Solid Plastic Crates or Industrial Crates are mainly made from two types of plastic materials: PP (Polypropylene) and HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene).
Advantages of PP (Polypropylene) for Manufacturing:
- Easy to mold: PP can be easily shaped and has a melting point of 160–170°C.
- Lightweight and strong: Offers a good balance of strength and weight.
- Customizable colors: Colors can be mixed to meet customer requirements, producing attractive products.
- Chemical resistance: Resistant to many chemicals including acids and bases, making it suitable for chemical industry use.
- High flexibility: PP is flexible and resists bending and twisting well.
Limitations of PP:- Poor cold resistance: PP becomes brittle and can crack at very low temperatures.
- Low transparency: Not suitable for applications requiring clear or see-through packaging.
PP is commonly used for household items, storage boxes, solid crates, and industrial crates in general applications due to its light weight, toughness, and low cost. PP plastics used for crates come in various grades—from food-grade safe plastics to recycled grades that reduce production costs, offering users many options based on their needs.
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Advantages of HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) for Manufacturing:
- Superior chemical resistance: HDPE withstands harsh chemical reactions better than PP and is used for packaging strong chemicals, like toilet cleaners.
High density and strength: The material is dense, strong, and highly impact-resistant. - Good flexibility: Despite its strength, HDPE is flexible enough to handle expansion and contraction, making it suitable for outdoor products like trash bins.
- Water resistance and cold tolerance: HDPE absorbs no water and performs better than PP in cold environments, ideal for refrigerated crates like LWNLife pallet crates.
Considerations with HDPE:
- HDPE is more expensive and slightly heavier than PP due to its higher density.
- Unlike PP, HDPE surfaces cannot be printed or labeled directly; the surface must first be heat-treated, which adds complexity and cost to branding or marking.
