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Shrink Wrap Guide
Why shrink wrap?
Shrink wrap is a fast and effective method of packaging goods such as food, software, documents, CDs, DVDs, chocolates, videotapes, cassette tapes, etc. Shrink wrap is a durable, airtight material that protects merchandise from wear or contamination.
There are hundreds of types of shrink wrap machines available in order to meet your requirements. Our knowledgeable customer support staff will answer any questions you may have and can help you pick the best model for your needs.
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What to consider when purchasing a shrink wrap machine?
What do you want to shrink wrap?
The type of shrink wrap equipment chosen will depend on what product or material will be packaged. The size and nature of the material is also an important consideration since equipment and supplies come in different sizes.
How often will you shrinkwrap?
Will you be shrink wrapping merchandise 100 times an hour or just a few times a day? Some models are designed for heavy use while others are only intended for light use. Remember to account for your potential packaging needs in the future as well.
What size of item do you need to shrinkwrap?
Since shrink wrap machines come in various sizes, it is important to choose equipment that is suited for your needs. If you’ll be packaging CDs then you wouldn’t a machine capable of wrapping large boxes, and vice versa.
Is space/mobility an issue?
Will the shrink wrap machine be set in one location, or will it be moved between areas? Straight bar sealers are compact and easy to move while industrial size equipment is best left in one spot. Larger equipment can be moved using casters.
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Different styles of shrink wrappers?
 Straight bar sealers
Straight bar sealers cover products in shrink film, cut it to size, then heats the film so that it encases and seals the package. Straight bar sealers are perfect for music and video stores that wrap CDs, DVDs and video tapes.
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 L-bar sealers
L-bar sealers cut the shrink film around the merchandise in one pass then seal it using electrical impulses instead of heat. Using electric sealers eliminates residual smoke present in heat sealers.
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Heat guns
A Heat gun resembles a hair dryer but blows a hotter stream of air. The heated air is blown on to the wrapped product causing the film to shrink onto and seal the product. Heat guns are popular at restaurants and bars for sealing nozzles to bottles.
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 Heat tunnels
Heat tunnels use a conveyor to pull merchandise through a heated duct shrinking the film onto the product. Heat tunnels are automated and produce a more evenly shrunk finish.
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 Mail Bagging Systems
Mail bagging systems quickly organize and package parcels and other merchandise. Manual and automatic bagging systems are available.
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 Shrink wrap sealers
A shrink wrap sealer is made for sealing polyethylene, polypropylene and other thermoplastic shrink film and certain thermoplastic bags.
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 Vacuum sealers
Vacuum sealers are an excellent choice for packaging and preserving food products. The vacuum sealer removes the air from the package then seals it shut. The package then goes through the shrink tunnel and shrinks the film.
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 Sleeve wrappers
Sleeve wrappers wrap a variety of packs. Goods can be packaged both individually or collated. Goods can be set for wrapping in single packs, long packs or collated packs in trays.
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 Continuous band sealers
Continuous band sealers are perfect for packaging powders, liquids, grains and other items prone to spilling because they are continuously bagged and sealed. There are several models available to choose from to fit your needs.
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Glossary
Shrink Wrap Equipment Terms
Casters - Casters are a small swivel wheel on the legs of equipment. Casters help with the transportation of heavy equipment.
Film waste winder - Film waste winders help keep shrink waste from falling from the floor.
Gauge - Gauge is the thickness of shrink film. The higher the number, the thicker the film.
Magnetic lock down - A magnetic lock down holds an L-bar sealer arm down until it has finished cutting through the shrink wrap. This helps automate the process of shrinkwrapping.
Pad - A pad is part of a shrinkwrap machine’s base. The sealer arm rests on the pad during the cutting process. The pad needs to be replaced when worn out.
Polyolefin film - Polyolefin film is a more elastic and stretchy film. Polyolefin film is commonly used with foods because it does not release harmful chemicals when heated. Polyolefin is also good for products with sharp corners since it is less brittle and will not break.
PVC film - PVC film is the most common type of shrink film on the market.
Teflon tape - Teflon tape is placed on the pad to prevent the pad from being cut by the wire. Tape peels off and wears out over time. Teflon tape needs to be replaced when worn out.
Wire - The wire is what cuts through shrink wrap film. The wire can get dirty and worn out over time. Wire needs to be replaced when worn out.
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