Shallow relief only
Plastic can't release undercuts or deep relief without cracking. Anything more than gentle texture needs an elastomer.
What we make › Silicone & polyurethane formliners › Plastic formliners
Silicone & polyurethane formliners · Plastic formliners
Rigid plastic formliners, and when they're the sensible choice.
Vacuum-formed ABS and PVC formliners suit shallow, simple textures on low-to-moderate pour counts. We'll tell you honestly when plastic is enough and when an elastomer will pay for itself.
Overview
Plastic formliners, in plain terms.
Rigid plastic formliners are thermoformed sheets — cheap to make in quantity, light to handle, and fine for shallow relief with generous draft. They're common on civil jobs where the texture is a board-mark or a simple rib and the pour count is modest.
We don't vacuum-form in-house. What we do is help yards decide whether plastic is right, make the master pattern a plastic liner can be formed from, and build elastomeric liners where plastic won't cope.
What sets it apart
Four things that define this route.
Lower pour counts
Rigid liners scuff and crack over repeated use. They're often treated as single-job items.
Draft is mandatory
Every face needs generous draft or the concrete grips the liner on strike.
Pattern is reusable
The master pattern can form many plastic sheets, or later pour an elastomeric liner.
How we build it
From pattern to released tool.
If plastic is right for your job, we'll build a master pattern designed for thermoforming — draft angles, radiused corners and no undercuts — and pass it to a forming partner or your own supplier.
If you want an elastomer instead, the same pattern can usually be used to pour a polyurethane liner. That gives you a clean upgrade path if the programme grows.
The honest bit
What to know before you commit.
Plastic liners are a good answer for the right job, and a false economy for the wrong one. If the texture is deep or the run is long, the replacements add up faster than the saving.
At a glance
The idea in a picture.
Where the formliner sits
Swipe to see the whole diagram
FAQs
Questions we hear about this.
Can you supply a plastic liner directly?
We make the master pattern and can arrange forming through a partner, but our own manufacture is silicone and polyurethane.
Can a plastic liner and a polyurethane liner run on the same elevation?
We'd avoid it. The surface finish differs slightly and can read on the panels.
In this family
Related routes under Silicone & polyurethane formliners.
Silicone & polyurethane formlinersThe parent service overviewPlastic formlinersRigid ABS and PVC liners for simple reliefElastomeric formlinersPolyurethane and silicone for repeat runsSingle-use formlinersOne-off feature panels and short runsReusable formlinersLong-life liners for running programmes
Get in touch
Send us a photograph of the panel or the elevation.
One photograph tells us what surface you're chasing, and one line about the mix tells us what silicone or polyurethane will survive it.
Real people, a real workshop
You deal with the people who make it.
No call centre and no middlemen. When you contact TCI Construction, you speak to the team who design, build and check your mould.
- A real Warwickshire workshopUnit 15, Waterloo Park, Bidford-on-Avon, Alcester B50 4JG.
- Real people on the phoneCall the team on 01789 224228, Monday to Friday.
- The same team on every jobDesign, production and aftercare come from the people you see here.
- Part of TCI GroupFive specialist brands, one engineering team. Visit TCI Group.
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