Disney Choose Associated Thermoforming, Inc.
This was a really fun, unique project for our team that we all really enjoyed, and learned from.
BERTHOUS, Colo. (PRWEB) February 02, 2018
The Disney design team selected Associated Thermoforming, Inc. (ATI) to create panels for their new Avatar Flight of Passage ride based on their expertise, experience, and capabilities. This huge thermoforming project consisted of almost 50 different thermoformed items, each with individual molds and CNC trim fixtures. ATI chose vacuum forming as the specific thermoforming process due to the design of the parts and the large variety of panels that needed to be manufactured.
“Coping with the large number of molds and part numbers was a unique challenge,” said John Nix, owner of ATI. “The logistics of such a large project with frequent changes challenged our ERP system a bit and capacity management – but all in all, this was a really fun, unique project for our team that we all really enjoyed, and learned from.”
Additionally, the Disney designers spec’d a specifically formulated KYDEX® plastic that had to remain at a very low gloss level. Due to this, ATI used a glossmeter to determine the amount of reflected light, as the intensity of the gloss is dependent upon the material and angle of illumination. While this sounds like a small detail, many thermoforming companies find it difficult to achieve this low level of gloss and ATI was able to execute it perfectly.
The Avatar Flight of Passage ride is a 3D, augmented reality, flying simulator attraction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which allows guests to take flight on the back of a mountain Banshee, soaring across the landscape of Pandora.
About Associated Thermoforming, Inc.: Since 1977, Associated Thermoforming, Inc. has been creating innovative solutions for diverse requirements. ATI tools and manufactures structural and decorative thermoformed parts for the aerospace, medical, automotive, recreation, food/beverage, computer and data storage industries. ATI, a leader in thermoforming manufacturing, expertly employs power drape forming, vacuum forming, pressure forming, and twin sheet thermoforming for their large, heavy gauge thermoforming projects. ATI has received many awards for their high-quality parts, innovative approach, and excellent customer service. Visit http://www.ati-forms.com or call (970) 532-2000 to learn more.