Using Combo Thermoforming As A Cost Saving Manufacturing Strategy

Posted on December 17, 2020 in Commercial, Industrial & Transport, Consumer/Retail, Food Packaging, Medical & Pharma

Combo thermoforming, also known as a combination run or gang run, is a method  that pools multiple tools and manufactures them in the same production run. Generally used for blister packaging, a shared tooling arrangement among multiple customers increases the number of thermoformed parts per run, thus reducing the start-up and other costs for everyone.

The Advantages of Combo Thermoforming
Combos can lower the price of a job, particularly smaller order quantities that might have otherwise been cost prohibitive if produced in their own separate run.   To take advantage of Combo savings, all of the blisters in the run must share the same material type and thickness. This makes items that use more popular materials and thicknesses ideal candidates for Combo runs. 

When Combos Might Not Be the Right Choice
If your blister project requires a unique type of material, more complex geometry, a special color or an uncommon material thickness, a Combo run is unlikely to be a viable alternative.  Rather, these type blisters will most likely require dedicated production tooling.

Specific Use-Case Scenarios 

• When you want to keep tooling costs low
• When you do not need the lead-time flexibility that dedicated production runs can offer 
• When you have a blister that meets the combo criteria, First Choice Packaging offers a quick and cost-effective Combo solution that allows you to order as few as 6,250 blisters. Our state-of-the-art in-house design and tooling ensures consistent dimensions on final parts every time.

PVC Combo Program ordering details:

• Minimum order of only 6,250 blisters
• Order fixed increments over 6,250 of 12,500, 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000 units
• Available in .010, .012, and .015 mil weights
• Also available in Rpet; contact us for more details

Click here to learn more about the advantages of utilizing combo thermoforming.