As one of the largest thermoformers in North America, we’ve spent years refining processes, implementing new technologies, and developing a deep-bench of supplier partnerships to create a vast array of custom thermoformed products and assemblies. These new processes, technologies and partnerships enable our team to apply their capabilities and years’ worth of experience to deliver high quality solutions at completive costs.
When it comes to these value-added capabilities, we specialize in the following areas:
- Engineering and Design
- Thermoforming and Extrusion
- Finishing and Assembly
- Procurement of a Wide-range of Components Including Steel, Aluminum Sub-Components and Injection or Other Plastic Components
- Materials Selection, Conversion, and Processing
In this article, we’ll dive into these specific areas to highlight the unique capabilities we have as one of the top thermoforming manufacturers.
Engineering and Design Capabilities
Our expertise in the areas of engineering and design is fundamental to providing advanced solutions for our customers. When you work with Penda, you take advantage of over 25 years of product and thermoforming design. We work hard to overcome your most challenging requirements by leveraging a variety of advanced tools and systems. Some of the design tools that we utilize are:
- Siemens NX CAD, 3D Modeling and Design
- Siemens Advanced Simulation (Nastran) FEA/CAE
- Siemens I-DEAS 3D Modeling and Design
- Dassault Systemes CATIA V5 3D Modeling and Design
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks 3D Modeling and Design
- PTC Creo (PRO-E) 3D Modeling and Design
- AutoDesk Inventor and AutoCAD 3D/2D Modeling and Design
- Accuform T-Sim thermoforming and Blow-Molding simulation/optimization
- STEP & IGES translations to/from any CAD/CAM software
- Multi-axis Digital Scanning and Layout
- CMM Multi-axis Layout
- 3-Axis CNC Milling / 5-Axis Router
- Virtual Reality tools
Through the use of these tools, our engineers produce various design outputs that include multiple OEM Tier-1 TeamCenter-Integration Direct-Connections, connections through secure cloud-based file-exchange, color imaging 3D renderings, ANSI/ISO standard drawings, multimedia printing, 3D printing, and more!
Another key component of our capabilities in engineering and design is our ability to perform rapid prototyping. By combining our engineering skillset with extensive in-house tooling facilities, we can go from concept drawings to producing prototypes like no one else. This gives our customers the advantage of reviewing fit and function to ensure that materials, processes, and parts are just right before investing in hard tooling.
One of the final areas in engineering and design that allows us to excel as a plastics manufacturer is Studio 540. Studio 540 is our internal team of industrial designers that develop some of the most cutting-edge automotive solutions for custom OEM applications. In addition to using a lot of the tools talked about before, Studio 540 incorporates virtual reality technology to showcase and implement the designs they make.
Thermoforming and Extrusion Capabilities
The next area that we specialize in is thermoforming and extrusion. At Penda, we offer an unmatched array of thermoforming technologies and techniques to meet an increasingly wide range of customer needs. By applying lean processes, unique work cells, and other smart approaches, we can do everything more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever. Some of the advantages that thermoforming offers are lower costs for tooling, prototypes, and materials. The manufacturing process also allows us to produce high quality, large components when needed. These advantages couldn’t be possible without our advanced thermoforming techniques which involve twin-sheet thermoforming and twin-sheet composite thermoforming. Making use of these processes helps us create solutions that are optimized for weight, structural performance, and overall quality.
When it comes to extrusion, our capabilities our second-to-none. Because we produce our own plastic sheets, you benefit from reduced product lead time, maximized product quality, and cost-efficiency. Our equipment and extrusion expertise lie in these areas:
- 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 Capabilities
Finishing and assembly services are another capability that we possess as one of the largest thermoformers. With our experience in technical and complex assemblies, you’ll quickly find value-added benefits and reduced costs when choosing us as a manufacturer. We fully assemble our manufactured components with purchased components for complete assembly and can ship them directly to you. Our strategic partnerships with other key suppliers that hold expertise in other manufacturing disciplines equips us with a vast range of knowledge that makes Penda your sole supplier for complete solutions.
At Penda, our facilities are equipped with specialized fixtures and gauges that maximize the precision of each component we produce. By combining these tools with our supplemental part integration and assembly process, we stay at the top of our game when it comes to quality and efficiency. Some of the key benefits that come with choosing us are:
- Multi-component integration
- Vendor Management
- Line Sequencing
- Full assemblies for turnkey solutions
- Subassemblies for simplified product integration
- Fixtures to expedite alignment
- Gauges to confirm exact locations of critical components
- Domestic & global sourcing
- Freight distribution cost reduction
Materials Capabilities
The final area that we specialize in as a manufacturer is our expertise in materials selection and conversion. The primary materials we use are HDPE, TPO, and TPR resins. However, we’re not limited to these. Over the years, we have worked with numerous engineered plastics including ABS and many, many more.
At our facilities, we have five large extruders with co-extrusion capabilities to produce the sheets of plastic we use for production. The main colors we process are black, grey, and tan, but we have the abilities to process any color your custom project requires.
Our proven record of success with helping customers reduce material and tooling costs through material conversion helps deliver a range of advantages. Among the other benefits that working with Penda brings, our material conversion benefits include:
- Reduced part weight
- Enhanced structural integrity
- Easier, less expensive tooling
- Recyclable and recycled materials
- Numerous secondary finishing requirements
With over 30 years of experience in thermoformed products and solutions, we have the process knowledge to optimize performance of leading-edge materials. You have set requirements and costs, and we have the capabilities to customize these solutions to exceed your expectations.
If you’re interested in learning more about our capabilities or want to start the process of developing a new custom thermoformed solution, contact our dedicated team to receive a custom quote.