Tips for Purchasing Thermoformed Plastic Pallets

Thermoformed plastic pallets or trays could be a great answer for you if you are regularly shipping parts or products to a dedicated destination or customer.

You will get a better product design and a more accurate initial price quote if you provide your supplier with the actual product you will be packaging in the beginning of the process. This will allow your supplier to design your pallet or tray to match the specific touch, feel, and specifications of your product.
Determine if your product is capable of support weight and can be stacked upon. If your product is able to support weight you can order a smaller plastic tray and will pay a lower price per tray as your returnable plastic trays will not need to be as deep.
Your returnable plastic pallets and trays should be designed so that they can be stacked and nested. This will allow them to stack on top of each other when they are loaded and to fit inside each other when they are empty. You will save on storage and freight costs when you have thermoformed plastic pallets and trays that will nest as they will use less space.
To help your operators determine whether your plastic trays are empty or full think about having your thermoformed plastic trays marked with a stripe that is at least 1 inch wide and that runs around the entire length or width in a separate color that the plastic trays. This will save labor costs and provide for ease of storage.
Prior to placing a production order ask for concept sketches that show the overall dimensions of your plastic pallets or trays. This way it will be clear to everyone how these pallets or trays will look and function.
Think about having a production tool made instead of a wood prototype tool. It can take about 2 weeks to create a prototype tool which is very rough. You can make reasonable adjustments to production tooling. Ordering production tooling can save the additional cost associated with a prototype tool, as well as speed up the complete design and production schedule.
When your production tooling has been completed take time to evaluate different thicknesses of plastic. You can save money by having your thermoformed plastic pallet or tray made using thinner material. However, it is important to know that thicker material may give you better performance after it has been thermoformed.
Testing different thicknesses will give you the opportunity to make an educated choice prior to ordering a large quantity.
Be sure that your company information is put onto your thermoformed plastic pallets or trays with either a stamp or plate. Important information to include is your company name, address, and contact information. Providing this information will help ensure that your plastic pallets or trays are returned to you when they are empty.
Some suppliers will repurchase your used thermoformed plastic pallets and trays for recycling when you are done using them. While you will only get the scrap value of the material, it is still better than nothing.
It is a good idea to purchase additional pallets or trays, 10 -25 for example, so that you have some on hand in case of an emergency. This is also a good idea in case some trays get misplaced or lost, as it is not cost effective to run small a reorder with only a small quantity of pallets or trays.

Conclusion
Thermoformed plastic pallets or trays could be a great answer for you if you are regularly shipping parts or products to a dedicated destination or customer. These pallets and trays usually pay for themselves within a year and half, and will stand up to normal use conditions for years. Be sure to get advice from your packaging professional prior to ordering any new supplies.

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