Plastic Cup Thermoforming Machine
A thermoforming machine that makes cups from sheet on site, removing the cost and logistics of buying and storing preformed cups.
Key Specifications
| Capacity | 20,000 / 40,000 / 60,000 cups per hour |
|---|---|
| Materials | PP, PS, PLA, multilayer barrier sheet |
| Cup sizes | 50-500 ml |
| Forming | Vacuum plus compressed air, trim in mould |
| Sheet width | 600-900 mm |
| Cup weight | 3.5-12 g depending on size |
| Cavities | 12-32 |
Inline forming versus buying cups
Preformed cups are mostly air in transit. Forming inline cuts packaging freight and storage by an order of magnitude, which is why high-volume dairies bring forming in-house above roughly 100,000 cups a day.
Trim-in-mould reduces waste
Older machines form cups on a web and trim afterwards, producing skeleton waste that must be reground. Trim-in-mould separates the cup cleanly and lets scrap return directly to the extruder.
Material choice and shelf life
PP gives the best heat resistance, PS gives clarity and rigidity, PLA is compostable but has a narrower processing window. Multilayer barrier sheet adds oxygen protection for long shelf life.
Typical Applications
- Dairies packing more than 100,000 cups a day — Above this volume the cup cost saving pays back the machine within two years.
- Brands wanting custom cup shapes — In-house forming allows proprietary shapes and print registration that stock cups cannot.
- Compostable packaging programmes — PLA and other bioplastics form on the same platform with adjusted temperature control.
Related Equipment
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an extruder too?
Not necessarily. Sheet can be bought in rolls; only very large plants justify inline extrusion.
How much scrap is generated?
Three to six percent with trim-in-mould, mostly start-up and edge trim, all regrindable.
What lead time for tooling?
Six to ten weeks per cup format, including trial samples.
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