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Design Guide for PET Thermoformed Point of Sale Display Trays in retail and merchandising: Draft, Radii and Draw Ratio

2026-10-02 Plastic News 0 views

Thermoforming rewards designs that respect how a heated sheet stretches. These rules prevent most tooling rework and most thickness complaints.

The notes below come from day to day production and export work with overseas buyers.

Product Overview

This category covers a family of products rather than a single item. In practice a buyer defines thermoformed point of sale display trays by three things: the base resin, the format or dimension, and the performance or certification level it has to meet. Typical options in this category include stackable for transport; multi tier and stepped designs; counter and shelf formats. Materials most often specified are Polyethylene Terephthalate, Recycled PET, Polypropylene, Polyvinyl Chloride, and the choice between them changes stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical behaviour and price.

In the retail and merchandising sector the decision is usually driven by shelf presentation and print quality, with stack strength as a secondary requirement. Typical end uses include promotional packs, shelf trays, pegboard blisters.

Key Material Properties

Typical values for a general purpose grade are listed below; filled, stabilised and speciality compounds will differ.

MaterialDensityTensile strengthService temperature
Polyethylene Terephthalate1.35-1.40 g/cm³50-70 MPa-40°C to 70°C
Polyvinyl Chloride1.38-1.45 g/cm³40-55 MPa-10°C to 60°C
Recycled PET1.35-1.40 g/cm³45-65 MPa-40°C to 70°C

Polyethylene Terephthalate is frequently the default selection here: High IV PET resin is the reason a 1.5 L bottle can be light yet hold carbonation pressure.

Design Rules for Thermoformed Parts

Apply these points before the tool is cut; after that every change costs tooling and time.

  • Design uniform wall thickness by avoiding abrupt depth changes in the same cavity.
  • Use a draft angle of at least 3 degrees per side so the part releases without vacuum locks.
  • Avoid undercuts unless the tool has moving sections, which adds cost to every cycle.
  • Keep the draw ratio moderate: deep cavities thin the sheet and force you to start with a thicker gauge.
  • Make corner radii at least equal to the sheet thickness; sharp corners are where holes start.
  • Leave a flat sealing flange of at least 6 mm when the pack has to be heat sealed or lidded.

Send these rules to your designer together with the sheet gauge and the target cycle time; most tooling modifications come from ignoring draft and corner radii.

Common Grades and Variants

  • Polystyrene based: rigid and glossy
  • Polyethylene Terephthalate based: excellent barrier to CO2 and moisture
  • Polyvinyl Chloride based: inherently flame retardant
  • Polypropylene based: lowest density among commodity plastics

Beyond the base resin, most suppliers offer UV stabilised, food contact, flame retardant, anti-static and recycled content versions of the same product. Ask which additive package is included, because it is often the difference between a part that lasts three years and one that lasts ten.

Processing and Finishing Options

Each step below has its own control points, and skipping one of them is where most defects start.

  • Pressure forming
  • Die cutting
  • Assembly
  • Printing

Secondary operations such as printing, welding, machining and assembly are often cheaper to do in the same factory, and they reduce the risk of mismatch between components.

How to Specify Thermoformed point of sale display trays Correctly

Work through these points in order and most specification mistakes disappear.

  1. design for flat packing to cut freight
  2. use one colour reference for the whole campaign
  3. validate print adhesion and abrasion
  4. check stack strength for the loaded display
  5. confirm the display location and lighting conditions

Send this list to your supplier with the drawing and you will receive comparable quotations from every factory you contact.

Frequently Asked Questions

What packing and shipping options are available?

Standard packing is export cartons on fumigation-free pallets, with custom labelling, barcode and retail packing available. We also handle consolidated containers and door to door delivery.

Do you offer samples?

Yes. Standard samples are normally free of charge and shipped within three working days; custom samples are charged at cost and credited against the first production order.

Which certifications can you provide?

We can provide ISO 9001 quality system documentation, material certificates, RoHS and REACH statements, and where applicable food contact, flame retardancy or drinking water approvals. Tell us your target market and we will match the document set.

How long does tooling and sampling take?

A new tool typically takes 25 to 45 days depending on cavity count and complexity, followed by T1 samples within one week. Existing tools can usually start production within 10 to 15 days of order confirmation.

What tolerance can be achieved?

Standard production tolerance follows the relevant ISO or DIN tolerance class for the process; tighter tolerances are possible after machining or grinding, but they add cost. Define the tolerance only on the functional dimensions.

Conclusion

Share your specification and quantity with us and we will recommend the most cost effective material, tooling route and packing method for your market.

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