their processing history. As a consequence, variations in sheet quality are often observed with their influence on processibility and product properties. Currently, there is no standard test for thermoforming sheet materials available, which means it is not possible to accurately predict how a material will behave in thermoforming. This study deals with the prediction of the thermoformability of sheet materials. A novel test method (Thermoforming Material Characterization TMC) to predict thermoformability is presented.