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Materials guide
Seven polymers, each right for something and wrong for something else. This is how we choose, and how you can sanity-check a supplier’s recommendation, including ours.
Comparison
What we run and where each one fits
Thickness ranges below are what we form on our own machines, not general industry limits.
| Material | Full name | Thickness we form | Character | Food contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABS | Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene | 1.0 to 6.0 mm | Highest impact strength and rigidity of the range; textured or plain; opaque. | No |
| HIPS | High impact polystyrene | 0.3 to 3.0 mm | Easy to form with crisp detail, economical, dimensionally stable; opaque white, black or coloured. | Grade dependent |
| Rigid PVC | Rigid polyvinyl chloride | 0.15 to 0.8 mm | Glass-clear, excellent detail and sealing behaviour, cost-effective for thin blisters. | No |
| APET | Amorphous polyethylene terephthalate | 0.2 to 1.2 mm | Glass-clear with high gloss and good impact strength; recyclable (resin code 1). | Yes |
| GPET | Glycol-modified PET | 0.3 to 1.5 mm | PET with improved deep-draw and folding behaviour; clear and tough. | Yes |
| HDPE | High density polyethylene | 1.0 to 6.0 mm | Chemical resistant, tough at low temperature, matte finish; flexes rather than cracks. | Yes |
| PP | Polypropylene | 0.4 to 3.0 mm | Heat resistant (hot-fill and warm food), living-hinge capable, chemically inert. | Yes |
Selection guide
Start from the requirement, not the material
Find the row that matches your biggest constraint. If two constraints conflict, clarity and heat resistance, for instance, call us; that is a design conversation, not a catalogue choice.
Needs glass clarity
PVC, APET, GPET
Retail blisters, clamshells, display trays where the product must be seen.
Needs impact strength
ABS, HDPE
Returnable industrial trays and covers that take knocks and stacking loads.
Needs heat resistance
PP
Warm or hot-filled food, wash-down handling, autoclave-adjacent use.
Needs chemical resistance
HDPE, PP
Oils, solvents, cleaning agents and nutrient solutions.
Needs food contact
APET, PP, HDPE
Direct food contact, we use food-grade sheet from established suppliers.
Needs static control
Anti-static HIPS, conductive grades
PCB, IC and sensor handling in ESD-controlled areas.
Needs lowest cost
HIPS
Internal trays and inserts where clarity and strength are not critical.
Needs deep draw
GPET, ABS, HIPS
Tall pockets and deep boxes without thinning corners.
Gauge selection
Thickness drives cost and stiffness
Material is usually the largest share of a formed part’s cost, and thickness is the lever you control. Going one step thicker than necessary can add double-digit percentages to piece price; going one step thinner can cost you a rejected shipment.
| Range | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 0.15 to 0.35 mm | Thin retail blisters, blister cards, light inserts |
| 0.35 to 0.60 mm | Clamshells, food trays, sealable blister trays |
| 0.60 to 1.20 mm | Display trays, deeper clamshells, component trays |
| 1.2 to 3.0 mm | Reusable component trays, ESD trays, covers |
| 3.0 to 6.0 mm | Heavy returnable trays, machine covers, load-bearing parts |
Sustainability
Less material, cleanly recycled
Thermoforming has a genuine advantage here: the skeleton left after trimming is a clean, single-polymer stream. We keep material streams separated so trim waste can be reground and recycled rather than landfilled.
- Right-gauge engineering, we recommend the thinnest section that still performs
- Nesting and cavity layout designed to cut sheet consumption per part
- Single-polymer packs are easier for your customer to recycle than mixed-material packs
- APET and PP carry widely accepted recycling codes (1 and 5)
- Returnable trays that last years displace repeated single-use packaging
Ask us about switching a single-use pack to a returnable tray. Where volumes justify it, the cost per shipment usually falls after the first year.
Material questions
Frequently asked
Can you match the material of a sample we send?
Yes. We identify the polymer and gauge from the sample and quote a matching tool. If the existing pack is over-specified, a common finding, we will tell you where cost can come out safely.
Do you supply food-grade material documentation?
We source food-grade sheet from established suppliers and pass on their documentation with the order when you ask for it at the enquiry stage. Confirm the requirement in writing so we buy the correct grade from the start.
Which materials can be anti-static?
HIPS is the usual choice, in anti-static or carbon-loaded conductive grades; PVC is available in anti-static grades too. Tell us the surface-resistivity range your process requires so we specify the correct sheet.
Can you form recycled or bio-based sheet?
We can form recycled-content sheet where a reliable grade is available and the application allows it. Regrind behaves differently from virgin material, so we sample before committing to a production run.
What colours are available?
Clear in PVC, APET and GPET. White, black and standard colours in HIPS, ABS, HDPE and PP subject to sheet availability. Custom colour usually needs a minimum sheet order, we will confirm at quotation.
Next step
Not sure which polymer to specify?
Describe the part, the load and the environment. We will recommend a material and gauge, and say why, including when the cheaper option is genuinely good enough.