Shrink Wrap Equipment: The Complete FAQ Guide In 2024

1.What Is Shrink Wrap Equipment?

Product Shrink Wrapping - Picture Courtesy: ME Shrinkwrap

Shrink wrap equipment is a highly advanced technology that is used to pack both food and non-food products to make them safe from the environment and provide them ease while transportation. Plastic films mostly made up of PVC or polyolefin are initially placed onto the outer body of the product and then they are processed into shrink wrap equipment.

Here with the help of a heat tank and its temperature, this plastic film shrinks according to the design of the packaging. A protective layer is created that secures the product for a longer period and makes it free from any microbial attack.

2.What Products Are Eligible For Shrink Wrapping?

Shrink wrapping is a highly precise way of protecting products from getting damaged or having any environmental influence. Out of several products that can undergo shrink wrapping process, some are

Food Products

Shrink Wrapping In Food Industry - Picture Courtesy: Sontex Machinery

Most of the foods products including vegetables, fruits, cakes, meats, and other types of eatable products are shrink wrapped using shrink wrap equipment. This allows the product to remain fresh and in its natural texture for a longer period and also provides ease while traveling distances.

Beverages And Liquid Bottles

Shrink Wrap Bottles - Picture Courtesy: Codico Distributors

Shrink wrap equipment is also famous in the beverages industry where liquid bottles undergo plastic film wrapping and are then shrink over it. This helps in the compact aligning of bottles and also reduces the covering spaces of bottles. Multiple bottles, cans, and jars are secure with this process.

Electronics Product

Hologram Shrink Wrap - Picture Courtesy: IMS Digital Packaging

Shrink wrap equipment is also useful in packaging electronic components like cards, boards, CDs, devices, etc. Due to the sensitivity of these components towards moisture and humidity, shrink wrap allows the blockage to these particles and keeps the component secure with its specifications.

Pharmaceutical Products

Shrink Wrap For Pharmaceuticals - Picture Courtesy: Yorkshire Packaging

The pharmaceutical industry is also involved in the packaging of bottles and jars that are traveled around the globe. Shrink wrap equipment helps provide a strong outer shelter to these products and helps them get contaminated.

Cosmetic Products

Personal Care Shrink Wrap - Picture Courtesy: Holland Packaging

Some of the cosmetics and chemical industrial products like creams, shampoo and, lotions also use shrink wrap equipment for their cumulative packaging. These products remain hygienic and protected from any microbial attack.

3.How Does A Shrink Wrap Equipment Benefit In Improving The Quality Of Products?

Shrink wrap equipment makes the product eco-friendly and also helps the manufacturer produce presentable packaging results. Some of the advantages that shrink wrap equipment have

Contamination Free

Advantage Of Shrink Wrap - Picture Courtesy: Easy Lock

Products when traveled by sea, air, or land show greater concerns about entering potential environmental hazards. But if products are wrapped using shrink wrap equipment, the risk of contamination is reduced to zero. In this manner, the product remains contamination-free for a longer period.

Product Freshness

Food Safe Shrink Wrap - Picture Courtesy: U.S Packaging & Wrapping

Shrink wrap film creates a seal-packed wrap around the products that prevents the entrance of any type of microorganism in its vicinity. Due to the reduction in oxidation reaction, the product always remains fresh and can be consumed until its expiry date.

Extended Shelf Life

One of the advantages of shrink wrap equipment is that it helps in extending the shelf of both food and non-food products. As many products possess the possibility of degradation, shrink wrap allows them to remain in their original position and prevents wastage.

Customized Packaging

Shrink Wrap - Picture Courtesy: Masterpak

The quality of products can be clearly seen as highly efficient customized packaging carried out by shrink wrap equipment. Products are shrinking together decently and have a pleasant look.

Product Visibility

Shrink Wrap In Food Industry - Picture Courtesy: FMT Maganize

Products that have shrink wrap over them are completely visible to both retailers and consumers. Customers can see a visible look of products that can help them in purchasing their desired products.

Environment Friendly

The most important benefit that can be taken from shrink wrap equipment is that it produces environment-friendly packaging. The products placed in plastic films resist the entrance of microorganism and creates a blocking surface over these products.

Efficient Packaging

Printed Shrink Film - Picture Courtesy: Clysar

Once the plastic film is placed on a specific number of products, the shrink tank of shrink wrap equipment gives highly efficient and precise placement of that plastic wrap film over those products. It automatically gets into shape and results in efficient packaging. This can also attract the customer due to its presentation and it makes it much easier to handle.

Space Saving

A defined number of products when passed through the shrink wrap process create tight and firm packaging. This not only saves space but also supports when the products are placed in cartons. A greater number of products can be placed in a carton due to shrink wrap rather than if placed in a single form.

Ease In Transportation

Shrink wrap equipment widely supports the transportation of products around the globe. No concerns about wear and tear of the product are carried out when the products are handled and transported.

4.What Is The Operational Process Of Shrink Wrap Equipment?

How To Use Shrink Wrap Equipment - Picture Courtesy: IPS Packaging

The steps involved in the operational process of shrink wrap equipment are

Initially, the products are placed together in a position in which they are to be wrapped. After positioning these products they are placed onto the conveyor of shrink wrap equipment which carries them towards further process.

Once the products reach the film rolling step, the plastic film rollers get activated and apply film in all directions.

For excess applied plastic film, a trimming process is carried out to give it a tidy and presentable look.

The conveyor moves in a forward direction towards the next step where the shrink tunnel process is carried out. A defined temperature is maintained in the tunnel where the heat shrink process is performed.

Heat in the face of hot air is applied to the product which makes the film shrink over the product according to its size and shape.

Cooling of these heated wrappings is done so that the film can be placed properly and covers each point on the product.

Finally, shrink wrap products exit the shrink wrap equipment and are moved for packaging and transportation.

5.What Are The Main Components In Shrink Wrap Equipment?

The main components in shrink wrap equipment are

Film Roller

Dispensing Plastic And Shrink Film Rolls - Picture Courtesy: Technopack Corp. 

In shrink wrap equipment, the foremost component is its film roller or film roller unwinder. Here the plastic film mostly PVC is supplied to the system and also wrapped onto the products. It is a highly automated process as an accurate amount of film is to be released according to the size of the products.

Seal Bar

Shrink Wrap Equipment - Picture Courtesy: Packaging Blog

Once the plastic film is applied to the products, they are moved under the seal bar. A seal bar is made up of metal bars and has a certain temperature in it. The plastic film melts over the product when the temperature is applied from the seal bars.

Conveyor

Shrink Tunnel And Conveyor - Picture Courtesy: PAC Machinery

Conveyors in shrink wrap equipment are mostly in the form of belts or rollers that ease product movement. The conveyor is responsible for traveling of product throughout the system from intake to exit it.

Shrink Tunnel

The most important component of a shrink tunnel is its shrink tunnel. A shrink tunnel is a box-type chamber that has a heating mechanism in it. Once the product reaches the shrink tunnel, heated infrared radiations through the metal bars act upon the product and cause in shrink of the plastic film.

Human Machine Interface

Honeywell HMI

This is the interface that helps to monitor all the operations of shrink wrap equipment and also holds the controllers in it. All the temperature, safety, sealing, shrinking, and monitoring features are present in the human machine interface.

6.What Are The Different Types Of Shrink Wrap Equipment?

According to automation, there are three types of shrink wrap equipment.

Manual Shrink Wrap Equipment

Shrink Wrap Equipment With Heat Gun

Manual shrink wrap equipment is used in small scale industries where the productivity is in low numbers. All the processes are carried out manually and operators are responsible to carry out each of the shrink wrap step individually.

Working Principle

• The operator initially gathers the product together and wraps the plastic film onto it.
• Then they are sealed from all of its side. The operator places the product into the shrink tunnel where the final process is carried out.
• Once the wrapping is done, the operator performs offloading of products and then the packaging step is done.

Semi-automatic Shrink Wrap Equipment

Semi-Automatic Shrink Wrap Equipment

Manufacturers that follow in medium or large scale industries use semi-automatic shrink wrap equipment in their processes. Semi-automatic shrink wrap equipment can pack any type of food and non-food product in an efficient manner.

Working Principle

Initially the operator gathers the product together and wraps the plastic film onto it. Temperature of both sealer and heat shrink tunnel is maintained according to the standards.

Secondly, the operator gets involved in wrapping of plastic film on products and then led it to enter into the shrink tunnel.

The shrink tunnel shrinks the plastic film in a precise and desired manner. The product then gets offloaded of the system.

The operator receives the product and packs into the desired cartons or packaging boxes.

Automatic Shrink Wrap Equipment

Automatic Shrink Wrap Equipment - Picture Courtesy: GURKI

Highly efficient and precise type of shrink wrap equipment is an automatic version of it. The equipment is completely automated from its loading to offloading process and does not require any manual process. Automatic shrink wrap equipment is used in large scale industries to maintain their productivity and quality.

Working Principle

In automatic shrink wrap equipment, the products are just placed on the loading side of it from where they enter into the process.

In the second step, the products are aligned by the aligning roller present in shrink wrap equipment and uniformly enter in the film unwinder.

Here the film roller moves in all direction of the product to get it completely wrapped.

Both sealing and heat shrink processes are then carried out and the conveyor makes it move through all these steps.

Finally high quality shrink wrap products are taken out of the system for its packaging and transportation.

7.What Type Of Plastic Films Used In Shrink Wrap Equipment? 

Shrink wrap equipment is highly sensitive equipment that does not support all types of wrapping films. Some of the specific types of shrink wrap films are

Polyvinyl Chloride

PVC Shrink Film - Picture Courtesy: A&F Packages

The most abundantly used packing material around the globe is a polyvinyl chloride film. A PVC film is cheaper and provides a gloss finish to products. The most important property of PVC film is that it has a ductile nature and can pack any type of irregular shape. The usage of PVC film makes the packaging cost-effective and also is an eco-friendly material.

Polyolefin

POF Shrink Film - Picture Courtesy: A&F Packages

Due to its thermoplastic nature and shrink quality, most manufacturers prefer polyolefin for wrapping products. It has a high-quality clearance property that the product can be seen through. Also, the material is durable and tear-resistant which makes it easier to handle and transport.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene Shrink Film - Picture Courtesy: Get Packed

Some of the manufacturers use low and high-density polyethylene films due to their flexible and tear-resistance properties. However, the material is a bit more expensive than both PVC and polyolefin films.

8.What Is The Difference Between Shrink Wrap Equipment And Stretch Wrapping Machine?

The common difference between shrink wrap equipment and stretch wrapping equipment are

Equipment

Shrink wrap equipment involves application of plastic films onto the products and then applying heat on it to make the film fit according to its shape. The products have a well looking texture and make it visible for the customers.

No heat processes are involved in stretch wrap equipment because only applying film around the product is the basic principle of this equipment. The final wrapped products are palatalized and are easy to transport.

Purpose

The primary purpose of shrink wrap equipment is to protect the product from any type of environmental hazard and to provide a well looking appearance to it.  It can be used for wrapping of food, electronics, consumable, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

The primary goal while performing a stretch wrapping equipment to provide a secure and efficient wrapping to products so that they can be easily transported worldwide. Most of the warehouse and logistics centers use stretch wrapping equipment. 

Wrapping Material

Shrink wrap equipment mostly prefers polyvinyl chloride, polyolefin, and polyethylene films that wrap the material tightly once the heat is applied to it.

Whereas, stretch wrapping equipment uses linear LDPE (low-density polyethylene) films due to its elastic and stretchable nature.

9.What Quality Tests Are Performed To Check The Wrapping Done By Shrink Wrap Equipment?

Following are the quality tests that are performed to check the wrapping carried out by a shrink wrap equipment.

Conformity Test

Conformity Test - Picture Courtesy: Maripak

The basic tests performed for checking the quality of a shrink wrap product. This test allows the access to check whether the wrapping is done tightly or has any loose gaps. The inspection is held both visually and through specific devices.

Seal Testing

Check Shrink Wrap

This type of testing is done to check the seal applied by shrink wrap equipment. Seal bards are responsible for the application of seal and this test ensures that the seal is tight and completely uniform.

Shrinkage Uniformity Test

Shrink Check - Picture Courtesy: Packaging Blog

The entire uniformity of a shrink wrap product is checked through a uniformity test. Visually all the sides and corners of product are check to see any irregularity of inconsistent application of film.

10.Why To Choose All Pack For Your Shrink Wrap Equipment?

If you are interested in buying a shrink wrap equipment and facing problems in deciding the best one, then you should consider Allpack as your reliable source. Allpack offers wide range of shrink wrap machines and is one of the leading manufacturers of pharmaceutical and auxiliary machines. Some of the reasons to choose Allpack are

Wide Range Of Equipment

Selecting Allpack will ensure that you have wide range of shrink wrap equipment options and can select according to your requirement and production capacity. Also Allpack offers different equipment compatible with different types of shrink wrap films. Machines of Allpack perform in a highly efficient manner that you may not face any troubleshooting for a longer period.

Brand Warranty

Warranty - Picture Courtesy: Wires Computing

Allpack offers complete one year brand warranty to its valuable customers so that the customer can directly report any problem faced in its operation. The customer service department gets indulged with its customers directly to hear respond to the problems at their end.

Global Transportation

Global Transportation - Picture Courtesy: VectorStock

Allpack being a leading manufacturing brand for manufacturing machinery has access in Europe, America, Latin America & South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Allpack supplies these machines to their customers directly and has a transportation facility that makes them a comfortable and reliable source.

Conclusion

This article gives a complete study regarding a “Shrink Wrap Equipment” and generates all the basic ideas regarding to it. Shrink wrap equipment is a highly precise machine used to package products that secure the nature of product and gives it a presentable look. If you still have any query regarding shrink wrap equipment and want to know more about it. Then visit the official website of Allpack or get in contact with our customer care representatives. We are here to serve you 24/7.