Mayku FormBox
Vacuum forming machine that heats and shapes plastic sheets around 3D forms. Create food-safe molds, packaging, cosplay pieces, and decorative parts from custom shapes.
What does the Makerplace provide?
What does the Makerplace provide?
- Mayku FormBox
- Mayku cast sheets and Mayku Form sheets. See our price list for more details.
What do I need?
What do I need?
Customers will need to bring in an object to use as a template for their form.
How do I use it?
How do I use it?
Here is a quick overview of the “vacuforming” process.
- Get a template. You can design and print one with a 3D printer, mold it out of clay or just use things you have laying around the house or office.
- Clamp the plastic sheet into the tray, set the heater and start the timer.
- Place your template on the bed.
- When the timer is done, the sheet is ready. Push it down onto the bed.
- The FormBox will automatically turn on your vacuum for the right amount of time and the plastic sheet will form to your template. After letting the plastic cool for a brief moment (15 seconds) you can unclamp it from the tray and pop out the template.
What materials can I use?
What materials can I use?
You can create casts with resin, plaster, chocolate, soap, concrete and jesmonite.
The Mayku cast sheets are transparent. These sheets are made from PETg. They are for making molds to cast things out of other materials, but they can also be used to make clear objects. The material is food safe and is also recyclable.
The Mayku form sheets are solid white. They are made from Polystyrene. These sheets are perfect for stormtrooper armor, but they are also great for painting.
This equipment is available to use free of charge. Materials are available for purchase to assist in using this equipment. See all materials and prices here. You may also bring your own materials (all outside materials must be approved by Makerplace staff before use).
Tips and tricks
Tips and tricks
The size of the FormBox bed is 200 millimeters by 200 millimeters. The maximum width and length you are able to mold is 150 millimeters by 150 millimeters. To avoid tearing the plastic, we suggest not vacuum forming anything taller than it is wide.
You can use silicone sheets for creating casts, but silicone is not compatible with Mayku for forming. This device molds from plastic sheets formed over an object. You could make a mold from an object and then make a solid (like plaster) and then place the solid in a container of liquid silicone to dry. Then you would have a silicone mold.