Companies have many options when it comes to packing, shipping and storing their products. From wood to cardboard to metal, there are a wide variety of available materials. But perhaps no material is as versatile as plastic. Plastic offers a range of advantages for shipping products, be it across the country or around the block, as well as for storage and warehousing. When plastic is custom molded using thermoforming, it offers even more advantages.
Here are five reasons to use plastic thermoforming for your packaging and shipping needs:
- Thermoformed Plastic Is Affordable
- Thermoformed Plastic Is Protective
- Thermoformed Plastic Is Durable
- Thermoformed Plastic Is Moisture Resistant
- Thermoformed Plastic Is Recyclable
Let’s take a closer look at these advantages.
THERMOFORMED PLASTIC IS AFFORDABLE
Packaging represents a significant cost for many companies. Plastic can help reduce those costs. Plastic is cheaper than other packaging materials. Also, because of its lighter weight, plastic is less costly to ship and helps reduce transportation costs. Plastic is light, resulting in big cost savings when transporting truckloads of packed products. When the peanut maker Planters switched from glass to plastic, they reduced their shipping weight by 84%!
Plastic makes it less expensive to get products to consumers or suppliers, as well as less expensive to get after-use materials to recycling centers.
Thermoformed plastic is less expensive than other types of molded plastic, such as injection molding. Molds for thermoforming are less costly. And they can be made faster, resulting in quicker turnaround times and lower manufacturing costs. Especially for large parts, thermoforming is more cost-effective.
THERMOFORMED PLASTIC IS PROTECTIVE
Thermoformed plastic is more protective than other packaging materials. Glass can shatter, aluminum can dent, cardboard can tear, wood can break. Plastic? It’s nearly indestructible. And even if it does crack and or get scratched, it usually retains its strength and usability.
Plastic is also tamper-proof, waterproof and can be made to be fire-proof. Plastic can be thermoformed into nearly any shape and be made to custom-fit the contours of intricate parts to keep them from moving around while in transit or storage.
THERMOFORMED PLASTIC IS DURABLE AND VERSATILE
Heavy-gauge plastic, the kind Vantage Plastics specializes in, can be made into any type of custom plastic packaging you might need in just about any shape or size. Plastic containers absorb trauma without breaking or cracking. This durability helps shipping companies fit more products into shipping containers without worrying about breakage.
With plastic, we can:
- Precisely fit packaging to your product
- Manufacture packaging into a box, sphere, cylinder, or any other shape.
- Seal a product tightly
- Create packaging for things as small as batteries or as large as a pallet of car doors
- Package everything from foods to chemicals to liquids to dry goods
THERMOFORMED PLASTIC IS MOISTURE RESISTANT
Moisture is harmful to virtually any product. It causes food to spoil, metals products to rust, clothing to rot, and electronic goods to fail. Plastics are moisture-resistant and can protect your products as they rest on a shelf, even in humid environments. Plastics are ideal for food, medicines and pharmaceuticals. The plastic helps seal in flavor and preserve food products for a longer period of time.
THERMOFORMED PLASTIC IS SUSTAINABLE
While single-use plastic gets a bad rap as being harmful to the environment, plastics used for shipping and dunnage are made to be recyclable and reusable and can be used over and over again.
Eco-friendly plastics now exist that are made from recycled materials or other substances, such as corn starch. Additionally, because plastic weighs less than other packaging materials, the amount of energy needed to transport plastic is far less, saving on fossil fuel usage.
At Vantage, we have a sister company, Edge Materials Management, that operates as a plastics recycling facility. Edge allows us to grind trays, pallets, plastic scrap and other appropriate plastic products in our facility. This permits us to offer customers the option of using reground material in their packaging products, thereby reducing cost and helping the environment.
CHOOSE A PLASTIC THERMOFORMING MANUFACTURER YOU CAN TRUST
At Vantage Plastics, we can design and manufacture any type of thermoformed product you might need. Protecting products in transit and storage is extremely vital and is what we do best. We have many solutions to meet your unique requirements. Contact us or call 989-846-1029 to discover how we can serve you!