---
title: "Heavy-Gauge Thermoforming for Plastic Parts in China | FUNYO"
description: "Heavy-gauge thermoforming of parts up to 2600 × 1600 × 600 mm. Tooling takes 1–3 weeks; sheet reaches 15 mm, with CNC trimming at our Zhuhai plant."
type: landing
---

# Heavy-Gauge Thermoforming

HEAVY-GAUGE THERMOFORMING / 厚壁吸塑

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 year · No-tooling-cost plan (Eligibility confirmed per project)

- Wall thickness: 6–15 mm (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.

How total cost grows with annual volume (illustrative): Heavy-gauge: low cost to start; Injection: the whole mold up front; In this range, heavy-gauge costs less overall.

**One housing, two quotes** Send your drawings and we estimate tooling, unit price and first-year total for both injection molding and heavy-gauge thermoforming.

## No 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

1. Send drawings and annual volume
2. Structure and cost review
3. Sample approval
4. Production and delivery

## From form to the field.

Equipment housing · Protective guard · Cover and tray

Industries: [Robotics & autonomous equipment](/en/industries/robotics-autonomous-equipment) · [Medical & diagnostic equipment](/en/industries/medical-diagnostic-equipment) · [Industrial automation & machinery](/en/industries/industrial-automation-machinery) · [EV, battery & energy systems](/en/industries/ev-battery-energy) · [Automotive & transportation](/en/industries/automotive-transportation) · [Agriculture & construction equipment](/en/industries/agriculture-construction-equipment) · [Marine, sports & recreation](/en/industries/marine-sports-recreation) · [Electronics & advanced equipment](/en/industries/electronics-advanced-equipment) · [Packaging & material handling](/en/industries/packaging-material-handling)

## 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 finished part, in one factory.

1. **Structure review** Drawings, wall thickness, draft and assembly
2. **Mold making** Molds machined on our own CNCs
3. **Heavy-gauge forming** Vacuum forming
4. **Holes & slots** CNC-machined openings
5. **Trim & deburr** Edges trimmed and deburred
6. **Inspect & ship** Dimensional checks, sample approval, packing

After forming, the details. Trimming (Flanges trimmed to drawing), Deburring (Clean, burr-free cut edges), Holes (Mounting holes and windows in place), Slots (Vent slots machined in one pass)

- **20 yrs Precision machining** Molds and trimming stay in-house, so revisions never wait on outside shops
- **0 Tooling-cost plan** Housing projects of about 3,000 pcs a year can apply for no tooling cost
- **Own ABS sheet plant** Our ABS line in Zhuhai keeps material cost and formulation in hand
- **Proven Supply record** Meeting the quality demands of customers such as Gree, Panasonic and Jabil

## Evaluate your housing project

Please email drawings and reference images to fangyujidian@163.com (STEP · DWG · PDF · JPG)

**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.

## Contact

Bring us your next big idea. Let’s give it the right shape.

FUNYO / 方宇机电

Building F3, Huamao Road, Qianwu Town, Doumen District, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

Tel: +86-0756-6330998

Download your project brief, ready to share. Nothing is sent automatically.

## Related product families

- [Housings & enclosures](/en/products/housings)
- [Covers & shrouds](/en/products/covers-shrouds)
- [Panels & fascias](/en/products/panels-fascias)
- [Trays & liners](/en/products/trays-liners)
- [POP Displays & Light Box Faces](/en/products/displays-signage)