Elmes Packaging creates products in a wide variety of forms and caters to many industries. Below are just some examples of the packaging we create, and how it can be used. We manufacture all products in a variety of plastics including PVC, PET, HIPS, ABS as well as subtypes (food-safe, post-consumer recycled, anti-static, etc). All products can be created in a variety of shapes and finishes, depending on your individual needs.
› Clamshells
Clamshells are a one-piece product that can be securely closed by built-in locks or ultrasonic welding/shrink film. They encase the product on all sides and are effective in providing protection during shipping and transport. When made out of ESD material, they can be used to protect electronics from static.
In the retail environment, plastic clamshells are a favorite way of packaging products, and a primary component of “visual packaging”.
› Blisters
Blister packaging involves using a custom formed plastic blister that is then usually sealed onto a printed back made of card-stock. This is a very effective way to create low-cost visual packaging for small parts, especially when the client already has sealing machinery in place. We pride ourselves on our ability to create complex blisters while keeping costs down and providing quick delivery.
› Trays
The plastic trays manufactured by Elmes Packaging are primarily used as either WIP (work in progress), or shipping trays in manufacturing environments, or as inserts for retail packaging. Material choice is dictated by intended application, as is overall size.
In manufacturing environments custom-formed plastic trays make an ideal choice as an alternative to cardboard cartons with dividers. Our trays are cost-competetive with carboard dividers, but have the added benefit of being dust-free when used in the correct way. In a shipping capacity plastic trays act to protect products from impact and contact which can create major problems and final rejection rates when using bulk shipping. Because the trays are custom formed to correspond with the specific parts to go in them, they aide in organization in plants and shipping and allow for easier inventory where counting is necessary.
WIP trays are more robust and offer the added benefit of the ability to be used in automated robotic systems to aide in pick-up where exact placement is required. Plastic WIP trays lead to a cleaner and more well-structured assembly environment, and are designed with durable plastics to stand up to extended use. Many of our ABS trays go for years before needing replacement even with heavy use in demanding applications.
› Lids
Most of our tray designs allow for the creation of a corresponding snap-on lid to provide further protection for the contents that are enclosed.
› Inserts/Displays
In the consumer packaged goods industry, formed plastic trays make for effective inserts to keep products in place inside cartons or other boxes. Trays can also be used as a medium for in-store displays, and can be made with eye-catching colors in glossy plastic for effective POP merchandising solutions. Our trays are low-cost and can be produced on demand, making them the perfect solution for growing businesses or situations where products often change between production runs.
› ESD (Electrostatic Dissipative) Electronic Packaging
By utilizing plastics with an ESD or anti-static coating, we create protective packaging for the electronics industry that protects their products from static damage as well as impact and vibration during shipping or internal transportation. Elmes Packaging has extensive experience designing effective packaging solutions where static is a concern, and the use of our techniques can minimize costs for lost products, as well as the need for additional packaging materials such as specialized sleeves and wrappings.
Process
Elmes Packaging creates its’ products via a process called Thermoforming. Plastic sheet-stock is heated until pliable, and then vacuum-formed using custom aluminum tooling into a variety of shapes, depending on the desired application. The material is then cooled and trimmed using a custom die to create the finished product.
Thermoforming is a flexible process that allows for the use of a variety of plastics depending on desired qualities (food-safe, anti-static, heat resistant, etc.), and has low lead times and fixed costs. Especially when compared to injection molding in comparable applications, thermoforming excels in providing value and allowing for a quick turnaround.
Elmes Packaging has been thermoforming for over 30 years, and in that time we have been faced with almost every conceivable type of thermoforming project across a wide variety of industries and applications. We are sure that we can deliver effective customized solutions for whatever project our clients bring to us. We love finding new ways to use the thermoforming process to deliver effective solutions for situations such as retail packaging, food storage, industrial shipping/WIP trays, as well as other specialized applications.
Elmes Packaging is an environmentally conscious company utilizing recycled materials in most cases to creates its products and then once again recycles the off cuts.