This Vacuum forming is a very simple setup that could be improved in several ways.

I made everything in wood because its fast and easy to construct something in wood.

The oven is made of plywood and 6 pcs. ceramic IR heaters as used in professional vaccum forming machines. I have seen people using many different heating sources that is cheaper and could be as good as the heaters i have.

Each ceramic IR element is 200W /230V

The oven is mesuring 31*47cm, so its pretty small and easy handle.

The frame for holding the plastic is also made in wood.

I had one frame made in aluminium that was my first choice of material for the frame holding the plastic. It had the problem that it cooled the plastic to much at the sides, so i made one in wood instead with simple clamps to hold the plastic.

The frame take sheets of 33*50cm which is very practical mesures because the big sheets you get from the reseller is 100*200cm. Then i can easily cut the sheets up with minimum waste of material.

The vacuum table is also made in wood. Its a sandwich contruction made of to pieces plywood with a 3mm aluminium spacer profile inbetween to have a small champer to “distribute” the vacuum if you can say so.

Bottom view shows the plumbing that is glued together with PVC glue and silicone.

The tube fits together with a standard vacuum cleaner tube for easy connection.

The final setup on the floor vacuum cleaner at left, vacuum table in the middle and oven at right.