Unit price in thermoforming is dominated by material, cycle time and freight. Here is the full cost structure and the levers that actually move the number.
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 slide blister and sleeve 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 printed card sleeves; sleeve and tray combinations; hanging hole options. Materials most often specified are Polyvinyl Chloride, Recycled PET, Polystyrene, Polyethylene Terephthalate, and the choice between them changes stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical behaviour and price.
In the toys and games sector the decision is usually driven by child safety and presentation, with durability as a secondary requirement. Typical end uses include game inserts, model kit trays, collector windows.
Typical values for a general purpose grade are listed below; filled, stabilised and speciality compounds will differ.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyvinyl Chloride | 1.38-1.45 g/cm³ | 40-55 MPa | -10°C to 60°C |
| Polystyrene | 1.04-1.06 g/cm³ | 30-50 MPa | -20°C to 70°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.
These are the levers buyers can actually influence when negotiating a thermoformed part.
Ask your supplier to quote two gauges and two cavity layouts; the difference shows which lever is worth optimising for your volume.
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.
Use this checklist when comparing two or three supplier quotations.
Send this list to your supplier with the drawing and you will receive comparable quotations from every factory you contact.
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.
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.
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.
If you are planning a new toys and games project, send us your drawing, annual volume and target properties, and we will come back with a material proposal, a tooling plan and a budget quotation.
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