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Abstract

A vacuum forming process is provided for molding a thin sheet of thermoformable plastic into an accurate three-dimensional relief reproduction of an original artwork. The sheet of plastic has printed on one side thereof a permanent image of the original artwork. The process comprises: i) supporting the printed sheet of plastic proximate a vacuum forming female mold with the printed side facing the mold, the female mold has a surface relief therein which is a reproduction of the surface relief of the original artwork, the image is in register as supported above the mold with the surface of the relief mold, a multitude of vacuum forming holes are provided in the mold; ii) heat is applied to the plastic sheet; iii) the mold and heated sheet are contacted once the sheet is at a first temperature which is below normal thermoforming temperatures, the first temperature minimizes movement of the image relative to the mold due to heating of the sheet, once the sheet attains the first temperature vacuum is immediately applied to the holes in the mold to commence drawing the plastic sheet into the mold and fix thereby the sheet relative to the mold relief to further minimize image movement on the sheet relative to the mold; iv) heating is continued while maintaining vacuum on the holes to complete forming of the three-dimensional relief in the sheet; v) heating is stopped once the sheet attains a second temperature in the range of normal thermoforming temperatures while continuing to apply vacuum to the mold holes, cooling the sheet after heating is stopped to cool the sheet below the first temperature to a third temperature to render permanent the three-dimensional relief formed in the sheet, vi) cooling being stopped and the sheet removed from the mold ready for further processing and framing. Apparatus is described in which the process may be carried out for vacuum forming a relief in the plastic sheet. Alternative methods are described which provide the male mold from which the female mold for use in the process and apparatus.

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First Claim