Behind every consistent thermoformed part there is a controlled process. This article walks through sheet extrusion, heating, forming, trimming and the inspection steps that matter.
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 thermoformed point of sale display 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 multi tier and stepped designs; printed graphics and logo embossing; gauge 0.50 to 2.00 mm. Materials most often specified are Polyvinyl Chloride, Polystyrene, Recycled PET, Polypropylene, 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 gift set inserts, mascara blisters, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polystyrene | 1.04-1.06 g/cm³ | 30-50 MPa | -20°C to 70°C |
| 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 |
Polyvinyl Chloride is frequently the default selection here: PVC can be formulated from rigid pipe compound to soft medical grade by changing plasticiser content.
Each step below has its own control points, and skipping one of them is where most defects start.
Critical control points are melt temperature, cooling time and the inspection of the first pieces of every shift. A stable process is documented with a parameter sheet that travels with the tool.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Our team supplies thermoformed point of sale display trays to cosmetics and personal care customers worldwide, with samples, material certificates and full inspection reports available before mass production.
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