HIPS thermoforming

Custom HIPS thermoforming

HIPS (high-impact polystyrene) is the economical backbone of thermoforming — easy to form, food-safe, simple to decorate and cost-effective at any volume. Indu Thermoformers forms HIPS from in-house extruded sheet in general-purpose, ESCR refrigerator-liner and mirror high-gloss grades.

0.3 – 10 mmFDA food-contactESCR fridge gradeEasy to decorate

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Where HIPS wins

HIPS forms at lower temperatures than ABS, releases cleanly and costs less — ideal for high-volume packaging, disposable goods and large deep-drawn liners. Food-contact grades carry FDA 21 CFR 177:1640, so it dominates cups, trays and lids. It is less impact-resistant than ABS, so for user-handled structural parts we usually recommend ABS instead.

The HIPS grades we form

We run HIPS General Purpose for packaging, trays and POS; StellarEx HIPS Cool, an ESCR + FDA grade engineered to resist the refrigerant blowing agents that crack ordinary polystyrene, for refrigerator inner and door liners; and HIPS High Gloss (98 GU) for cosmetic and premium packaging surfaces. Plug-assisted forming keeps wall thickness even through the deepest cabinet draws.

Parts we thermoform in HIPS

Refrigerator inner & door linersFood trays, cups & lidsDisposable tablewarePOS displays & retail signageVegetable & crisper traysToy housings & model kitsIndustrial covers & panelsIce-cream & dairy packaging

HIPS grades & datasheets

HIPS General Purpose HIPS Cool (ESCR + FDA)HIPS High Gloss

Full technical specifications for each grade are below.

Grade specifications & datasheets

Typical properties as printed on the StellarEx technical datasheet for each grade — download the full TDS or request a quote.

StellarEx HIPS General Purpose

Food-grade thermoforming HIPS — workhorse sheet for cups, plates and POS.

High impact strength and good toughness
Excellent thermoformability and deep-draw
Easy to print, decorate and laminate
Food-contact compliant — FDA 21 CFR 177:1640
Wide colour range — Pantone, RAL, NCS matched

Applications: Food packaging — cups, plates, lids, trays · Disposable goods — cutlery, party tableware · POS displays & retail signage · Toy housings, model kits, hobby sheets · Industrial covers · panels · prototypes

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Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Specific gravity	1.03 g/cm³	ASTM D792
Tensile strength	26 MPa	ASTM D638
Notched Izod @ 23 °C	100 J/m	ASTM D256
Flexural modulus	2000 MPa	ASTM D790
Vicat softening point	102 °C	ASTM D1525
Melt flow index	4.5 g/10 min	ASTM D1238
UL 94 @ 1.6 mm	HB	UL 94

Thickness: 0.3 – 10 mm · Width: wide-web · custom

StellarEx HIPS Cool

ESCR + FDA combination — engineered for refrigerator liners and cold-storage applications.

Excellent ESCR — resists refrigerant blowing agents
FDA 21 CFR 177:1640 food-contact compliant
Good low-temperature impact toughness
Excellent thermoformability and deep-draw
Matte, easily decorated finish

Applications: Refrigerator door & cabinet liners · Freezer liners · cooler interiors · Dairy & frozen food packaging · Ice cream cups, plates, lids & bowls · Disposable food containers & medical kits

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Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Specific gravity	1.03 g/cm³	ASTM D792
Tensile strength	19.6 MPa	ASTM D638
Notched Izod @ 23 °C	110 J/m	ASTM D256
Flexural modulus	1799 MPa	ASTM D790
Vicat softening point	98 °C	ASTM D1525
ESCR test	Pass	ASTM D638
UL 94 @ 1.6 mm	HB	UL 94

Thickness: 0.5 – 10 mm (liners 1.5 – 4.0 mm) · Width: wide-web · custom

StellarEx HIPS High Gloss

Mirror-finish HIPS — cosmetic, premium packaging, POS and consumer-goods grade.

Outstanding surface gloss — 98 GU @ 60°
Mirror-bright finish, excellent reflectivity
Easy printing, hot-foil and decoration
Food-contact compliant — FDA 21 CFR 177:1640
Wide colour range — Pantone, RAL, NCS matched

Applications: Cosmetic & personal-care packaging · Premium food packaging — chocolate, gifts · High-shine POS displays & retail signage · Entry-level consumer electronics housings · Office supplies · folders · premium covers

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Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Specific gravity	1.05 g/cm³	ASTM D792
Tensile strength	32 MPa	ASTM D638
Gloss @ 60°	98 GU	ASTM D523
Notched Izod @ 23 °C	61 J/m	ASTM D256
Flexural modulus	2100 MPa	ASTM D790
Vicat softening point	98 °C	ASTM D1525
UL 94 @ 1.6 mm	HB	UL 94

Thickness: 0.3 – 8 mm · Width: wide-web · custom

See all StellarEx grades on the Materials & grades page.

Why Indu for HIPS thermoforming

In-house sheet extrusion

We extrude the sheet we form — grade, colour and thickness controlled from the pellet, with no outside vendor in the loop.

Largest bed in India

Thin- and thick-gauge lines, including the largest thermoforming bed in the country for oversized parts.

Tooling in 2–4 weeks

Moulds and trim fixtures designed and cut in-house on 5-axis CNC — fast, and cheap to revise.

ISO 9001 & full docs

8-gate inspection with COA, MTC, FAIR and PPAP-level documentation on request.

Frequently asked questions

Is HIPS food safe?

Yes — our general-purpose and cool HIPS grades carry FDA 21 CFR 177:1640 food-contact compliance, with declarations supplied. Tell us whether the part is ambient, chilled or hot-fill and we confirm the right grade.

HIPS or ABS — which should I use?

HIPS is cheaper, easier to form and food-safe — best for liners, trays and packaging. ABS is tougher and more heat-resistant — best for covers, housings and handled parts. If the part is decorative or food-contact, start with HIPS; if it is structural, start with ABS.

What makes HIPS suitable for refrigerator liners?

Refrigerator liners need environmental stress-crack resistance (ESCR) to survive the blowing agents in the insulation foam. Our StellarEx HIPS Cool grade is compounded specifically for this, and forms deep cabinet draws with even walls using plug assist.

Explore more

Refrigerator Liners →Materials & Grades →Thin Gauge Thermoforming →ABS Thermoforming →

Let’s build it

Forming a part in HIPS?

Send your drawing or sample — we reply with the right HIPS grade, tooling and a costed quote, usually within 24 hours.

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ISO 9001:2015 certified · Most quotes back within 24 hours