METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR THERMOFORMING WITH BILLETS

摘要

Methods and systems for producing thermoformed articles from pre -cut thermoformable billets (26) are provided. The system may include a heating apparatus (16) for heating the billets, a billet thermoformer (18) for thermoforming the billet into an article, a discharge system (20) for evacuated the formed articles from the thermoformer, and an inspection system for inspecting each of the formed articles for the presence of a defect. Conveyors (12) and billet carriers (24) are provided for transporting the billets between the various components of the system, and loaders (14) are provided for loading the billets onto the conveyor and/or billet carriers.