Profile Plastics wins SPE Thermoforming Division People’s Choice Award

Multipart medical device displays advanced design solutions

Lake Bluff, IL May 22,2025—Profile Plastics helped develop a new medical device which won two awards for heavy-gauge pressure forming.

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoforming Division honored the company at its recent parts competition held in Atlanta, Georgia May 19-21. The competition was part of the professional organization’s biennial Conference.

Attendees voted the project the best overall part of the show, giving Profile the People’s Choice award. The company also won Silver in the pressure forming category.

This multi-part project provides a durable yet highly cosmetic cover solution for an advanced new medical application. Six panels enclose the fluidics cart of a system used for a non-invasive tumor treatment procedure.

Profile overcame design problems re-engineering a project originally intended for injection molding. The final parts were made of 0.187” and .250” PVC/Acrylic blend plastic with custom, molded-in color.

The central challenge was balancing patient safety and aesthetics with the airflow needs for the device. The design necessitated creating a unique, complex vent pattern on a curved surface. Vents with proper draft and spacing were formed-in then CNC machined on the back, resulting in no cutter marks on the front surface.

The design provided tight-fitting alignment between panels using a hidden fastening system for a clean transition between parts.  Profile also engineered two hidden magnetic holders on the device. These hold tools during use, providing convenience for technicians while maintaining the aesthetics.

“Our design and production team exceeded all the OEM’s goals on this project,” said Mike Diaz, technical sales manager at Profile.  “And we met the customer’s target price points.”

Profile now holds 43 parts awards from the SPE Thermoforming Division.

About Profile Plastics

For 65 years, Profile Plastics, Inc. has specialized in custom heavy-gauge thermoforming. The company produces highly cosmetic, close-tolerance parts that meet increasingly demanding standards in high volume for OEM customers. Profile innovated pressure, vacuum, twin-sheet forming, and CNC trimming processes that are now industry norms. ISO 9001:2015 Certified.