Home
guide
Surface Boiling Effect in Vacuum Forming: Causes, Prevention and Solutions

Surface Boiling Effect in Vacuum Forming: Causes, Prevention and Solutions

Pitted and heavily textured thermoformed plastic surface resulting from excessive sheet temperature

Surface Boiling Effect

Cause

Surface boiling effect occurs when the plastic sheet is exposed to extreme overheating during the thermoforming process. At excessive temperatures, the material surface begins to physically boil, causing localized degradation and gas release directly at the outer layer of the sheet.

This results in a rough, pitted, crater-like appearance that significantly reduces surface quality and visual appeal. The defect is often accompanied by gloss variation, surface texture changes, and reduced mechanical properties in the affected area.

Solution
  • Reduce oven temperature to keep the material within the recommended forming range.
  • Increase the distance between heating elements and the plastic sheet to minimize localized overheating.
  • Verify actual sheet temperature using an infrared (IR) temperature sensor.
  • Improve heat distribution across the sheet to eliminate hot spots.
  • Regularly calibrate heating zones and monitor process parameters to prevent thermal degradation.

THERMOFORA Vacuum Forming Machines

Industrial vacuum forming machines — manufactured and ready to ship

From compact prototyping formats to full industrial sheet sizes. Every machine is built, tested, and shipped from our facility. Running in production across 24 countries.

View Machines →
←  Back to GUIDE