Thermoformed Pallets
Thermoformed Pallets - Vacuum Formed Plastic Pallets, Custom Engineered
If you're relying on cardboard or wood pallets and think they're "good enough" for safe, efficient shipping, it's worth taking a hard look at vacuum-formed plastic industrial packaging. Thermoplastic packaging is engineered for repeated use and solves many of the issues associated with traditional materials.
Vacuum-formed thermoplastic packaging is reusable and returnable, helping reduce replacement cycles and keep packaging costs more predictable. It's also lighter than wood, which can improve handling and potentially reduce freight weight. Unlike cardboard, it won't soften, warp, or fail when exposed to moisture because it's waterproof and highly resistant to the rigors of everyday shipping.
Plastic industrial packaging is also designed for modern logistics. Options can be stackable, rackable, and nestable, allowing you to store more packaging in less space and move it more efficiently through your facility. Because thermoplastics are germ-resistant and easy to clean, they're a strong fit for operations where cleanliness matters: food, pharma, medical, clean manufacturing, and general industrial supply chains.
Plastic pallets weigh significantly less than wood, making them easier to lift and handle safely. Because they're reusable and recyclable, they're also more environmentally friendly. Thermoformed pallets are manufactured to meet established Federal International Standards without the heat treatment and fumigation steps required for wood pallets to meet the same standards.
How Thermoformed Pallets Are Built:
♦ Mirror Image Design: the pallet can serve as either a base or a top cap for sleeve packs or tray packs, with legs that interlock when stacked.
♦ Standard Nine Legs provide increased stability and strength on standard base pallets.
♦ Twin Sheet Construction: two heated plastic sheets are vacuum formed separately, then pressed together to fuse different materials, thicknesses, and colors into a sturdier, more attractive pallet.
♦ Reinforced Construction: aluminum bars are formed directly into the pallet for extra load strength.
Example Custom Build: Thermoformed Twin Sheet Plastic Pallet
♦ Designed for a leading footwear and apparel manufacturer, 48" x 48" stackable plastic pallet.
♦ Material: Black HMWPE, starting gauge of .187" for both sheets. Weight approximately 32 pounds.
♦ Compatibility: Four-way forklift and two-way pallet jack entry.
♦ Entry Markings: White stripe indicates entry points for order pickers and pallet jacks (other colors available).
♦ Reinforcement: Steel rivets around the base perimeter for added strength.
♦ Design Enhancements: Beveled conveyor straps for smoother pallet jack entry and exit, with drain holes in each support leg.
Selecting the Right Configuration:
♦ Application: choose Mirror Image design when the pallet needs to serve as both a base and a stacking top cap.
♦ Load strength: add aluminum bar reinforcement for applications needing extra load strength beyond standard twin-sheet construction.
♦ Custom specifications: thermoformed pallets are built to your project's size, material, and entry requirements; contact CustomMHS to scope a custom design.
Where Commonly Used:
♦ Footwear and Apparel Manufacturing: custom pallets support repeat-use shipping cycles.
♦ Food, Pharma, and Medical Supply Chains: germ-resistant, easy-to-clean surfaces suit cleanliness-sensitive operations.
♦ General Industrial Supply Chains: stackable, rackable, and nestable designs improve warehouse efficiency.
♦ Moisture-Prone Shipping Environments: waterproof construction outperforms cardboard in humid or wet conditions.
CustomMHS engineers custom thermoformed pallets from concept through production, backed by the manufacturer's warranty.
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Custom Thermoformed Twin Sheet Plastic Pallet Key Features:
This pallet combines strength and ease of use, designed to meet demanding material handling needs |
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What is thermoforming? Thermoforming is a generic term for the process of producing plastic parts from a flat sheet of plastic under temperature and pressure. At the highest level of technology, thermoforming offers close tolerances, tight specifications, and sharp detail. When combined with advanced finishing techniques, high-technology thermoforming results in products comparable to those formed by injection molding. |
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What are the benefits of thermoforming? Thermoforming is efficient and very cost-effective for the production of many plastic parts, depending on their size, shape, and quantity. Initial project costs are usually much lower, and lead times to tooling and production are generally much shorter than other processes. |
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Need a reason to choose plastic pallets over conventional wood pallets or other types of pallets? Plastic pallets weigh significantly less, making them easier to lift and handle safely. Because they're reusable and recyclable, plastic pallets are also more environmentally friendly. Our plastic pallets are also manufactured through plastic thermoforming to meet established Federal International Standards. For wood pallets to meet these standards, they must go through heat treatment and fumigation processes - costly steps that plastic pallets eliminate. |
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Plastic pallets are designed using plastic thermoforming for durability, making them a much more cost-effective choice than wood pallets, which often fall apart within months. When you consider the years of service your plastic pallets will provide, the savings can really add up. Thermoformed Pallets Feature: Mirror Image: This plastic pallet can be used as both a base pallet and a top cap for sleeve or tray packs. When used as a top cap, the legs interlock with the pallet beneath. Standard Nine-Legs: A standard base plastic pallet with nine legs for increased stability and strength. Twin Sheet: Two sheets of heated plastic are vacuum-formed into their respective molds, then pressed together, forming a sturdy bond along the perimeter and at select points of the pallet. This process allows materials of different compositions, thicknesses, and colors to be fused, creating a sturdier, more attractive pallet. Reinforced: To provide extra load strength, aluminum bars are formed directly into the pallet. |
| How do we make your thermoformed product? A team of engineers is dedicated to taking your project from conceptual design through first part approval, tool machining, prototyping, and production run start-to-finish. | ||
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The pallet sheet is put into the machine frame |
Plastic is heated before forming |
A pallet is formed under pressure |
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Pallet is released from the mold |
The optional steel insert is formed |
The steel frame is riveted to the pallet |
| Why Choose Custom Equipment Company? See examples of finished product | ||
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CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION, 866-333-0728
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