Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Polypropylene (PP) are the two most quoted sheet materials for pharmaceutical blister packaging in retail and merchandising projects. Both run well on standard thermoforming equipment, but they differ in clarity, toughness and sealing.
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 pharmaceutical 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 PVDF coated PVC for high barrier; cavity layouts 4 to 30 tablets; film gauge 200 to 350 micron. Materials most often specified are Polyvinyl Chloride, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polyvinylidene Fluoride, Polypropylene, 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, promotional packs, shelf trays.
Typical values for a general purpose grade are listed below; filled, stabilised and speciality compounds will differ.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyethylene Terephthalate | 1.35-1.40 g/cm³ | 50-70 MPa | -40°C to 70°C |
| Polyvinyl Chloride | 1.38-1.45 g/cm³ | 40-55 MPa | -10°C to 60°C |
| Polypropylene | 0.90-0.91 g/cm³ | 25-40 MPa | -10°C to 100°C |
Polyvinyl Chloride is frequently the default selection here: PVC can be formulated from rigid pipe compound to soft medical grade by changing plasticiser content.
Polyvinyl Chloride grades offer inherently flame retardant, while Polypropylene brings lowest density among commodity plastics. For retail and merchandising service the difference shows up in UV stability and in the long term behaviour under load.
Both materials can be validated quickly with a small sample run, which is the cheapest way to settle the argument for your own application.
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.
These are the criteria that actually predict whether the part will perform in service.
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.
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. 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.
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.
Our team supplies pharmaceutical blister packaging to retail and merchandising customers worldwide, with samples, material certificates and full inspection reports available before mass production.
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