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OUR CAPABILITIES

Thermoforming and Extrusion

Streamlining Operations

As the world leader in heavy-gauge thermoforming, Penda offers an unmatched array of thermoforming capabilities to meet an increasingly wide array of customer challenges. By applying lean processes, unique work cells and other smart approaches, we’re doing it more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever.

Every Penda project is supported by collaborative engineering, refined processes, and a wide range of value-added capabilities to provide a system solution you can count on.

THERMOFORMING ADVANTAGES

Thermoforming, a fabrication process that involves heating a plastic sheet and forming it over a mold, offering a variety of advantages over other materials and processes:

  • Lower tooling costs
  • Lower prototyping costs
  • Lower part weight
  • Lower material costs
  • Larger parts
  • Faster time to market
  • Fewer VOCs
  • Better surface quality
  • Greater flexibility to modify designs

Penda’s design and engineering experts are ready to help you achieve these advantages through a material conversion to thermoformed plastics.

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

Penda’s wide array of heavy-gauge thermoforming technologies and techniques accommodate an increasingly wide range of customer needs.

A process involving vacuum and pressure forming of two plastic sheets simultaneously by using opposing molds and welding the two halves together while they are still quasi-molten. The result is a hollow finished piece which looks like an enclosure. Advantages include:

  • Tight dimensional specs rivaling injection molding
  • Intricate detail on outer part surface
  • Materials of the two half parts optimized for weight and performance
  • Enhanced structural performance
A process involving twin sheet thermoforming around a rigid core such as aluminum honeycomb or foam to form a composite structure. Advantages include:

  • A rigid core with the attractive outer appearance of a twin sheet part
  • Cores can be designed with hardware attachment points and significant structural integrity
  • Polyurethane foam injected into the thermoformed part to provide dimensional integrity and stiffness

Extrusion

What do Penda’s extensive extrusion capabilities mean to you?

Because we produce our own sheet, you benefit from reduced product lead time and maximized product quality and cost-efficiency.

In-house extrusion is a vital component of the comprehensive solutions we deliver as the world leader in heavy-gauge thermoforming. When you work with us, you gain a partner who takes responsibility for all aspects of production – from buying resin to a complete, fully assembled product.

EQUIPMENT AND EXPERTISE

  • HDPE, TPO and glass filled polypropylene and acrylic co-extrusion
  • Polyolefins and engineered plastics extrusion
  • Anti-slip, anti-stat, smooth or grained sheets
  • Many color options, solid, capped and laminated films

FINISHING AND ASSEMBLY

Looking for the added value that can shorten your supply chain and reduce your costs? With extensive experience with technical & complex assemblies, you’ve come to the right place.

We are proud to partner with key supplier partners whose expertise in other manufacturing disciplines runs further. These value-added strategic partnerships make Penda your sole supplier for complete solutions.

THE PROCESS

Facility Overview

See our production team in action in this short clip featuring the extrusion process and a sample of the bedliner manufacturing process.