Infrared sheet heating in roll fed thermoforming: Part 2 - Factors influencing inverse heating solution

Two methodologies for solving the inverse heating problem in thermoforming, i.e. setting the temperature of the heaters that provide a prescribed temperature of the sheet to be formed against the mould, are compared in terms of temperature gradients across the thickness and sensitivity to the most important process parameters. The influences of sheet thickness, sheet emissivity, room temperature, and distance between the heater bank and the forming station on the thermal homogeneity of the sheet are also discussed.