Formold
Pressure Forming
Pressure Forming Manual
We have a very good manual that describes the process and uses of Pressure Forming.
If you would like a copy please click here
Tornado or Object from a Plane?
In January 2005 a quarter of the Livingston plant was destroyed in an instant.
The incident happened at 6.01pm. There
was no adverse weather to speak of, yet the steel girders were buckled beyond belief.
The factory is on the main flight path to
Edinburgh Airport.
The insurance investigators determined
that a freak Tornado had hit the building.
It was a minor miracle that that no one was injured - or when you see the photographs, that no one was killed.
There had been four employees working in that area moment earlier. They had left the area to go to the canteen for their 6 o'clock break. The tornado hit at 6.01!!
The factory was producing 2 days later.
Got Any Old Stories or Memories?
If you have any memories or stories of Formold or HPP please write in and we will
post the good ones on the site.
History of Formold
The history of the Company derives from two separate stories. On the one hand there is the story of the original Formold, started in 1957 in Berkshire. On the other, is the story of the Formold's Livingston operation, also started in 1957 in Edinburgh.
Formold, Berkshire
Formold was formed 50 years ago in 1957. At that time plastics, and especially thermoforming, was relatively new. Formold was a pioneer in the thermoforming industry.
In the early 1960’s the Company located in Twyford, Berkshire, where it would remain until 2005.
The Company was very successful in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, making thin sheet packaging type products into markets such as cosmetics.
In the later part of the 1970’s Formold diversified and began forming in thicker plastics. To this day the Company can manufacture a range of thicknesses from 250 micron up to 12mm – something that sets it apart from the competition.
Formold was one of the first companies to manufacture by means of Pressure Forming. As you will read later, they were doing this in tandem (and in competition) with a company called High Pressure Plastics, which is now the company’s Livingston plant.
Throughout the years the Company has won many design and manufacturing awards, including a Gold POP award for its design of a Solero Bin.
In 2000 the Company bought High Pressure Plastics in Livingston and renamed it under the Formold banner.
In 2005 the Company moved its manufacturing premises to Winnersh in Berkshire. The moved allowed the Company to diversify into food packaging, and in 2006 it was awarded the relevant accreditation.
During 2007 and 2008 the Company started a consolidation exercise of its production facilities. By December 2008 the Winnersh plant had ceased manufacture, with all production successfully transferred to Livingston.
Formold (High Pressure Plastics) – HPP
HPP began its life under the ownership of Unilever in Edinburgh. It was part of a trading division that extruded plastic as well as forming it. Surprisingly enough, it too began its life in 1957!!
The trading group was known as Royalite Plastics. Royalite were the pioneers of ABS plastic, and its thermoforming division was one of the first to develop the technique of forming this now common material.
Unilever divested Royalite Plastics in 1987 to a Company Called British Vita.
Royalite (in terms of the extrusion Company) is still thriving under the VTS banner and is still a major supplier of ABS to Formold.
In 1990 British Vita split the extrusion and forming companies and moved the forming Company to Livingston, but not to its present site. That move happened in 1999.
In the mid 1990’s British Vita sold the forming company and the name High Pressure Plastics was born.
Throughout its existence HPP /Royalite was the forerunner of Pressure Forming (as well as the development of ABS)and has remained so in thicker sized formings.
Over the years it built a reputation for making injection moulded quality thermoformings and producing tools that no other former would dare to try.
Many of the staff have been with the Company since its Unilever days.
In the early part of 2005 one quarter of the factory was destroyed by what appeared to be a tornado. It was a miracle that no one was hurt, let alone killed. See the orange section at the side for pictures!!
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of all those involved the factory was up and running within two days.
Now the plant is the sole production unit for the Company. Following the move of production from Winnersh, it embarked on a six month transformation to attain BRC food packaging accreditation. It was awarded the certificate at the first time of asking.
