Project Background & Existing Challenges

The local market in Peru is relatively limited in scale, and the customer frequently handles custom prototyping orders. Its production requirements therefore differ from those of manufacturers focused on continuous high-volume production:

• Without a steady volume of large production orders, investing in a standard production-scale thermoforming machine would yield in a relatively low return on investment and a higher risk of equipment sitting idle.
• Frequent product changes required flexible tooling, while molds for larger machines were costly and local mold-making capabilities were limited.
• The customer had a limited equipment budget. With relatively high ocean freight costs to South America, a compact machine suitable for LCL shipping was also required.

Project Timeline

In 2024, the customer contacted Amtop after seeing the mini vacuum forming machine video on YouTube. During solution development, we customized the forming area to meet the customer’s requirements, with a maximum forming depth of 120 mm. In addition, the compact machine design allowed the equipment to be shipped by LCL sea freight.

Customized Solution

• A low-cost vacuum forming machine dedicated to prototyping allows the customer to focus on sample development without investing in larger production equipment that may remain underutilized.
• A maximum forming depth of 120 mm accommodates vacuum-formed samples with different forming depths.
• Lower-cost molds can be produced locally in Peru, reducing the lead time and freight costs associated with sourcing molds overseas while supporting faster sample development.
• The compact design is suitable for LCL sea freight, helping reduce long-distance shipping costs to South America.

Project Outcome

The customer established a dedicated workstation for sample development, so prototyping no longer occupies its production equipment. Moreover, locally produced, lower-cost molds also shortened sample delivery lead times. With a relatively modest investment, the customer strengthened its custom product development capabilities, supporting differentiated small-volume orders and improving its competitiveness in the local market.