QUICK START GUIDE

Thermoforming With 3D
Printed Molds
Quick Start Guide
Using 3D printed molds for low-volume thermoforming can reduce costs, shorten lead times, and help
bring better products to market. This guide will walk you through the steps of using 3D printed molds
on your thermoforming machine.

May 2022 | formlabs.com

1. Mold Design
Design the mold for your part in the CAD
software of your choice. Adhere to common
design rules for additive manufacturing
and thermoforming mold design. Design
recommendations specific to polymer 3D
printed molds can be found in the latest
Formlabs Thermoforming white paper.
Upload your design into PreForm, Formlabs’
free print preparation software. Prepare your
print and send it to your Formlabs 3D printer.

2. Mold 3D Printing
Choose a 3D printing material and begin
your print. For thermoforming one-off or
lower quantities of parts: choose Draft Resin
for fast printing of large parts, or Grey Resin
for smaller parts and high surface finish. For
higher volumes and more challenging forming
conditions, Rigid 10K Resin is an ideal choice
as it combines high strength, stiffness, and
thermal resistance.
When possible, it is advised to print the mold
flat, directly on the build platform without any
supports, in order to reduce warpage.
After washing and post-curing, your 3D
printed mold is ready to be integrated into
your thermoforming process.

3. Mold Assembly
Prior to assembly, you may choose to finish the
mold to meet critical dimensions with hand-
sanding, desktop machining or CNC machining.
It is recommended to screw the tool to a
baseboard, made of wood or metal. Tapped
holes can be directly integrated into the model.
Install the baseboard with the mold in your
thermoforming machine.

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4. Sheet Clamping
Clamp the plastic sheet, input the required
settings prescribed by the material
manufacturer, and begin production.

5. Heating
Heat the plastic sheet following the
manufacturer’s recommendations.

6. Forming
A broad range of thermoplastics can be
thermoformed with 3D printed molds such as
HIPS, ABS, PC, PETG, PE, or PP. Read our white
paper to see case studies and test results.

7. Cooling
When using the printed tool for serial
production, we recommend maintaining the
temperature of the mold under 70-80 °C by
increasing cycle time. A thermal camera can
help monitor the mold temperature.
For large molds, cooling channels can be
included in the 3D model to improve cooling.

8. Demolding and Trimming

Demold and trim the part to remove the
excess plastic. Cutlines can be incorporated
into the CAD design.
Apply a release agent for thermoplastics
with high viscosity. Mold releases are widely
available and silicone mold releases, such as
Slide or Sprayon products, are compatible
with Formlabs Resins.

Workflow pictures source: French Industrial Technical Center for Plastics and Composites (IPC)

FORMLABS: Thermoforming With 3D Printed Molds Quick Start Guide 3

 Contact Sales
Contact a Formlabs expert to learn how to implement 3D printing into
your thermoforming workflow.

Contact Sales

North America Sales Inquiries Europe Sales Inquiries International Sales Inquiries
sales@formlabs.com eu-sales@formlabs.com Find a reseller in your region:
617-702-8476 +44 330 027 0040 formlabs.com/find-a-reseller
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