Design and optimization of the cutting station of a high-depth thermoforming automatic machine

This thesis was carried out during an internship at Marchesini Group Carpi, a company specialized in the production of thermoforming machines. The focus of the work was on high-depth thermoformers, with a particular attention on the cutting station responsible for separating the formed cavities. Starting from an existing cutting unit, a 3D CAD model was created in Creo Parametric to update selected components and allow the passage of deeper trays, such as those used for vials, syringes, or razors, which the current configuration could not handle. Instead of modifying the mechanical hardware, due to space constraints and the presence of adjacent cutting stations, the approach concentrated on adjusting the motion laws of the electric drives and their synchronization, ensuring precise cutting for the new tray geometry. The updated components were verified through finite element to guarantee structural reliability. Additionally, the cutting motion profile was optimized in order to reduce energy consumption and decrease the mechanical load on the main motor driving the crank-slider mechanism. The study demonstrated that high-depth trays can be processed without demanding hardware changes, achieving both correct passage and reliable separation of the cavities. Moreover, the optimized motion profile improved system efficiency and reduced energy demand, enhancing the overall performance of the thermoforming process.