Brentwood is renowned for manufacturing long trays and in the late 1970s, it developed its own machine for thermoforming conduit trays. Thanks to SencorpWhite's new custom ULTRA    thermoforming machine, Brentwood Industries can now thermoform 72-inch-long medical packaging trays. 
    Thanks to SencorpWhite's new custom ULTRA thermoforming machine, Brentwood I-ies can now thermoform 72-inch-long medical packaging trays. SencorpWhite states that its new system is currently the largest thermoforming and trimming machine ever, with a template capable of producing parts up to 72 inches long x 34 inches wide and a stroke of 7 inches. 
     "Long" Brings Big Challenges
   Bob Mozian, vice president of sales at Sencorp, said that SencorpWhite has noticed an increasing demand from customers and end-users for large-sized and custom-sized packaging. This type of packaging may bring many challenges. He said, "This project was initiated after SencorpWhite and our customer Brentwood had conversations about the needs of their customers and the challenges they faced in developing solutions. When thermoforming longer packaging, there are many design challenges: the design of the forming machine, maintaining the flatness, rigidity, and strength of the template along the long forming area, cutting control, and part handling, etc." 
     Custom-designed ULTRA
   The ULTRA thermoforming machine is a standard product of SencorpWhite, but Mozian said, "In this case, the machine was completely customized for Brentwood, going beyond any standard or optional features available on the market. Every component and sub-component of the machine had to be customized to accommodate the larger size: a custom unwind stand for the supply material, longer sheet guiding devices suitable for this long scale, a custom forming machine and toggle design to maintain rigidity, a custom lift fixed on the base to adapt to the increased mold size and weight, and dedicated components for handling. Each component was redesigned from scratch to take into account the larger size."
    SencorpWhite introduced that the custom-designed ULTRA also features:
 A closed-loop 7-segment online infrared sheet temperature sensing system that continuously monitors the sheet temperature to ensure the accuracy, efficiency, and repeatability of component production.
 Servo-driven forming machine to complete precise movements at a faster speed.
 Full control of forming parameters through an integrated human-machine interface, with high and low warnings as advanced quality measures.
 A robotic pick-and-place system that enables the machine to automatically remove, stack, and package products, thereby minimizing cycle time and increasing output.
 Mozian said that the new ULTRA thermoforming machine is currently operating in Brentwood's cleanroom environment.
 Andrew Haus, the medical products series manager of Brentwood, stated in a news release issued by SencorpWhite: "The capabilities of the new ULTRA allow us to pursue new opportunities and provide our customers with the most cost-competitive solutions in the medical packaging industry."