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.
Everything here can be checked on a real sample before you commit to a production order.
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 freezer grade to -20°C; 1 to 8 compartment layouts; barrier EVOH/PE structures. Materials most often specified are Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polypropylene, Recycled PET, Polylactic Acid, 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 dump bins, pegboard blisters, shelf trays.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polylactic Acid | 1.24 g/cm³ | 50-60 MPa | up to 55°C (HDT) |
| Polyethylene Terephthalate | 1.35-1.40 g/cm³ | 50-70 MPa | -40°C to 70°C |
| Polystyrene | 1.04-1.06 g/cm³ | 30-50 MPa | -20°C to 70°C |
Recycled PET is frequently the default selection here: Food-grade rPET requires a recognised recycling process plus solid-state polycondensation.
Typical values for a general purpose grade are listed below; filled, stabilised and speciality compounds will differ.
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 retail and merchandising 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 retail and merchandising 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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