JR Plastics began as a custom vacuum forming firm in 1994. Soon after, in 1998, we established JR Plastics & Machining, Inc., which included a full CNC machine shop, allowing us to produce all of our own molds and secondary processes under one roof.

This is a one-of-a-kind combo that enables us to create prototypes, small-run projects, and large-scale production runs. You deal with us from start to finish on your project under one roof, saving you time, money, and confusion. One of the owners, David Trent or Raymond Schneider, will be your direct contact. We not only handle vacuum forming and CNC machining, but we also provide engineering services to help you improve the design and save money on your project.

We have a combined experience of over 100 years in vacuum forming, hotwire bending, and CNC machining. Our Head of Department Raymond Schneider has over five decades of experience in vacuum forming, pressure forming, and hotwire bending. We have forty years of experience in machining, programming, and jig fixture design as well. When you need expert machining or vacuum forming, look to JR Plastics & Machining, Inc. for professional and prompt service.

Most of our equipment is HAAS, Mills, Lathes, and Routers. All of our equipment is well-maintained to ensure quality and dependability for small and large projects. JR Plastics & Machining, Inc. builds its own custom forming and bending equipment. That means if something breaks down, we don’t need to order new parts or wait for a repair technician, we can fix it right away ourselves. This keeps production on schedule and customers happy. We also do machine work of all kinds and look forward to collaborating with you on your next great project.

JR Plastics & Machining is located in Central Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, in a small hamlet called Lowesville, some 25 miles south of Charlottesville and near Wintergreen Ski Resort.

2820 Lowesville Rd

Lowesville, VA 22967

Vacuum forming is a manufacturing technique that shapes plastic materials, used in a myriad of fields and seen frequently in day-to-day life. The process involves a sheet of plastic is heated before being pulled around a single mold using suction. Vacuum forming is the simplest form of plastic thermoforming that uses only one mold and then vacuum pressure to form the desired shape. Vacuum forming is great for parts that only need one side to be precisely shaped, which is why it is often seen in contoured packaging for electronics and food.

The benefits of vacuum forming are its flexibility for design at a low cost compared to other methods. It has a fast turnaround time since tooling can be made quickly. This allows for production time to be about half as long as injection molding would require. Vacuum forming is great for businesses that need to get new designs on a quick turnaround. Another advantage of vacuum forming is that it can be used to produce food-grade containers and parts for the medical industry. This is because it is compatible with plastics that can be sterilized and kept apart from contaminants, such as high-density polyethylene. These plastics are resistant to acidic compounds, making them compatible with vacuum forming that cleans product containers as well.