APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMING COMPLEX-SHAPED COMPONENTS IN A HEATED POLYMERIC FILM

摘要

A thin-walled polymeric component (50) that may have a selected complex shape, and a method of forming the component (50). The method includes heating a portion of a polymeric film (68) to a selected malleable temperature, and forming a protrusion (80) in the heated portion while it is malleable. The protrusion (80) defines a protrusion (80) having a first shape. The method also includes positioning a forming tool (74) in the protrusion's interior and drawing a partial vacuum from within the protrusion (70) so as to exert a force on the protrusion (80) and move the protrusion's sidewalls inwardly into engagement with the forming tool (74). As the partial vacuum is drawn, the protrusion (80) moves to a second shape that may be different than the first shape and that closely conforms to the selected shape of the forming tool (74). The protrusion (80) is cooled below the malleable temperature and the forming tool (74) is then removed. The distal portion (84) of the protrusion (80) having the selected shape forms the polymeric component (50) and that distal portion (84) is separated from the remaining portion of the protrusion (80), thereby providing the thin-walled polymeric component (50).