Thermoformed Ampoule & Vial Trays for Pharma

Ampoules, vials and pre-filled syringes are fragile, high-value and tightly regulated. The tray that holds them has to locate each unit precisely, survive the process route, and come with the documentation a pharma quality system expects. Thermoforming is well suited to all three.

Cavities that locate and protect

The core job of an ampoule or vial tray is to hold each unit exactly, so it doesn’t move, knock against neighbours, or jam automated handling:

• Formed-to-CAD cavities that seat the ampoule, vial or syringe with the right clearance — snug enough to locate, gentle enough not to stress the glass.
• Datum-referenced pockets so filling and inspection automation find every unit in the same place.
• Denest features so trays separate cleanly on line.
• Finger scallops and peel corners for safe manual handling where needed.

Choosing the material

• PETG and PET — glass-clear for visual inspection, tough in deep draws, and sealable to a lidding film where a barrier is needed.
• PP — where steam or gamma sterilisation compatibility is required, or for higher-temperature routes.
• Static-dissipative grades — where devices or electronics are combined in the same tray.

We match the grade to the process route (sterilisation method, temperature, barrier) and, because we extrude the sheet, control clarity and cleanliness from the pellet.

Surviving the process route

Pharma trays may pass through filling, sterilisation, cold storage and transport. That means designing for the whole journey: dimensional stability through temperature swings, cavities that hold the unit through vibration in transit, and — where required — production and packing under cleanroom conditions to keep trays contamination-free.

Documentation pharma expects

A pharma programme won’t move without evidence:

• Material traceability to the resin lot (COA, MTC)
• First-article inspection (FAIR) against the drawing
• Compliance declarations and, where required, PPAP-level packs

In-house sheet extrusion is what makes that traceability straightforward.

Where these trays are used

• Ampoule and vial handling and transport trays
• Pre-filled syringe nests and trays
• Diagnostic and IVD component trays
• Kit and procedure trays combining several items

If you’re developing a tray for ampoules, vials or syringes, send the unit dimensions and your process route (sterilisation, storage, automation) and we’ll design the cavities and specify the grade — start with a DFM review, or see our medical & sterile trays.