Pickup Truck Bedliner Production

The Challenge

An automotive components manufacturer needed to enter the pickup truck bedliner market, producing deep-draw HDPE bedliners for popular pickup models. The challenge was forming thick 5.5mm HDPE sheets over a 3500 x 2000mm area with consistent wall thickness distribution — requiring precise heating control to manage the significant sheet sag inherent in large HDPE forming.

The Innovation: Sag-Following Bottom Heater

Machinecraft engineered a custom PF1-3520 with an innovative sag-following bottom heater system — a first in the industry. This system uses sensors to track HDPE sheet sag in real-time, adjusting the bottom heater position to maintain optimal heating distance throughout the cycle. This solved the industry-wide challenge of uneven heating in large HDPE forming.

Key Technical Specifications

A parallel project used a similar PF1-3520 configuration with 295 kW total connected load, 300 m³/hr vacuum capacity, and a 9000-liter vacuum tank.

Process Flow

The Outcome

The sag-following heater innovation solved the industry-wide challenge of uneven heating in large HDPE forming. Production achieved consistent wall thickness across the entire bedliner surface, with cycle times suitable for commercial production volumes of 10,000–15,000 units per year.