Describe the main operating features of any one of the following: Vacuum former, Pop rivet gun, Tin snips. - Leaving Cert Engineering - Question i - 2022

A vacuum former is a plastic thermoforming machine that produces parts with precise shapes. It comprises a heating element that warms the plastic sheet, a height-adjustable table, which is porous, and an air pump. The process begins with clamping the plastic sheet in a frame. When the plastic heats up, a mould is positioned below the plastic sheet. Subsequently, a vacuum is applied, pulling the plastic down over the mould. Once cooled, the mould is removed, leaving the plastic part in its final shape.