The problem
Symptom. A buyer sends an RFQ for a 180 by 120 mm PET tray with only a hand sketch, so the toolmaker must ask for draft, radii and trim before any firm tool price can be built.
What it costs. Each missing callout is assumed to add 2 working days of clarification, so an undefined drawing can add an illustrative 12 days before a single tool is cut.
This article fixes the six callouts a tray drawing needs, quantifies the rim growth a stated draft adds, and writes them into the RFQ drawing notes.
Fix the draft angle on the tray drawing
In one illustrative request a buyer sends an RFQ for a 180 by 120 mm PET tray with only a hand sketch. Without draft, corner radii, trim edge, sheet gauge, denesting detail and a revision code, the toolmaker returns a list of questions rather than a firm tool price.
| Drawing callout | What its absence blocks | First figure to check |
|---|---|---|
| Overall size and depth | Any firm tool price | Assumed rim growth in mm |
| Draft angle | Fit to the lidding tool | tan of the stated draft |
| Corner radii | Wall thinning at the draw | Assumed thinning percent |
| Sheet gauge and trim | Denesting and line fit | Trim method in the RFQ |
Table 1 - Reading a tray drawing before requesting tool quotes
Need a fixed price for this formed tray?
Send the tray drawing, sheet gauge and annual volume. We will review draft, trim and material, then quote a production tool with a written line-acceptance test.
Get a thermoforming quotationEmail [email protected]WhatsApp
Quantify the rim growth a three-degree draft adds
Count what each omitted callout costs. An assumed 2 working days per clarification round means a drawing missing all six callouts can trigger up to 6 rounds, or 12 days, while a fully specified drawing is priced in 1 round, or 2 days.
A five-step diagnostic sequence
- List the six callouts.
Write size, draft, radii, gauge, trim and denesting as a mandatory list on the RFQ drawing. - State the draft first.
Give 3 degrees on the female tool so every supplier quotes the same rim growth. - Fix the corner radii.
Specify an R3 internal minimum to keep wall thinning within the assumed band. - Name gauge and trim.
Give the 0.8 mm PET sheet and the trim method in the same drawing notes. - Record the revision.
File the issued drawing and the one round used so the next re-quote has dated evidence.
The chart below is a typical result from that measurement step. Use it to separate a design limit from a setting that can still be recovered.
Set one revision for the RFQ tray drawing
Work the geometry from stated assumptions. Assume a 40 mm deep tray drawn from 0.8 mm PET sheet: a stated 3 degree draft grows the rim by 2 times 40 times tan(3 degrees), about 4.2 mm, while a sharp internal corner thins the wall by an illustrative 30 percent against 12 percent at R3. These are illustrative worked values from stated assumptions, not a market survey, a quoted price or a measured series. Write the 3 degree draft, the R3 radius and the trim method into the RFQ drawing notes so every supplier quotes the same geometry.
| RFQ clause or parameter | Agreed value | What goes wrong outside it |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory drawing callouts | Six named items | Quote stalls in clarification |
| Draft angle | 3 degrees on the female tool | Rim misses the lidding die |
| Corner radius | R3 internal minimum | Assumed 30 percent wall thinning |
| Drawing revision | Matches the 3D file | Supplier prices a stale tray |
Table 2 - Tray drawing clauses for the RFQ cover note
Write the six callouts into the drawing notes
Set the revision target at one controlled issue. Reserving a single clarification round and stating all six callouts cuts the illustrative 12-day quote cycle to 2 days, a 10-day saving. Write the one-revision rule and the callout list into the RFQ cover note so the drawing and any 3D file stay matched.
| Control action | What it fixes | Cost or trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| State all six callouts | Removes clarification rounds | One hour of drawing prep |
| Lock the revision | Supplier quotes the right tray | A revision log to maintain |
| Name the sheet gauge | Fixes thinning and cycle | Grade confirmed early |
| Set one round-trip target | Caps the quote cycle at 2 days | Needs a complete first issue |
Table 3 - Drawing controls ranked by quote-cycle days saved
Name the trim edge in the RFQ specification
Assemble the drawing notes in a fixed order: overall size and depth first, then draft angle, corner radii, sheet gauge, trim edge and finally denesting and stack detail. The table ranks the callouts by the clarification rounds each one removes, so the draft is never left to be assumed.
Want the tray checked against your line?
Send us the tray drawing and the line conditions. We will flag the geometry and material choices that cause jams, and quote a tool with an acceptance test.
What to send us
- Tray drawing with draft and radii
- Sheet grade and gauge
- Stack depth and line speed
- Drawings of the magazine or denester
Re-issue the controlled drawing at each re-quote
Re-issue the controlled drawing at each re-quote, record the 10 days actually saved, and re-check that the revision matches the 3D file. A drawing reviewed on dated evidence settles geometry in one round rather than a fortnight of email; send it to [email protected] so every supplier prices the same tray.
Before you sign off this thermoformed tool
- The RFQ drawing lists all six mandatory callouts before any tool price is requested
- The draft angle is stated as 3 degrees and matched to the forming method
- Corner radii, sheet gauge and the trim edge are fixed in the drawing notes
- A single clarification round-trip is set as the completeness target
- A named owner records the revision and re-issues the drawing at each re-quote
A tray that looks right in the carton can still stop a filling line. Test the stack, not a single part.
What must a thermoforming tray drawing carry?
It must carry overall size and depth, draft angle, corner radii, sheet gauge, trim edge, denesting detail and a revision code. These six callouts let every supplier quote the same geometry.
Why does a hand sketch slow the quote down?
A sketch carries shape but not draft, radii or gauge. Each missing callout adds an assumed 2-day clarification round, so a partial drawing can add an illustrative 12 days.
How do I compare tool quotes built on the same drawing?
With the same six callouts each supplier prices the same tray, so differences in tool price, lead time and unit price are real rather than artefacts of different assumptions.
Who signs the drawing internally?
A named buyer or packaging engineer signs it off and records the revision, so the drawing and 3D file issued to suppliers are traceable to one dated issue.
Should sheet gauge go in the RFQ?
Yes. Wall thinning and cycle time depend on gauge, and an omitted value lets each supplier build the unit price on a different assumed sheet.
Can I reuse the drawing for a re-quote?
Re-issue it with the current revision and updated volume. A controlled drawing reviewed on dated evidence keeps the quote cycle at one round-trip.
Get a tray that runs on your filling line
Send us the tray drawing or a sample stack. We will review draft, trim and material, then quote a production tool with a measurable line-acceptance test written into it.
To get an accurate quote, send:
- Tray drawing or sample stack
- Sheet material and gauge
- Line speed and denesting method
- Annual volume and target unit price
Request a tool and tray quotation
Why buyers work with Uplastech
ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certified. Founded in 2016, with injection moulding lines in Shanghai and an extrusion plant in Jiangsu. Moulding machines from 90T to 1100T and a maximum shot weight of 5100 g. Samples and a written quotation are available on request.
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