Characteristics of Plastic Tray
- Trays made from plastic usually come in different sizes and shapes but the most typical are oval and rectangular forms with the cutout or attached handles for convenience in carrying them.
- Plastic trays are highly versatile. They can be used to carry other items besides food. Plastic Tray is common and popular for both retail and not-retail products.
- Plastic trays are manufactured to be highly durable or flimsy. Durable trays are often used for heavier items like tools or television sets while those that are flimsy are used for breads, cakes, chocolates and other food items that are light in weight.
- The types of materials with which the trays are made of depend upon the requirements of the client and the products for which they are going to be used. Even the design can be dictated by the client. For example, trays that are used in the cafeteria have those shallow compartments on which food can be placed without requiring plates.
- Plastic trays that are made for surgical instruments are often durable enough to allow cleaning and sterilization. In fact, these trays can also be used for shipping because they can be molded to tightly grip fragile items like syringes and other pharmaceutical products.
Materials used in the manufacture of plastic trays
Raw materials used for plastics are polypropylene or polyethylene. Polypropylene is a type of thermoplastic polymer resin from which most household items are made of. The uses of polypropylene are so numerous that the global market for this type of plastic is 45.1 million tons or about $65 billion in the consumer market. Polypropylene works well for food containers because it can withstand temperatures in microwaves and dishwashers. It is also easy to customize with colors without degrading the quality of the material. However, its best advantages are resistance to water and molds
Polyethylene is the most common plastic with an annual global production of approximately 80 million tons. This plastic material is popularly made into grocery bags, shampoo bottles, toys and trays. Some of its advantages are impact resistance, good cold tolerance and resistance to environmental stresses. When used as material for Plastic Tray, polyethylene has good oil resistance, low permeability and excellent chemical stability.
Understanding the different types of plastics used to make trays is important particularly when the situation asks for a non-expensive and non-toxic solution. There are types of plastic materials that are highly effective for electronic products but not for food. Being informed helps avoid health issues that may arise due to a wrong choice of plastic material.