Heavy-Gauge Thermoforming
Plastic housings.
Modest volumes.
Within reach.
A manufacturing route for housings, covers and panels at low-to-medium volumes — without paying for a costly injection mold first.
About 3,000 pcs a yearNo-tooling-cost plan
Eligibility confirmed per project
- Wall thickness
- 6–15mm Thicker than thin-gauge, stiff like molded parts
- Tooling
- A fraction of injection A low entry point, even for large housings
- In-house flow
- Mold→Form→Cut-outs→Trim Our own CNCs, fast revisions
Making a housing?
There is a third way.
Thin-gauge forming is too thin; injection molds cost too much. Heavy-gauge thermoforming shapes 6–15 mm sheet into parts with the stiffness and feel of molded ones, for a fraction of the tooling.
| Thin-gauge thermoforming | Heavy-gauge thermoforming | Injection molding | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall thickness | ≤ 5 mm | 6–15 mm | Per design |
| Typical parts | Packaging trays, liners | Housings, covers, panels | Small precision parts, high-volume housings |
| Tooling | Low | Low — under a tenth of injection | High, especially for large housings |
| Tooling lead time | Short | About 1–3 weeks | About 6–10 weeks |
| Annual volume | High volume | Hundreds to thousands | 10,000+ |
| Appearance | One side | Clean formed face; texture or paint | Both sides finished |
General guidance; confirmed against your drawings and structure.
Modest volumes?Count the total cost.
For a large housing, heavy-gauge tooling usually costs less than a tenth of an injection mold.
For similar housings, tooling and unit prices in Japan run about 5–10 times ours.
Send your drawings and we estimate tooling, unit price and first-year total for both injection molding and heavy-gauge thermoforming.
Request a side-by-side quoteNo tooling cost
For housing projects of about 3,000 pcs a year
- About 3,000 pcs a year, under an annual supply agreement
- Heavy-gauge housings, covers and panels
- How tooling cost is shared is agreed per project
- 01Send drawings and annual volume
- 02Structure and cost review
- 03Sample approval
- 04Production and delivery
Put your budget
into the product.
From form
to the field.
Industries
- Robotics & autonomous equipment
- Medical & diagnostic equipment
- Industrial automation & machinery
- EV, battery & energy systems
- Automotive & transportation
- Agriculture & construction equipment
- Marine, sports & recreation
- Electronics & advanced equipment
- Packaging & material handling
- POP Displays & Light Box Faces
Is your part right
for heavy-gauge
A good fit
- Housings, covers, guards and panels
- Medium to large parts, up to 2600 × 1600 × 600 mm
- 6–15 mm walls, hundreds to thousands a year
- One main visible side
- Designs that may still change in development
Better injection molded
- Small precision parts, palm-sized or less
- Tens of thousands a year or more
- Fine finish on both sides, complex snaps and ribs
Not sure? Send us your drawings and we will tell you within 2 working days.
FROM DRAWING
TO PARTFrom drawing to finished part, in one factory.
- 01Structure reviewDrawings, wall thickness, draft and assembly
- 02Mold makingMolds machined on our own CNCs
- 03Heavy-gauge formingVacuum forming
- 04Holes & slotsCNC-machined openings
- 05Trim & deburrEdges trimmed and deburred
- 06Inspect & shipDimensional checks, sample approval, packing
After forming, the details.
Molds and trimming stay in-house, so revisions never wait on outside shops
Housing projects of about 3,000 pcs a year can apply for no tooling cost
Our ABS line in Zhuhai keeps material cost and formulation in hand
Meeting the quality demands of customers such as Gree, Panasonic and Jabil
Send your drawings,
compare the right route.
Evaluate your
housing project
How do I apply for the no-tooling-cost plan?+
Send drawings and the expected annual volume. After reviewing the structure and quantity, our proposal states whether the plan applies and how tooling cost is shared.
Who owns the mold?+
It is agreed per project. Under the no-tooling-cost plan, mold ownership and term are written into the quotation and contract.
How long do samples take?+
Molds take about 1–3 weeks; sample timing depends on the structure and is confirmed in our evaluation.
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