Thermoforming is a plastic moulding process where a sheet of plastic is heated to a high temperature and then formed over a mould. Vacuum forming is the specific thermoforming process where a vacuum is used to force/pull the heated plastic into the shape of the mould.

Vacuum forming is the simplest type of plastic thermoforming, that uses one mold and vacuum pressure to obtain the desired part geometry. It is ideal for parts that only need to be precisely formed on one side, such as contoured packaging for food or electronics.