If I understand what you're seeking, you want to make (or have someone
make for you) about 20 clear plastic 2 x 2 x 1/2 arrow shaped molds.
Your options will fall under the hobbyist literature for
do-it-yourself solutions, or identifying companies that do small jobs.
A search on ://www.google.com using the terms (with quotation
marks)
"make your own" and "custom packaging"
Turned up a listing for the:
Reddi-Vac 2000
http://www.moldcompanies.com/hooblermachine/
Since this is $4200 plus s/h it's probably beyond what you want to
spend but, should you contact companies that do custom packaging, you
could ask if they own a Reddi-Vac which would be ideal for small jobs.
The broader term you want to use to find out about packaging you
require would be:
"vacuum forming"
A gentleman named George Gassaway wrote an article from SNOAR News
(1985?) on how to set up to do your own vacuum forming at home for
less than $20 (1985 money). He has posted his article with schematics
on his own website here:
How to Build and Use Your Own Vacuum-Forming Device By George
Gassaway
http://members.aol.com/GCGassaway/vacuform.htm
A search on Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com
using the terms
do it yourself vacuum forming
turned up a couple of hits in two catalogs for a book called DO IT
YOURSELF VACUUM FORMING.
If you click on the MICRO-MARK catalog after doing the search
suggested above at Amazon, they list prices for plastic sheets used in
this process (e.g., clear butyrate, package of 6 is $4.95) as well as
the book:
Do it Yourself Vacuum Forming by Douglas A. Walsh ($14.95)
Walsh's book
Guide to Vacuum Forming for the Hobbyist (1990)
may be available at a library near you. According to OCLC's WorldCat
(a proprietary database available through many public libraries) the
following North American libraries appear to own this work:
AR GARLAND CNTY LIBR
AZ SEDONA PUB LIBR
ID BOISE PUB LIBR
IN ALLEN CNTY PUB LIBR
IN NEW ALBANY PUB LIBR
MD ENOCH PRATT FREE LIBR
MN SAINT PAUL PUB LIBR
NC HIGH POINT PUB LIBR
NY BUFFALO & ERIE CNTY PUB LIBR
NY ROCHESTER PUB LIBR
ON RYERSON POLYTECHNIC UNIV LIBR
In general, a search using the term
+"vacuum forming" +cheap
(use the quotation marks and "+" signs on Google) will turn up other
possibilities, such as relevant companies. The main problem is that
these places usually give quotes based on the specific job requested.
If you do a search using these terms:
+"vacuum forming" +"small jobs"
you will turn up a few businesses that might do small runs. E.g.,
Mcneal Enterprises (this is an article which links to McNeal)
http://www.pmfmagazine.com/magazine/2000-07/McNeal.html
Moorland Plastics (UK)
http://www.moorlandplas.f9.co.uk/page4.html
Usually you'll have to contact them with specifics so that they can
give you a quote.
To tailor your search to business like this that might be in you area,
I recommend the following approach. Go to these online yellow pages:
http://www.smartpages.com/
In the box labeled "Business Type" enter the term:
package design
then select your geographic area. You should be able to get listings
of potential businesses.
Please ask for clarification if you need it. Knowing the upper limit
of what you want to spend would be useful, as well as your geographic
area (in general).
fugitive-ga |
