Thermoformed theater light housing helps the show go on

Creating a part out of plastic for use in a high-heat environment creates significant challenges. A theater lighting OEM leaned on Profile’s material expertise to help launch their new product.

Challenge: Material needs vs costs

Key components of this project included a high-output theater lamp housing and a control panel housing. Engineers faced using multiple materials with different physical properties that needed to align appearance while meeting the project’s overall target pricing.

Solution: Experience and expertise

Profile’s engineering team developed design options for the customer. The two-piece lamp housing could be made with same molded part for top and bottom, which simplified the tooling. A trim adjustment made the two different parts possible.

Using an articulated plug assist during the pressure forming process helped push the material into the mold, which helped maintain the wall thickness. This technique allowed starting with a thinner gauge plastic, saving material costs.

The high-output lamp housing required material that could stand high heat, so aircraft-grade polycarbonate was used. For the control housing, a polycarbonate/ABS blend material provided similar aesthetics while saving cost.

Results

Profile’s Design for Manufacture (DFM) assistance resulted in reduced tooling investment, reduced material costs, and more efficient production. The control panel won an award for industrial thermoforming.