Specification sheets for twin sheet thermoformed products are full of abbreviations. This guide translates sheet gauge, cavity layout and trim tolerance into decisions you can make.
Use it as a working checklist when you write your next enquiry.
This category covers a family of products rather than a single item. In practice a buyer defines twin sheet thermoformed products 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 integrated mounting bosses; hollow double wall structures; large panels over 2000 mm. Materials most often specified are Polypropylene, PC/ABS Alloy, Polycarbonate, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, 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 picking trays, bakey distribution crates, returnable trays.
The table below summarises the values that usually decide the material choice.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene | 1.04-1.06 g/cm³ | 30-50 MPa | -20°C to 80°C |
| Polycarbonate | 1.20 g/cm³ | 55-70 MPa | -40°C to 120°C |
| Polypropylene | 0.90-0.91 g/cm³ | 25-40 MPa | -10°C to 100°C |
PC/ABS Alloy is frequently the default selection here: PC/ABS is the standard engineering alloy for electronics housings that must survive a drop test.
These figures are typical for commercial grades and should be confirmed against the supplier's certificate for your specific lot.
When you read a supplier quotation, check that the dimension, the resin grade, the colour reference and the tolerance class are all stated. A quotation that only gives a price per piece is not comparable between suppliers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you are planning a new logistics and warehousing 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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