These are the questions our engineers hear most often when logistics and warehousing buyers source industrial dunnage and handling trays, answered in plain language with the numbers that matter.
This guide is written for engineers, purchasers and project managers who need a practical answer, not a resin data sheet.
This category covers a family of products rather than a single item. In practice a buyer defines industrial dunnage and handling 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 gauge 1.5 to 8.0 mm; ESD and conductive grades; stack and nest geometry. Materials most often specified are Polypropylene, Polycarbonate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, High Density Polyethylene, and the choice between them changes stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical behaviour and price.
In the logistics and warehousing sector the decision is usually driven by stackability and returnability, with traceability as a secondary requirement. Typical end uses include returnable trays, bakey distribution crates, dunnage trays.
The table below summarises the values that usually decide the material choice.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyethylene Terephthalate | 1.35-1.40 g/cm³ | 50-70 MPa | -40°C to 70°C |
| High Density Polyethylene | 0.94-0.97 g/cm³ | 20-32 MPa | -50°C to 80°C |
| Polycarbonate | 1.20 g/cm³ | 55-70 MPa | -40°C to 120°C |
High Density Polyethylene is frequently the default selection here: HDPE combines toughness with chemical inertness, which is why it dominates pipe and tank markets.
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 method drives both cost and performance, so it should be fixed early in the design.
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.
Work through these points in order and most specification mistakes disappear.
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.
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.
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.
Colour is controlled with a masterbatch reference approved by the customer, and every production lot is checked against the approved sample under standard lighting before shipment.
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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