Any of you diverse lot have access to industrial type vac-forming equipment? Looking at getting some polycarbonate formed but want to find a company I can trust and have some questions I need to ask. Parts are not big or particularly complex but the quality has to be good.

Try a local school. standard kit in most tech classrooms

I was looking around a while ago, and it just doesnt seem to be something that people want to do as a one-off.

I need some replacement headlamp covers, as the ones i have are crazed.

Actually for headlamp covers all you require is intact originals a couple of pieces of PET plastic ie plexi/lexan, a home stove type oven and a pair of cotton gloves.
Just heat the plastic at approx 200 F until it sags, then grab it and drape/pull it over the original piece to be copied. form /smooth it down with your nice cotton glove covered hands.. so you don't burn yourself or more importantly marr the plastic ;-)
Pull hard enough to make an exact imprint of the original.
IF you bungle it .. just reheat and try... again and again or untill you get it right.
That's how bespoke plastics are usually made.. by hand in a seemingly primitive technique.
It's Not Rokit Science Kids.

[Edited on 14/4/12 by Bare]

As above, there is a lot that can be done with domestic kit, oven, home made pattern, or even the original part and a vacuum cleaner.

Try and see just how much fun you can have,.....

youtube video thingy

I suspect that the beard and the sandals are optional

We have one at work- does battery box covers etc we also do drape moulding with kids using the very primitive plug and yoke technique. We have an oven, sadly no longer used for warming cornish pasties,and an A3 sized heat press which allows close control of temperature, hardly an industrial set up but it does work.
atb
Mike