Masks are just one of the things that you can produce using Vaquform. We had a good dose of mask-filled fun at the 2018 Mask Fest held at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana.
So, how exactly does Vaquform makes masks?
You start with a plastic sheet and place it on the 9 x 12″ forming area. Then, you press the plastic down onto the object that you'd like to make a mold of. While this is happening the vacuum mechanism sucks down the heated sheet of plastic to capture the exact details of the object.
Vaquform's hybrid vacuum operates in two-stages:
Stage 1 - A high speed impeller draws air out quickly from the heated plastic sheet that is placed over the chosen object. It tops out at -20kPa of pressure like a household vacuum cleaner.
Stage 2 - It squeezes out the remaining air at 4X times the pressure (-85kPa) pulling the plastic tightly into corners and small details.
Vaquform has a Infrared (IR) probe that monitors the the temperature of the heated plastic so it's always just at the right temperature. That said, it is easy to manufacture several realistic-looking masks using Vaquform. This was precisely what we showcased at the Mask Fest.