Planning plastic trays for transport, storage, or automated manufacturing processes often starts with one key question: what should a suitable tray for the component actually look like? This is exactly what the new web-based 3D Tray Generator answers within seconds. Learn more in this article.
Sarah Guaglianone
Updated on May 27, 2026
→ The Tray Generator is now available free of charge with registration.
In many projects, different departments need a tray concept early on, for example:
However, tray design is often only created after an order is placed or as a paid engineering service. This leads to a typical gap in the project workflow:
This process can take several days or even weeks. The web-based 3D Tray Generator is designed to eliminate exactly this bottleneck.
Using the tool is fully digital and only takes a few steps.
Users first upload the 3D file of their component. Supported formats include:
Based on the component geometry, the software automatically creates an initial tray concept. The following aspects are optimized automatically:
This results in a realistic tray concept within seconds.
The generated tray can then be adjusted directly. In the interactive 3D view, users can configure:
All changes are immediately visible in the 3D visualization.
In addition to a new design, the latest version of the Tray Generator includes several features particularly relevant for logistics and production processes.
The tool shows in real time how the generated tray fits into standardized SLC containers or outer cartons.
Users can integrate symbols, labels, or logos directly into the tray to clearly identify components or variants.
Color stripes for variant identification can also be integrated directly into the tray design. This simplifies component identification in production processes.
Different stacking methods can be defined, and maximum stack heights can be calculated. This allows early simulation of how trays behave in storage, transport, and production flow.
Another feature of the tool is the direct processing of generated tray concepts.
Users can:
All relevant tray data is automatically transferred, eliminating much of the usual coordination effort.
The 3D Tray Generator is primarily aimed at companies that:
With the web-based 3D Tray Generator, formary introduces a tool that solves a common bottleneck in industrial projects. Instead of developing tray concepts late in the process, users can now generate a tray layout within seconds, test variants, plan logistics concepts early, and submit inquiries directly.
This makes plastic tray planning significantly faster, more transparent, and more efficient.
The 3D Tray Generator is a digital tool that automatically creates a tray concept for a component. Users upload a CAD file of their part, and the software generates a tray layout with optimized component arrangement, nest spacing, and packing density. This makes it easy to evaluate how components can be transported, stored, or handled in automated systems.