Custom thermoformed plastic trays present an easy-to-use and highly repeatable material handling solution for numerous customer bases and Allied Plastics has spent the last 30 years and counting engineering and manufacturing these trays for our customers.
In place of flimsy trays that only last once and must be discarded, thermoformed plastic trays are designed, engineered, and manufactured for longevity and repeated use. Different materials can be used in our heavy gauge operations to create the plastic trays your team and your customers need.
If you’re searching for a repeatable solution for your current plastic tray situation and that means ridding of single-use products, increasing cost-effectiveness, and more environmentally friendly solutions, the team at Allied Plastics and our custom thermoformed plastic trays are here to help.
Promote Sustainability, Cost-Effectiveness, and Repeatability
Multiple manufacturing methods can be used to create plastic trays, but custom thermoforming operations differ compared to alternative methods.
With thermoforming operations, customers save on costs from the get-go as tooling and mold creation is significantly lower compared to other plastic processing operations such as injection molding. Molds are also lighter and easier to store in comparison. Trays created through thermoforming operations are lightweight, but rigid enough structurally to keep items in place. This is pivotal for material handling operations, especially during transit, as items won’t shift nearly as much compared to paper trays or flexible bags.
Through faster lead times and proper engineering, thermoformed plastic trays are manufactured to last longer and promote repeatable manufacturing as needed.
Design Features and Custom Options
Not every thermoformed plastic tray is the same, and they shouldn’t be. Every manufacturer has different needs, and their trays need to reflect the necessary applications. At Allied Plastics, we have the means necessary to create the tray your team and customers need with multiple features in place to customize.
- Material selection
- Sheet thickness
- Additives
- Color and finishing options
- Logos and identification marks
- Integration with thermoformed pallets
- Access for lids and handles engineered for performance
Our engineering team can work with you to review design specifications, material usage, storage conditions, and how to maximize expected lifecycle.
Applications of Thermoformed Plastic Trays
Custom thermoformed plastic trays are seen and used throughout multiple industries with applications added every day. Some of the most common include:
- Industrial
- Material handling
- Automotive
- Returnable dunnage
- In-process material handling
- Automation trays
- Shipping and packaging inserts
- Heavy-gauge operation
- Medical and laboratory equipment
- Electronics
- Food and consumer packaging
Benefits of Thermoformed Trays
Cost-Effectiveness and Production Speeds
Thermoforming operations are cost-effective compared to other plastic processing operations such as injection molding as tooling costs are considerably lower. This means custom trays are more in line with your team’s budget. Increased production speeds are also a benefit of thermoforming thanks to rapid prototyping and short production cycles.
Enhanced Performance
Through design and engineering capabilities, thermoformed trays have enhanced performance features such as exact fits where specific item dimensions are used to create spots in trays to minimize shifts and impact damage.
Strength-to-Weight Ratio
Thermoforming promotes high strength-to-weight ratios and not just in trays. Parts are lightweight but offer stiffness and impact protection with less weight compared to metals or rigid reuseable packaging alternatives.
Contact Allied Plastics for Your Thermoformed Plastic Trays and Ease Your Material Handling Solutions
Allied Plastics is one of the premier custom thermoforming manufacturing companies in the United States. Since 1995, our team of designers, engineers, technicians, and senior leadership have been a guiding hand for our customers in our heavy-gauge thermoforming operations.
We specialize in heavy-gauge operations with custom parts in sizes up to 9 ft x 14 ft x 60” depth of draw. Starting sheet thicknesses can range from .060” – .550”. Our team has experience in Vacuum Forming a wide variety of materials, such as HMWPE, HDPE, TPO, ABS, PP, and PS. Committed to every aspect of your project, we offer a variety of custom thermoforming value added services including engineering, plastic sheet extrusion, assembly, product kitting, label application and die cutting.
As part of our material handling solutions, custom thermoformed trays offer OEMs and other customer bases with the products they need to simplify operations. Our material handling solutions undergo the same rigorous quality control and management procedures that all of our thermoforming operations go through including part validation, testing, and visual inspection to ensure variation and other defects are minimal.
Contact Allied Plastics today for more information regarding our custom thermoformed plastic trays and how we can ease your material handling situations.