Recycled PET (rPET) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) are the two most quoted sheet materials for hardware and tool blister packaging in retail and merchandising projects. Both run well on standard thermoforming equipment, but they differ in clarity, toughness and sealing.
The notes below come from day to day production and export work with overseas buyers.
This category covers a family of products rather than a single item. In practice a buyer defines hardware and tool blister packaging 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 gauge 0.40 to 0.90 mm; reinforced flanges; slide blister and clamshell formats. Materials most often specified are Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polystyrene, Polyvinyl Chloride, Recycled PET, 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 pegboard blisters, promotional packs, counter displays.
The table below summarises the values that usually decide the material choice.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polystyrene | 1.04-1.06 g/cm³ | 30-50 MPa | -20°C to 70°C |
| Polyvinyl Chloride | 1.38-1.45 g/cm³ | 40-55 MPa | -10°C to 60°C |
| Recycled PET | 1.35-1.40 g/cm³ | 45-65 MPa | -40°C to 70°C |
Recycled PET is frequently the default selection here: Food-grade rPET requires a recognised recycling process plus solid-state polycondensation.
Recycled PET grades offer lower carbon footprint than virgin resin, while Polyethylene Terephthalate brings excellent barrier to CO2 and moisture. For retail and merchandising service the difference shows up in creep and in the long term behaviour under load.
Both materials can be validated quickly with a small sample run, which is the cheapest way to settle the argument for your own application.
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.
Each step below has its own control points, and skipping one of them is where most defects start.
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.
These are the criteria that actually predict whether the part will perform in service.
Send this list to your supplier with the drawing and you will receive comparable quotations from every factory you contact.
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.
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.
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.
For standard sizes and colours the minimum is usually one pallet or one production run; for custom tooling the economic minimum depends on the tooling cost amortised over the expected volume. Send us your annual volume and we will calculate the break even point.
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.
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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