3D printing brings exciting new options for thermoforming tray design.
Ability to provide day or overnight tray samples
Customers can use this service to easily, quickly and cost-effectively customize the tray design to meet specific marketing needs and preferences â € " whether the customization requirement is to adjust the size, add complex functions or include brand elements.
The main advantages of plastic tray 3D printing prototype
Provide customized differentiation. This can make the tray from ' general ' to ' outstanding '.
Using standard prototypes to develop custom pallets requires a lot of labor and time, and the delivery time is long and the cost is high. This may hinder small businesses or companies with limited budgets from prototype design.
3D printing greatly reduces the waste associated with traditional prototyping methods and makes it more environmentally friendly.
A fast and iterative method for making pallet prototypes
The 3D Printing Packaging Prototyping Service removes obstacles, shortening the prototyping process from weeks to months and then to hours, while reducing costs accordingly. It helps to iterate quickly and cheaply.
Savings in cost and time are closely related to specific projects and requirements. It is reported that for disposable trays made on printers, the turnaround time is about two days, which traditionally takes two to three weeks. The cost is about 1 % to 4 % of the traditional method, and the delivery time and cost are about half of the traditional method.
3D Printing Details : Printers and Polymers
According to the manufacturer, the main force of the 3D printing system is a pair of Form 3L systems manufactured by FormLabs. They are large-format stereolithography ( SLA ) printers using photopolymers and UV-activated resins. Thermoforming molds are produced using FormLabs ' Rigid 10K resin, which is capable of short-term thermoforming. Most of them are transparent resins.
These printers can print durable, high-quality samples with almost no visible layer lines. Thermoplastics such as ABS, PETG and nylon can be printed. So far, most of the trays made on printers are made of polylactic acid ( PLA ) and PETG.
At present, the commercialization process is ' slow but stable '. The first few months focused only on internal projects.
