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.
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 thermoformed lids and domes 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 flat, dome and high clearance designs; gauge 0.25 to 0.60 mm; anti-fog and vented options. Materials most often specified are Polylactic Acid, Polypropylene, Polyethylene Terephthalate, 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 counter displays, dump bins, shelf trays.
The table below summarises the values that usually decide the material choice.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polylactic Acid | 1.24 g/cm³ | 50-60 MPa | up to 55°C (HDT) |
| Recycled PET | 1.35-1.40 g/cm³ | 45-65 MPa | -40°C to 70°C |
| Polystyrene | 1.04-1.06 g/cm³ | 30-50 MPa | -20°C to 70°C |
Polylactic Acid is frequently the default selection here: PLA is compostable in industrial facilities, not in a backyard heap, so label it carefully.
Unit price in thermoforming is dominated by material, cycle time and freight. Here is where the money goes.
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.
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.
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.
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. {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.
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.
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.
Our team supplies thermoformed lids and domes to retail and merchandising customers worldwide, with samples, material certificates and full inspection reports available before mass production.
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