🔍 Poor Surface Quality
Causes, Solutions & Prevention in Thermoforming
Orange peel, scratches, haze, gloss loss on formed part. Indicates process/material issues.
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⚠️Root Causes by Category
⚙️ Process
- Sheet overheated — surface degradation
- Cooling too fast — stress marks
🔲 Mold / Tooling
- Mold surface damaged/contaminated
- Wrong surface finish for application
🧪 Sheet / Material
- Contaminated sheet — dust, oils, moisture
- Poor-quality extruded sheet
🔧 Machine
- Heater elements degraded
✅Solutions & Corrective Actions
Step 1
- Maintain temperature in optimal forming window
Step 2
- Clean and polish mold regularly
Step 3
- Ensure clean sheet handling — gloves, clean racks
Step 4
- Inspect/replace degraded heaters
🛠️Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1
Step 1
Maintain temperature in optimal forming window
2
Step 2
Clean and polish mold regularly
3
Step 3
Ensure clean sheet handling — gloves, clean racks
4
Step 4
Inspect/replace degraded heaters
❓Frequently Asked Questions
What causes poor surface quality?
Sheet overheated — surface degradation; Cooling too fast — stress marks; Mold surface damaged/contaminated
How to fix poor surface quality?
Maintain temperature in optimal forming window
How to prevent poor surface quality?
Prevention requires systematic process control: verify sheet temperature, maintain mold vents, ensure proper material drying, and document optimal parameters.
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