The packaging industry is mostly dominated by sheet metal, plastics, and paper. Paper has mostly used in the form of large boxes that are known as cartons. The paper is mostly used in cartons for transportation and is not feasible as it is not water-proof or at best weather-proof.
Metals are used because of their strength but are slowly getting replaced by plastics. Plastics are for sure not as tough as metals but thermoformed plastics can relatively match the durability and can match on strength in some cases.
Here are five good reasons to switch over to thermoformed plastic.
1. Lightweight
Thermoformed plastic parts can be 7 times lighter than most metals and offer similar resistance to external impacts. Lighter parts reduced shipping costs due to increased fuel efficiency due to the reduced weight of the freight. These reduced costs can impact the revenue generated by a manufacturer.This can be an important factor when the final product, depends upon the automotive or aerospace industries where fuel consumption is a strong consideration.
Lowering the weight shall result in lower manpower needed for handling the logistics of the goods. This would save additional costs and would impact the revenues in a positive manner.
2. Fabrication Process
Metal fabrication is lengthy while plastic can be molded easily. Apart from designing, cutting, welding, and painting a metal sheet would require an additional effort which can be skipped while molding the plastic, which can be colored during the molding process itself. This means that in the case of metal, it is a 4-step process that gets reduced to a single process when plastic is used.
While we shouldn’t really compare high tensile strength metals like stainless steel with plastics but if compared, the plastic would at least cut your costs up to four times. Additionally, there are no fluctuating market prices for metals which can become a burden on revenues.
3. Production Time
Production time is a significant aspect as on-time delivery is a critical condition to keep your production line running smoothly. Because there are fewer steps required to manufacture a plastic part, your production time tends to be much shorter with metal fabrication. The manpower required for thermoforming is less intense and so does the machinery including the need for raw materials. This makes production faster, more efficient, and more trouble-free due to the usage of lighter machines as compared to metals.
4.Sustainable for Mother Nature
Plastic suffers from a bad reputation and is tagged as a harmful element to our environment. Luckily, plastic scrap can be recycled and reintroduced into the extrusion process. This process can be used to again make new parts.
5. Flexibility in Design
Metals are hard to mold and they need heavy machinery to fabricate which means maintenance costs are an additional burden on the revenue. The flexibility issues with metals increase with an increase in the complexity of the part that needs to be molded. On the other hand, as part complexity increases with thermoformed plastics, the impact on the cost remains relatively flat.Make the Switch to Thermoformed Plastic
Thermoforming Plastics are often a better choice than metal components. The packaging industry is a low-margin industry and with increasing competition switching to plastics is worth it. With time thermoformed plastics are getting more durable and by utilizing recycled plastic waste, the upfront raw material costs are lower than most metals.Blisterspack.com shall help you to switch to thermoformed plastics with guidance on your transition. You can contact us or fill “Request a Quote” form to get started.