UK-based start-up Mayku has released a vacuum former that's powered by a Hoover and small enough to fit on a desktop.
FormBox ? which was funded for more than $500,000 on Kickstarter ? shrinks and simplifies the usual vacuum forming machine, making it more accessible for people working on small projects.

The machine allows users to quickly replicate three-dimensional forms using sheets of thermoplastic. They can then use the moulds to cast different materials ? making quick prototypes or potentially finished products at home.
Typically, vacuum formers are much larger and more unwieldy; however, FormBox has been designed to fit comfortably into someone's office or studio.

"We're super excited about getting FormBox into the hands of people who might not traditionally think about buying a large-scale vacuum former ? chefs, chocolatiers, crafters, artists and people who are just getting into the world of making," Mayku founder Ben Redford told Dezeen. FormBox is part of a growing trend that's seen industrial processes opened up to individual makers. In particular, 3D-printing has made prototyping designs more accessible in recent years.

"It feels to us like 3D-printing was the tip of the iceberg," Redford added. "Now there's a really fascinating scene forming of companies making smaller versions of industrial-scale machines.
"We think there's a growing attraction to small-batch, locally made products that retain the qualities and consistency o...