Goal: To come up with a feasible plan for manufacturing the canopy and any other clear panels of the challenger vehicle.

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Thermoforming

Thermoforming is a general umbrella term that describes the process of creating complex plastic parts by heating a thermoplastic sheet to its softening point, then stretching it across a single-sided mold, and then manipulating it to form the desired geometry. For the project of MSXV, thermoforming will be used for the manufacturing of the driver canopy.

There are multiple methods of thermoforming which can be decided depending on the nature of the part, as well as the equipment on hand.

Vacuum Forming

Vacuum Forming utilizes forming a part by heating and stretching the plastic across a mold using a vacuum. Normally the mold is open and the force induced by the vacuum forming the sheet is limited to about 15 psi.

The main benefit of this process is that it requires the least amount of mold/ tooling. In the case of manufacturing a canopy, there will likely not be many small details in the plastic that will have to be met so obtaining the overall geometry with minimal pressure would be possible.

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Pressure Forming

This process adds a pressure box to the tooling package. It utilizes both vacuum and positive air pressure. This process generates as much as three to four times the forming pressure as vacuum forming does. Therefore, fine details such as surface textures can be formed on the mold without incurring excessive extra costs.

Twin Sheet Forming 

As the term suggests, there are two molds for this process: one on the top and one on the bottom. Therefore, two sheets of plastic must be heated and formed at the same time. A fused joint must be placed around the perimeter of the mold while air pressure is injected between the sheets. This process is ideal for forming hollow parts that require a distinct upper and lower shape.

From initial inspection will most likely not be required?