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 face seal blister 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 transparent, frosted and coloured; single and multi cavity layouts; sheet gauge 0.20 to 0.60 mm. Materials most often specified are Polyethylene Terephthalate, Recycled PET, Polypropylene, Polyvinyl Chloride, and the choice between them changes stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical behaviour and price.
In the cosmetics and personal care sector the decision is usually driven by product compatibility and optical clarity, with print quality as a secondary requirement. Typical end uses include travel size packs, razor packs, sample cards.
These figures are typical for commercial grades and should be confirmed against the supplier's certificate for your specific lot.
| 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 |
| Polyvinyl Chloride | 1.38-1.45 g/cm³ | 40-55 MPa | -10°C to 60°C |
Recycled PET is frequently the default selection here: Food-grade rPET requires a recognised recycling process plus solid-state polycondensation.
Understanding the cost structure makes supplier quotations comparable.
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.
The route below is the one most factories use for this type of part.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
Share your specification and quantity with us and we will recommend the most cost effective material, tooling route and packing method for your market.
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