Final answer:
The process of bending or deforming plastics in an oven is known as thermoforming option 1, which uses thermoplastic materials that can be reshaped upon heating and cooling.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of bending or deforming plastics in an oven is called thermoforming. Thermoforming is a manufacturing technique where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature and shaped into a specific form in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. This differs from other plastic-forming methods such as injection molding, where molten plastic is injected into a mold, and extrusion, where the material is pushed through a die to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile.
Specifically, thermoplastic materials are used in thermoforming as they can soften when heated and become firm again when cooled, allowing them to be reshaped by repeating the heating and cooling process. This characteristic is what distinguishes them from thermosetting polymers, which once hardened cannot be melted and reformed.