Vaquform's lightweight handlebar allows for one-handed operation whether you're left-handed or right-handed. It locks in place when you lower it creating a perfect seal with minimal effort.
Vaquform was designed to work with 3D printed molds and tools. Its large forming area can accommodate even the largest FDM prints.
Its unique infrared temperature monitoring system and a library of heating presets ensures materials are heated precisely.
An array of durable ceramic heaters has the wattage to heat even thick gauge plastic quickly.
All of Vaquform's built-in intelligence and power can be accessed through a simple-to-use, intuitive interface.
The secret to Vaquforms industril-level power is its patent-pending impeller-piston system that delivers both high airflow and high vacuum pressure. It's 4 times more powerful than a Shop-Vac.
I first experimented with vacuum forming back when I was a design student at the University of the Philippines. Our school was sparsely endowed in...
I first experimented with vacuum forming back when I was a design student at the University of the Philippines. Our school was sparsely endowed in terms of equipment, but oddly,...
Hello, everyone. John here. I'm super excited to introduce my latest project, the Vaquform™. It's a new kind of production tool which will bring true...
Hello, everyone. John here. I'm super excited to introduce my latest project, the Vaquform™. It's a new kind of production tool which will bring true mass-production capability to your desktop....
It's a method for turning plastic sheets into three dimensional shapes. A vacuum forming machine often consists of three elements. a heater for softening plastic, a mold for shaping the melted plastic, and air pressure to press the softened plastic onto the mold.
It depends on what you're trying to achieve. But in most cases, 3D printing and vacuum forming should be considered complementary technologies. 3D printers can print complex shapes, but can only do so slowly. Vacuum forming on the other hand shapes plastic very rapidly, but it requires a mold. A powerful desktop manufacturing workflow could begin with printing a mold on a 3D printer and then loading that mold to a vacuum former for mass production. If you intend to model shapes by hand rather than on the computer, then a Vaquform™ would be more appropriate. If you plan to make highly detailed parts in very limited quantity, then 3D printing might be best. To most shop or maker space setups though a vacuum former is a natural upgrade in capability.
The Kickstarter is scheduled for January of 2017. We will make the announcement through our newsletter. Please add your email to mailing list at the bottom of this page.
We will disclose pricing at an appropriate time. What can say at this point is that we are targeting a price that's equivalent to a mid-range 3D printer. Please sign up to the mailing list below for announcements.
No. Molds can be made by hand from wood, polymer clay, plaster, epoxy, resin or any rigid or semi-rigid material or object.