What is vacuum forming?

Vacuum forming is a thermoforming process where a thermoplastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, stretched over a mold, and shaped using vacuum pressure. It is one of the most cost-effective methods for producing large plastic parts with relatively low tooling costs compared to injection molding.

What is the difference between vacuum forming and thermoforming?

Thermoforming is the broad category of plastic forming processes that use heat. Vacuum forming is a specific type of thermoforming that uses vacuum pressure to shape heated plastic sheets over a mold. Other thermoforming methods include pressure forming and twin-sheet forming.

What materials can be vacuum formed?

Common vacuum forming materials include ABS, PMMA (acrylic), Polycarbonate (PC), TPO, HDPE, Polystyrene (PS), PET, Polypropylene (PP), PVC, and PLA.

What is heavy gauge vs light gauge thermoforming?

Heavy gauge thermoforming processes cut sheets typically 2-12mm thick for structural parts. Light gauge thermoforming uses thin roll-fed film under 2mm for high-volume packaging. Machinecraft manufactures machines for both.

What industries use vacuum forming machines?

Vacuum forming machines are used across automotive, aerospace, medical, packaging, sanitary, agriculture, signage, and many more industries.

What sizes of vacuum forming machines does Machinecraft manufacture?

Machinecraft manufactures custom vacuum forming machines ranging from 1000x1200mm forming area up to 6000x2200mm (XL).

What is a closed chamber vacuum forming machine?

A closed chamber vacuum forming machine features an air-sealed forming chamber that enables pre-blow bubble formation and zero sag control. This European-concept design is standard on all Machinecraft PF1-X Series machines.

What are the AM-V and AM-P thin gauge roll-fed forming machines?

The Machinecraft AM-V (vacuum forming) and AM-P (pressure forming) are continuous roll-fed forming machines designed for thin gauge packaging, medical trays, and deep draw containers.

Application-Centric Machine

Car Mat.

Roll-Fed Car Mat Thermoforming Machine — ATF-1812-M

Purpose-built for high-volume 3D automotive floor mat production. 1800×1200mm forming area, 500mm deep-draw stroke, dual-pitch sandwich IR ceramic heaters, and servo spike chain indexing with ±0.3mm accuracy.

Machinecraft ATF-1812-M car mat machine with formed 3D car mats

1800×1200mm

Forming Area

500mm

Stroke Depth

115kW

Heater Load

±0.3mm

Indexing Accuracy

120sec

Cycle Time*

*Front mat cycle time with sandwich heaters (TPO 2.5mm)

Watch

Car Mat Production in Action

3D Car Mats — How to Make using Vacuum Forming Machines by Machinecraft

3D Car Mats — Vacuum Forming Process by Machinecraft

Process

Automated Production Cycle

Roll Loading

TPO/TPE roll on automatic unwinder with loop sensing

Spike Chain Indexing

Servo-driven spike chain, ±0.3mm accuracy

Sandwich Heating

Dual-pitch top & bottom IR ceramic heaters, individual zone control

4-Side Clamping

Hinge-based frame clamps sheet on all 4 sides before forming

Vacuum Forming

500mm deep-draw stroke for 3D contoured mats with raised edges

Water Mist Cooling

4 centrifugal fans + water mist for rapid dimensional cooling

Shot Cutting

Pneumatic shot cutter separates mat from continuous sheet

Unloading

Formed mats removed for trimming and quality inspection

Production Data

Typical Dimensions & Cycle Times

Representative data for a compact hatchback (TPO 2.5mm, sandwich heaters).

Car Mat Machine Technical Specifications
Component	Material	Raw Size	Thickness	Final Weight	Cycle Time	Cooling
Front Right (Driver)	TPO	750 × 870 mm	2.5 mm	1,000 g	120 s	25 s
Front Left (Passenger)	TPO	750 × 870 mm	2.5 mm	950 g	120 s	25 s
Rear (Full Width)	TPO	1,530 × 750 mm	2.5 mm	1,900 g	150 s	45 s

Single-heater cycle times are approximately 25% longer.

Applications

What Can You Produce?

3D Custom-Fit Car Mats

Vehicle-specific deep-draw mats with raised edges, heel pads, and anti-slip patterns for sedan, SUV, and hatchback models.

Universal Floor Mats

Standard-size mats for aftermarket distribution. High-volume with quick mould changeover.

Cargo & Boot Liners

Large-format trunk liners and cargo area protectors. 1800×1200mm area handles full-width rear cargo mats.

Commercial Vehicle Mats

Heavy-duty floor mats for trucks, vans, and buses. Thicker gauge TPO/PVC for industrial durability.

Engineering

Key Features

Sandwich Heating System

Dual-pitch top & bottom IR ceramic heaters with individual SSR zone control. Heats 900×3600mm sheet area. Reduces cycle time by 20–25% vs single heater.

500mm Deep-Draw Stroke

Extended 500mm forming stroke specifically designed for deep-draw car mat tooling — accommodates raised edges, heel pads, and 3D contoured designs.

Servo Spike Chain Indexing

1/2" duplex spike chain with spikes every 1", driven by servo motor and gearbox. ±0.3mm indexing accuracy for precise multi-cavity registration.

4-Side Sheet Clamping

Hinge-based frame system clamps sheet on all 4 sides before forming — prevents sheet slip and ensures uniform wall thickness across the mat.

Quick Tool Change

Tool change trolley with ball transfer units for sliding tool loading from the rear. Pneumatic quick-clamping knobs for fast mould changeover between models.

Water Mist Cooling

4 centrifugal fans with water mist cooling system. Rapid cooling reduces cycle time while maintaining dimensional stability of formed mats.

Also available: AM-V Series for Car Mats

The AM-V series can be tuned for car mat applications by doubling the heater length and adding plug assist — ideal for producers who want a versatile machine that can switch between car mats and other thin-gauge products.

Technical Data

ATF-1812-M Specifications

Car Mat Machine Technical Specifications (2)
Parameter	ATF-1812-M
Max. Forming Area	1800 × 1200 mm
Max. Depth (Stroke)	500 mm (car mat tooling)
Sheet Feed	Roll-fed with automatic unwinder & loop sensing
Sheet Thickness Range	2 – 4 mm
Max. Heater Load	115 kW
Heater Type	IR Ceramic — Ceramicx Ireland
Heater Configuration	Dual-pitch sandwich (top & bottom)
Heater Control	Individual SSR zone control via HMI
Heater Oven Movement	Pneumatic (air cylinders)
Vacuum Pump	100 m³/hr — Becker Germany
Vacuum Tank	1000 litres
Press Movement	Pneumatic (air cylinders)
Spike Chain	1/2" duplex, spikes every 1", servo-driven
Indexing Accuracy	±0.3 mm
Sheet Clamping	All 4 sides — hinge-based frame
Cooling System	4 × centrifugal fans + water mist
Sag Detection	Light sensor safety system
Shot Cutter	Pneumatic — end of cycle
Tool Loading	Sliding via ball transfer units
Tool Clamping	Pneumatic quick-clamping system
Controller	PLC — Mitsubishi
HMI	7" colour touchscreen with recipe storage (SD card)
Remote Monitoring	Internet connectivity included
Machine Guarding	Yes — light guard (Sick Germany)
Pneumatics	Festo / SMC
Switch Gears	Eaton
Gearbox	Bonfiglioli
Control Panel	Hoffman

Compatible Materials

TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin)

TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer)

PVC

Add to Enquiry Cart

Select one or more machines to include in your enquiry. We will send a detailed quotation.

Car Mat Machine Technical Specifications (4)
Model	Forming Area	Stroke	Type	Thickness	Add to Enquiry
ATF-1812-M	1800 × 1200 mm	500 mm	Roll-Fed (Application-Centric)	2 – 4 mm
PF1-C-2012	2000 × 1200 mm	500 mm	Sheet-Fed (Heavy Gauge)	2 – 10 mm

Add machines to your enquiry cart and request a detailed quotation with your specific requirements.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin), TPE, PVC, PP, and PE in roll format. TPO at 2.5mm is the most common for 3D car mats — excellent chemical resistance, UV stability, and all-weather performance.

Front mats (750×870mm) cycle in ~120 seconds and rear mats (1530×750mm) in ~150 seconds with sandwich heaters. Sandwich heating reduces cycle time by 20–25% vs single-side heating.

At 120-second cycle time, ~240 mats per 8-hour shift (single cavity). Multi-cavity moulds double or triple throughput — a 2-cavity front mat mould yields 480 mats/shift.

The quick tool change system with ball transfer units and pneumatic clamping allows mould changeover in ~15–20 minutes. The tool trolley slides in from the rear and locks without manual bolting.

The ATF-1812-M is car-mat optimised: 500mm stroke (vs 300mm standard), sandwich heaters for faster TPO processing, 4-side sheet clamping, and water mist cooling. The core ATF platform (roll-fed, spike chain, servo indexing) is the same.

Start Your Car Mat Production Line

From machine specification to mould design to commissioning — Machinecraft delivers complete turnkey car mat manufacturing solutions.