8477.40.01.00 - Vacuum-molding machines and other thermoforming machines

This HTS category encompasses machinery specifically designed for vacuum molding and other thermoforming processes. These machines utilize heat and vacuum to shape plastic materials, often into a predetermined mold cavity. Examples include machines that form plastic sheets into packaging, trays, and various consumer goods. The core functionality is the application of vacuum to draw heated plastic into a mold, creating the desired product shape.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings, injection-molding machines (8477.10) inject molten plastic into a closed mold, while extruders (8477.20.00) push molten plastic through a die to create continuous profiles. Blow-molding machines (8477.30.00.00) use air pressure to inflate a parison or preform within a mold. This vacuum-molding category is for machines that rely primarily on the creation of a vacuum to draw the material into the mold, a distinct method of plastic shaping.

As a leaf node, HTS 8477.40.01.00 represents the most specific classification for these types of machines. Classification within this code relies on the machine's primary operational method being vacuum or thermoforming. If a machine performs multiple functions, its classification will depend on the predominant or defining process for which it was designed and manufactured.