T-Form R and D thermoforming project updated

There is strong support from the UK thermoforming sector for the competitive benefits that the T-ForM project will provide, said the UK's GTMA.

In September, the European consortium for the EC-funded T-ForM project held its 12 month progress review, at a two-day meeting hosted by Belgian Research partner Crif.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of 27 international partners involved in the project, including core SME, Midas Pattern Co and UK trade association, GTMA.

Julia Moore, GMTA CEO, commented, "There is strong support from the UK thermoforming sector for the competitive benefits that the T-ForM project will provide".

T-ForM is an EC-funded Framework 6 Collective Research Programme for the European thermoforming industries, involving thermoforming companies, mould makers and design agencies.

The project aims to increase competitiveness in the sector through the development of predictive mould design and manufacturing software which will provide benefits in component design, final component cost prediction at the design stage, final component thickness prediction and process setting prediction.

Progress made during the first year of this three year project was presented to the consortium, including the completion of a Thermoforming Design Guide to increase designer awareness of issues critical to the design of "right first time" components and also progress on a soon-to-be-completed database of key material properties that have been measured to allow accurate predictive thermoforming simulations to be made.

There was also a demonstration of the new T-ForM software platform which is currently under construction.

Alan Rance, MD of leading precision toolmakers, Midas Pattern Co, one of the UK core SMEs participating in the project, found the event very valuable; "As pattern and toolmakers, our input has been very much at a common-sense, business level".

"In addition to helping to shape the outcomes of the project, the meetings have also given us the opportunity to network and to build relationships with others in the industry, both in the UK and in Europe".

The meeting was given feedback on the successful dissemination activities carried out by the six trade associations, including GTMA, with support from the national SME members to raise the profile of the European thermoforming and tool manufacturing sector through participation in a series of national events.

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