If you specify Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) for returnable and reusable thermoformed trays, a handful of properties decide whether the part survives forming and service. These are the values worth checking on every data sheet.
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 returnable and reusable thermoformed 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 6.0 mm; standard footprints 400 x 600 mm; stack and nest configurations. Materials most often specified are Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, High Density Polyethylene, Polycarbonate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, and the choice between them changes stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical behaviour and price.
In the food and beverage sector the decision is usually driven by food contact compliance and migration limits, with seal integrity as a secondary requirement. Typical end uses include fresh produce punnets, takeaway containers, bakery inserts.
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 |
| Polypropylene | 0.90-0.91 g/cm³ | 25-40 MPa | -10°C to 100°C |
| High Density Polyethylene | 0.94-0.97 g/cm³ | 20-32 MPa | -50°C to 80°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.
These figures are typical for commercial grades and should be confirmed against the supplier's certificate for your specific lot.
Density 1.35-1.40 g/cm³, tensile strength 50-70 MPa, continuous service temperature -40°C to 70°C and melt range 245-265°C are the four values to circle on the data sheet. Everything else is secondary for most food and beverage projects.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes. {mat1} is one of our regular materials for this item, and we can supply virgin, modified and certified grades with full traceability. Material certificates and test reports are issued per batch.
Our team supplies returnable and reusable thermoformed trays to food and beverage customers worldwide, with samples, material certificates and full inspection reports available before mass production.
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