UK foam tray manufacturers
If you need to safely store or transport tools, products, parts or components, engineered foam trays are a great solution.
Used for safe handling and storage of items within cases, plastic totes, containers, boxes or as a standalone item, foam trays can be used in multiple layers to improve productivity and part density. They typically feature custom-cut recesses that are the precise shape and size of the items to be stored.
At GWP Protective, we have over 30 years of experience designing and manufacturing custom foam storage trays. Our experts work closely with you to ensure that your trays are perfect for your specific application, before manufacturing them at our in-house foam conversion facility in the UK.
Benefits of foam trays
By sourcing your presentational or industrial foam trays from GWP Protective, you benefit from:
What our customers say...
GWP Protective got us out of a bind a couple of years ago when a previous supplier was letting us down and have been providing excellent quality products to us ever since. They are always more than happy to assist with design recommendations, their prices have always been very competitive and lead times are very short.
Harry Pankhurst | Systems Engineer | NSSLGlobal Ltd
Excellent service from quoting through to production. Happy to work to timelines outside of the norm and offer solutions we may have not considered.
Andy Ball | Managing Director | JE Group
GWP were very creative with regards to ideas for the foam inserts, whilst not dismissing our original thoughts. GWP were quick, responsive, patient, eager to help and incredibly tolerant of gaps in our knowledge. I would absolutely recommend GWP to other companies looking for a similar service.
Jane Gossling | Creative Director | 270 Vision
FAQs
What material are foam trays manufactured from?
Foam trays are manufactured from Plastazote® polyethylene foam. GWP Protective is an official converter of this material, which is also suitable for a wide range of case inserts, packaging and foam conversion processes. It offers a wide range of properties depending on the grade chosen, allowing protection tailored to your exact requirements.
Are foam trays suitable for clean room applications?
Foam dunnage is not ideal for clean room applications for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there is a small chance it could shed fibres that could contaminate samples, products, etc. It is also hard to sterilise due to the nature of the surfaces once machined. Both vac-formed trays and Correx® dividers are a more suitable alternative for applications of this nature.
Are there alternative options for handling trays?
The main alternative to foam trays is to use vacuum-formed trays. Whilst foam trays are more cost-effective for low to mid volumes, as they have no tooling costs, vacuum-formed trays are typically more suitable for higher volumes. Whilst both have tailored recesses, vacuum-formed trays do not offer the same degree of cushioning as foam.
Are foam trays compatible with plastic handling containers?
Foam trays are the perfect way to enhance Correx® totes and boxes, Euro Containers and a wide range of ESD-safe handling solutions. All of these can be sourced alongside your foam trays from GWP Protective to ensure a perfect fit and compatibility between the outer container and insert.
Why should I use foam trays and not dividers?
Foam trays and dividers are two slightly different ways of achieving the same result – but with important differences. Foam dividers use less material, so tend to be lower cost. Foam trays however are removable for the outer container, can be layered within it, and offer higher overall levels of protection.
Why GWP Protective?
30+ years of experience
We’ve been designing, manufacturing and supplying foam dunnage and packaging inserts for well over three decades.
UK foam experts
Our experts have detailed, in-depth knowledge of all types of foam materials and the outer containers in which they are used.
Competitive advantage
We’ll work closely with your business to achieve cost savings, damage reduction, efficiency improvements and more.
A business you can trust
Although we remain one of the UK’s largest independent foam converters, we now have the backing of Macfarlane Group PLC.
Disclaimer: Application images on this page may have been enhanced or created specifically to illustrate a products features and/or potential uses. Please see our content policy for further details.
Quotes, technical info and advice
Speak with our UK-based case and foam experts
The information on this page has been collated, checked and approved by several of our case and foam experts:
