Forming of vacuum bag packaging

A system for forming a packaging material to a desired configuration, the system comprising:

• a forming chamber configured to receive the packaging material, the forming chamber including a body and a closure sealingly engageable with the body and moveable between an open configuration for placement of the packaging material into the forming chamber and a closed configuration in which the forming chamber is sealed with the packing material wholly within the sealed forming chamber;
• a vacuum system fluidly communicating with the forming chamber and operable to establish a vacuum within the sealed forming chamber around the entire packaging material;
• a forming die positioned within the forming chamber;
• and
• an actuator operable to urge the packaging material and the forming die into engagement with one another while the vacuum system maintains the vacuum within the forming chamber.