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Perhaps you’re a distributor putting together a quote for a custom plastic bag or maybe you’re a customer researching custom plastic packaging manufacturers. Choosing the right supplier — or distributor — can be a daunting task.
So, here is a list of some common questions your plastic manufacturer will ask you when putting together a quote, as well as questions you can ask the supplier you’re looking at doing business with.
5 Questions Your Plastic Packaging Supplier Will Ask You
When you’re researching custom manufacturers for your plastic packaging products, you will want to have the answers to the following questions ready before you would request a quote. Here’s some data you should gather:
5 Questions About Bags:
- What is the size of the poly bag?
- What type of bag do you need?
- What is the mil you need?
- What is the quantity of bags you need?
- How many bags do you want on a roll or in a box?
5 Questions About Sheeting:
- What is the size of the sheeting you need
- What type of sheeting do you need?
- What is the mil of the sheeting you need?
- What is the total quantity of sheeting you need?
- How much sheeting do you need per roll or box?
5 Questions About the Material’s Characteristics:
In addition to the questions above, your plastics manufacturer will also need to know the answers to questions about the characteristics of the product you need. Here are a few questions they may ask:
- What slip level do you need? High, low or medium?
- Is there a certain color you need for your custom poly product?
- Does it need to be FDA approved or is it for industrial use?
- Where is the product shipping?
- What is the end-use of the product?
“End-use is helpful to know so we can help them to determine what sort of product they need if they don’t already know,” Versa Pak Sales Manager Jeff Knapke said. “Let’s say if they’re looking at a bag that will be used in a freezer, they will need an additive added to the product called EVA.”
Also, he added that if you have a sample of the product you are looking for — or wanting to be quoted — you should be able to send it to your custom plastics supplier.
5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Poly Film Supplier
When choosing a plastic packaging supplier, you may be wondering where to start. These questions can give you a list to ask to make sure the poly film supplier you’re choosing to do business with has the same end goals as you.
1. What sort of certifications do you have?
Your plastics manufacturer should have certain certifications depending on the industries they serve. For example, Versa Pak is SQF certified and FDA approved, as well as Kosher certified.
Learn more about our certifications.
2. What quality measures are you taking in your custom plastic products manufacturing process?
A custom plastics packaging manufacturer should be staying up-to-date on any certifications they may have on a regular basis. They should also be taking quality measures before the product leaves the manufacturing facility. And if you have any questions like this one about the manufacturing process, your supplier should be happy to help.
Related: Inside the Versa Pak Manufacturing Process [Video]
3. What research and development options do you have in place to ensure those high-quality, custom-manufactured poly products?
Your plastics manufacturer should have quality measures and a research and development lab where their products can be tested for your end-use. Some common machines you may see are a coefficient of friction (COF) testing machine, which tests slip level; impact strength testing machines, such as a DART machine or a Spencer Impact machine. Other instruments may include a Haze Guard to test poly film clarity, a universal tester to measure elongation and tensile strength or a precision micrometer to measure the polyethylene film’s gauge level.
You’ll find all of these tools at Versa Pak’s on-site research and development lab. If you’d like to learn more, watch this video where Versa Pak Quality Manager Keith Koverman demonstrates a few of our lab’s capabilities.
One of our core values here at Versa Pak is innovation. We are always looking for ways to improve our products at the highest level. If you have any questions about our lab’s abilities or any of our quality measures, contact us at 419-586-5466 or fill out our Request a Quote form.
4. Can I get a sample made for custom packaging?
Maybe you have a special application where standard just won’t cut it or you just want to be sure your custom product is made just right. Then this is a question you will want to ask your custom plastics manufacturer.
A high-quality plastics manufacturer that specializes in custom products will provide handmade samples. We can custom-create a piece and show you the exact look and feel before you place an order. We’ll work with you to get your product just right and make sure it stands up to every requirement. All you have to do is contact us to get a custom product sample.
5. Are you a sustainable custom polyethylene packaging supplier?
Sustainability is a much-discussed topic in the plastics manufacturing industry. At Versa Pak, we’ve incorporated sustainability into our custom manufacturing process by incorporating post-consumer recycled materials into products, by creating reusable products and also by converting scrap from production back into resin.
“We do offer industrial post-consumer resins (PCR) and biodegradable options,” Knapke added.
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