When people ask us what we can create using thermoformed plastics, the answer we usually give is that virtually anything can be created using these versatile materials. People hire us to create packages, trays, parts and products. Basically, whatever you might need, we can create using thermoformed plastic.
There are two distinct categories of plastic, thermoformed and thermoset. These two terms sound very similar and both include the use of heat to mold and shape plastic. However, thermoformed plastic is plastic that can be melted down again and again and reused. At Indepak, we create products and packages using thin-gauge thermoformed plastics.
Thermoset plastic cannot be melted down for reuse and, as its name suggests, it is “set” permanently. While these types of plastics, unlike thermoformed plastics, cannot be recycled, they are quite strong and often used for items such as car parts or particleboard or flooring. These thermoset plastic items are meant to last for a very long time unlike a water bottle or a cookie tray made from thermoformed plastic, which can be recycled very easily.
At any rate, there are many different types of thermoformed plastics that we use, and each type has properties that make it ideal for different clients. For instance, for our food and pharmaceutical clients, we need to use products that are safe for storing foods and medicines. For these types of products, you might use plastics such as PET, HDPE, LDPE or PP.
It might interest you to know that some plastics are ideally suited to beverages while others are not. In addition, some types of plastic can be heated in microwaves or ovens safely, while others cannot. If you produce a beverage or a microwavable meal, we will find a type of thermoformed plastic that is safe for use to hold beverages or a tray material that is safe for microwave use.
Along the same lines as beverages, some plastics are ideally suitable for holding chemicals. These are thermoformed plastics that have good chemical resistance, which is a good option if you produce detergents, solvents, cleaners and so on. We can create any shape or size of plastic bottle to hold just about any liquid.
We also can create food storage containers and other types of storage containers using thermoformed plastics. We can create containers with matching lids and even create trays for these containers or create a container with compartments. Thermoformed trays are one of our most popular products, and we make these in all shapes and sizes for food companies, pharmaceutical companies, retail companies, agricultural companies and much more.
For a huge variety of retail clients, we create blister and clamshell packaging out of thermoformed plastics. Clamshells are popular within the food and restaurant industries, for take-out foods or bakery and produce items. We can also seal the clamshell packaging in a variety of ways for use with retail products. These sealing options include heat sealing for tamper resistance as well as using adhesives, labels and more.
Blister packs are another popular type of packaging. These are packages that typically combine thermoformed plastics and either a foil seal or a paperboard seal. For instance, an over-the-counter cold remedy package will include small plastic cavities to hold a single dose with a foil backing. A set of writing pens might have a paperboard backing that includes information about the product with a thermoformed plastic cover for the product which allows the consumer to view the product. These blister packs are used for everything from office supplies to electronics accessories to hardware and much more.
We also make a variety of parts and products using thermoformed plastics, so if you need a specific product, give us a call and we can figure out if thermoformed plastic is the best material for your needs.
