If you specify Recycled PET (rPET) for thermoformed food 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 thermoformed food 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 barrier EVOH/PE structures; 1 to 8 compartment layouts; gauge 0.30 to 1.20 mm. Materials most often specified are Recycled PET, Polylactic Acid, Polystyrene, Polypropylene, 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 bakey distribution crates, returnable trays, parts supermarket trays.
The table below summarises the values that usually decide the material choice.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recycled PET | 1.35-1.40 g/cm³ | 45-65 MPa | -40°C to 70°C |
| Polyethylene Terephthalate | 1.35-1.40 g/cm³ | 50-70 MPa | -40°C to 70°C |
| Polylactic Acid | 1.24 g/cm³ | 50-60 MPa | up to 55°C (HDT) |
Recycled PET is frequently the default selection here: Food-grade rPET requires a recognised recycling process plus solid-state polycondensation.
The table below summarises the values that usually decide the material choice.
Density 1.35-1.40 g/cm³, tensile strength 45-65 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 logistics and warehousing 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Our team supplies thermoformed food trays to logistics and warehousing customers worldwide, with samples, material certificates and full inspection reports available before mass production.
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