The Best Guide to Shrink Wrapping

Are you worried about damage to your products during transportation or storage? Shrink packaging can help you solve this problem! It provides excellent protection for your products and makes them look more attractive. There are many different types of shrink packaging, and the materials used vary greatly. Understanding these differences will help you choose the right product and avoid pitfalls.

This article will introduce the types, advantages, and applications of shrink packaging, giving you a better understanding of this packaging solution.

What is Shrink Wrap?

Shrink packaging, also known as shrink film, is a commonly used plastic film material. It has a wide range of applications in the packaging industry. When exposed to heat, it shrinks, providing protective properties such as dust, moisture, and UV resistance. It also enhances the appearance of products.To use it, first wrap the item with a shrink bag or film roll, then heat it so that the film shrinks and adheres to the item. When heated, the film molecules reorient themselves and, after cooling, fix their shape and remain adhered. It comes in different thicknesses, sizes, and compositions to meet the needs of various industries.

How is shrink packaging made?

Shrink packaging involves melting plastic particles and then extruding them into a mold to form a thin film. After oriented stretching, the molecules are aligned. The film shrinks when heated and is then cooled and wound into a roll.

It is made from a variety of thermoplastics, commonly polyethylene (PE), polyolefin (PO), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).Among them, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) in PE are also commonly used.

• Polyolefin has high transparency and strength and is often used in packaging for food and electronic products.
• PVC packaging is crisp and transparent with good shrinkage properties, but it is not used for food packaging and is often used to package boxed products.
• PE shrink film is durable and suitable for packaging large items.

Types of Shrink Wrap

There are many types of shrink packaging, each with its own characteristics. There are three main types:

Polyolefin POF shrink packaging:

Widely used for food and non-food products. High transparency, attractive appearance, high strength, and good product protection.

PVC shrink packaging:

Clear and easy to identify, tight conformity to the product. Mainly used for non-food products, can enhance appearance.

PE (polyethylene) shrink packaging:

Strong and durable, suitable for heavy products. Often used to bundle a variety of products or large items such as packaging pallets. These types of shrink packaging have their own advantages and are widely used.

Cross-Linked shrink Wrap

Cross-linked shrink packaging is an excellent polyolefin packaging. After cross-linking treatment, its strength and transparency are improved, and its tear resistance is also excellent, making it ideal for use in high-speed machines.

Cross-linked shrink film is reinforced and sterilized by radiation cross-linking of polymers. It has many intertwined lines inside, which greatly improves the seal strength, tear resistance, and puncture resistance of polyolefin materials.Therefore, it has advantages over ordinary shrink film.

The cross-linked film maintains its original strength while reducing thickness, which not only reduces costs, but also improves transparency and speeds up sealing and shrinkage. Its high seal strength effectively reduces the risk of package damage and product tampering, and leaves little residue on the seal or blade, which saves time on fully automatic machines and reduces the number of parts that need to be replaced.

Shrink Wrap for Sublimation?

Sublimation shrink packaging is a special type of shrink film used in the sublimation printing process. It is used to wrap printed items such as mugs and plates. When heated at high temperatures, the sublimation ink transfers to the surface of the item, creating vibrant and durable patterns. At the same time, the shrink film conforms to the shape of the product, ensuring the printed design lies flat and smooth, resulting in a professional finish.

Benefits of Using Shrink Wrap

We have tried various materials and methods and ultimately found shrink film to be an excellent choice. Shrink packaging offers numerous advantages, capable of meeting diverse packaging requirements.

• Cost-effectiveness: Lightweight, reducing transportation costs, and conforming to product shapes. Minimizes material waste, lowers costs, and enhances quality.
• Product protection: Shrink packaging is tightly sealed. It is dustproof, moisture-proof, and UV-proof, and can keep products intact during transportation.
• Highly functional: Can be used for books, DVDs, machinery, and food. Visually appealing, with customizable single or bundling packaging solutions.
• High durability: For example, cross-linked shrink film protects sharp objects, helps extend shelf life, and masks odors.
• Recyclable: POF and PE shrink films have the added benefit of being recyclable. This is very important for companies pursuing sustainable development.
• All of these reflect the comprehensive advantages of shrink packaging, which is a reliable, versatile, and cost-effective packaging option.

What Is Shrink Wrap Used For?

Shrink packaging has a wide range of applications across many industries.

• Product protection: During transportation and display, it acts like a protective layer for products, preventing bumps and damage.
• Securing products: It acts as a binding agent, facilitating handling and sales. It reduces loss and damage. During transportation, it secures goods on pallets. It protects food, industrial products, and fragile items from damage during transportation and storage. It also plays a protective role.
• Improving appearance: It increases attractiveness and makes products more appealing to customers on store shelves.
• Food preservation: For vegetables and fruits, etc. Shrink packaging can keep food fresh, extend shelf life, and prevent dust and moisture.

How to choose shrink packaging?

When selecting shrink packaging, consider the following key points:

• Material
  Choose materials such as polyolefin or PVC. The primary considerations are durability, transparency, and suitability for the product.
• Thickness
  Determine the thickness based on product protection requirements. Thicker films offer better puncture resistance and sealing performance.
• Transportation safety
  Consider the packaging design during transportation. Check if items are properly boxed and if materials are exposed.
• Application and Machinery
  Select the appropriate shrink film based on the machine type (manual, semi-automatic, automatic). Ensure you understand the machine’s capabilities.
• Heat Resistance
  Use low-temperature shrink materials for heat-sensitive products. Before mass production, test the shrink material and machine on fragile products.
• Film Performance
  Pay attention to the clarity, tackiness, and noise of the film.
• Supplier
  Choose a supplier with a good reputation, good service, timely delivery, and quality assurance.

Consider the characteristics of the packaged product, such as type, weight, shape, size, color, labeling requirements, whether printing is required, packaging and handling methods, climate conditions, whether additives are required, and whether tamper-proofing is required. The packaging supplier’s industry experience and understanding of your needs are key to finding the right shrink packaging. Meet various requirements, such as high melting point, durability, recyclability, and environmental friendliness.

How to Use Shrink Wrap for Packaging

Operating steps:

1. Material selection: Select polyolefin, PVC, PE, or other shrink packaging materials as needed.
2. Measure and cut: Unroll the shrink film, place the product on it, leave space around the edges, and cut with a sharp tool.
3. Place the product: Place the product in the center of the cut film.
4. Sealing: Use a sealing machine to seal the edges and ensure a tight seal.
5. Heat shrinkage: Use a heat gun or shrink oven to heat evenly, continuously moving the heat source to avoid local overheating, so that the packaging fits the shape of the product.
6. Cooling: After the packaging has completely shrunk, cool it down, and it can be stored or transported in a few minutes.

Essential tools: Shrink wrap roll, sealing machine, heat gun or shrink oven, workbench.

Important notes:

• When heating, continuously move the heat source to prevent overheating.
• Beginners should test the process a few times to master the procedure.
• Wear gloves when handling heat sources.
• Store shrink wrap rolls in a cool, dry place.

How to fold:

• The shrink film is center-folded lengthwise.
• The film width required for different shapes is calculated differently. There are separate rules for rectangular and circular shapes.
• Make sure that the film is sealed on three sides before shrinking.
• Calculating Mil Thickness: Simply divide the specification by 100.