Thermoforming Materials Guide: ABS, PC, PVC, PETG and PP

Start with the conditions. Then choose the sheet.

A thermoforming material specification combines a sheet grade with the part’s use, appearance and acceptance requirements. FUNYO forms ABS, PC, PVC, PETG and PP, with heavy-gauge sheet up to 15 mm; PE, weatherable, flame-retardant and antistatic grades are sourced and sampled per project.

Write the operating requirements before the resin name

A thermoforming material specification identifies the sheet grade and the conditions the finished part must satisfy. ABS, PC, PVC, PETG and PP are available forming materials at FUNYO. That list is a starting point, not a statement that any one of them meets every housing, cover, panel or tray requirement. Describe the equipment application, contact conditions, visible face and assembly before asking the supplier to recommend a sheet. A familiar resin abbreviation cannot carry all of those requirements on its own.

For heavy-gauge work, the confirmed starting sheet limit is 15 mm and housings commonly use 8–10 mm. The final selection must still be assessed with the part geometry. Starting thickness does not establish the wall at every formed location, nor does it establish a dimensional tolerance. Identify the areas where fit, contact or appearance is important, then agree how samples will be evaluated. When a requirement has not been decided, keep it separate from the approved material specification. This prevents a preliminary selection from being mistaken for a demonstrated performance result.

Comparison and selection table

ABS: connect the housing surface with the assembly

FUNYO's existing product information describes ABS for indoor equipment housings and panels where stiffness and machining are part of the assessment. It also identifies an ABS sheet operation in Zhuhai. These facts explain why ABS can be a starting point for a housing discussion; they do not remove the need to identify the exact grade or approve a sample. The buyer still needs to define what the part touches, where it is mounted and which surface is presented to the equipment user.

For a panel or fascia, provide neighboring parts or color references where they affect the visual decision. Specify whether the requirement concerns the sheet's original surface or an agreed finishing operation. Describe the openings, trimmed edges and attachment areas so that material and CNC work are reviewed together. A color approval should not be treated as approval of fit, local wall thickness or the complete assembled product. Keep the material reference and the drawing revision connected in the approval record so that a later model change can be evaluated against the correct configuration.

PC: define the clear area and the use conditions

The existing housing and cover information lists PC where toughness, impact-related requirements or a clear window matter. These are reasons to evaluate the material, not numerical performance guarantees. A transparent window may be a separate part fitted into a panel rather than an assumption that the entire housing uses the same sheet. Tell the supplier which areas need visibility, which areas are structural interfaces and how the window joins the surrounding part. The geometry and the assembly arrangement belong in the material review.

Describe cleaning, handling and any equipment-specific requirements for the visible area. Confirm the exact grade, color or transparency and the approval sample. If the customer requires evidence of a particular behavior, agree the relevant method and conditions rather than inferring it from the letters PC. A product photograph is not a test report, and a sample approved for appearance does not establish all other requirements. Make the scope of each approval visible so that material selection, window design and the equipment's final acceptance remain distinct decisions.

PVC: specify chemical and flame-related requirements

FUNYO's current material information lists PVC as an option for chemical-contact applications and parts with flame-related requirements. That description does not mean every PVC grade satisfies every chemical exposure or required flame classification. Begin with the actual application: identify what contacts the part, how it is used, whether cleaning is involved and what result the customer needs to verify. The material review must connect the selected sheet grade with those conditions instead of treating the resin family as a completed specification.

Where a project has a flame requirement, state the target and the evidence expected for the material and the equipment. Flame-retardant grades are procured and sampled per project. Do not convert a sheet's description into a claim that the complete enclosure has a particular rating. The housing, adjacent materials and finished assembly need to be evaluated in the context of the required verification. The same principle applies to chemical contact: record the agreed exposure and acceptance conditions before using a sample result to support a purchasing decision.

PETG: distinguish visual approval from service approval

PETG appears in FUNYO's existing material list for clear or translucent parts and display housings. A material discussion should therefore identify what the viewer needs to see and which surfaces or edges are visible in the assembled equipment. Tell the supplier whether the part is a viewing feature, a cosmetic cover or an interface with another component. That information defines the purpose of the transparent area and prevents a photograph of a clear part from becoming the whole specification.

Approve the selected grade and the appearance against an agreed sample, with the surrounding components considered where relevant. State the cleaning and handling conditions the part will encounter. If a design combines a clear part with a nontransparent panel, show how the parts meet and how the assembly will be checked. Do not treat a visual approval as confirmation of every service requirement or as evidence of a material test that has not been performed. Keep appearance, dimensions, attachment and operating requirements separately identifiable in the project review.

PP and project-sourced PE: define the tray duty

FUNYO's product information discusses PP for handling parts and applications where chemical contact or impact-related requirements matter. The exact requirement must still be matched to a selected grade and verified for the project. For trays and liners, describe the carried component, contact surfaces, load arrangement and repeated handling. A material abbreviation cannot specify how a tray is lifted, stacked, washed or placed into another container. Those conditions are needed before an application assessment is complete.

PE is sourced and sampled per project rather than presented here as an automatically available grade. If PE or another special sheet is requested, include the reason for the choice and the evidence the customer needs. For reusable trays, state cleaning and storage conditions and whether electrical or cleanliness requirements apply as well. Do not treat dark color, increased thickness or a previous photograph as proof of load capacity or service life. Agree the sample and acceptance method that represent the actual use, and keep the result tied to that configuration.

Weatherable, flame-retardant and antistatic grades need their own evidence

Weatherable, flame-retardant and antistatic grades are sourced and sampled for the project. These are additional specification discussions, not properties that can be assumed for every sheet within a resin family. Describe the environment and the target requirement in the inquiry. For outdoor equipment, explain the exposure and the appearance or service criteria to be agreed. For a flame-related requirement, identify the intended material and equipment evidence. For ESD handling, state the customer's required test range and conditions.

The existing FUNYO tray guidance separates ordinary, antistatic and conductive materials, and calls for verification after washing where trays are washed. Color alone does not establish electrical behavior. Likewise, a named material does not establish a complete equipment ingress rating. A requirement can involve the sheet, formed geometry, seals, assembly and downstream process at the same time. Evaluate those boundaries explicitly, and do not transfer a result from one grade or washing condition to another without review. This keeps the published material choices useful without claiming unverified certifications or numerical performance.

Approve a material with the drawing and the sample plan

A material inquiry should include drawings or photos, outside dimensions, annual demand, the first-order quantity and the application. Add the relevant operating conditions, color references, transparency requirements and any special grade request. For a housing, show mounting and service interfaces; for a tray, show the component and its contact with the pockets or liner. Separate material approval, formed-part approval and assembled-fit approval so that the buyer can see what each sample actually demonstrates.

FUNYO responds in 4 hours and provides an applicability assessment and an injection-molding comparison quote in 2 working days. The assessment can identify the material questions that must be resolved before tooling and production approval. Exact grade, sheet thickness, color and surface are confirmed per project. Ask for the records and verification included in the agreed scope rather than assuming a universal test frequency or tolerance. A useful release record connects the approved material, drawing revision, sample and acceptance conditions. That record makes later substitutions or model changes reviewable without relying on a generic material name.