As a packaging professional, you’re always looking for new ways to improve your packaging solutions. Shrink bundling film is an innovative technology that can help you achieve this goal. In this article, we’ll explore what shrink bundling film is, how it works, and why it’s beneficial for your business.
Shrink bundling film is a type of packaging film that is designed to shrink tightly around products when heat is applied, providing a secure and protective covering. It is made from a variety of materials, including polyethylene, PVC, and polyolefin. There are different types of shrink bundling film, including single-wound, centerfold, and shrink bags. During the shrinking process, the film conforms to the shape of the product and creates a tight, tamper-resistant seal. Heat is a critical component of the shrinking process, as it activates the film’s memory and allows it to conform to the product’s shape. Some advantages of using shrink bundling film include improved product protection, reduced packaging material waste, and increased efficiency.
Shrink bundling film is a versatile and cost-effective packaging solution that can be used for a wide range of applications. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of this technology and how it can help you streamline your packaging process.
What is Shrink Bundling Film?
A. Physical characteristics
Shrink bundling film is a type of plastic shrink wrap that is used for bundling multiple items together. It is generally made of polyolefin or PVC and has a special coating that gives it the ability to shrink when exposed to heat. When heated, the film will form tightly around the items being bundled, creating a secure and tamper-proof seal.
PVC Shrink Wrap Bags: PVC shrinks wrap bags are ideal for shrink-wrapping individual items or smaller bundles of several products. They are typically made from a combination of PVC resin and plasticizers, as well as other monomers and additives. The thickness can range from 0.5 mils to 10 mils, depending on what needs to be wrapped. These bags feature excellent clarity and strength that make them perfect for retail packaging applications.
Heat Shrink Film: Heat shrink film is best suited for large-scale packaging applications where speed, automation, and reliability matter most. This type of film can shrink up to 75 percent when exposed to heat in a professional-grade shrink tunnel, which helps create strong seals around various types of products without compromising their integrity or quality.
Shrink Tunnel: A shrink tunnel is an industrial device designed specifically for shrinking heat shrink films such as PVC or Polyolefin in a safe, efficient manner using hot air circulation technology. The tunnel creates an enclosed environment in which the product is both supported and heated evenly until the desired degree of tightness is achieved.
B. Materials used in shrink bundling film
Shrink bundling films are specialized forms of plastic packaging materials used in the packaging industry to create a secure and tamper-proof shrink-wrapped package. Shrink bundling films are composed of two main components: a heat shrink film and a shrink tunnel.
Heat Shrink Film
At the core of shrink bundling film is heat shrink film, which comes in a variety of thicknesses and materials. Generally made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), these films are both cost-effective and provide excellent clarity for product visibility. The ability to print on heat shrink film allows companies to customize their packaging with branding and labels.
Shrink Tunnel
Once the products are securely wrapped with heat shrink film, they are placed into a special machine called a shrink tunnel. This device uses hot air to rapidly evaporate moisture from the air, shrinking the plastic tightly around the product or bundle of products. The temperature can be adjusted depending on the thickness and material of the particular brand of heat shrink film being used.
C. Types of shrink bundling film
- Polyethylene Shrink Film: This is the most common and cost-effective shrink bundling film used in industrial packaging. It’s a thin plastic material that is applied directly to products and then heated with a heat tunnel, machine, or any other method to create a tight seal and bundle multiple units together. Polyethylene shrink film comes in various thicknesses and sizes, making it suitable for most applications.
- Cross-Linking Films: Cross-linking films are more expensive than polyethylene but provide better performance when sealing several products together due to their higher tensile strength, which gives them greater resistance to puncture and tear. They also provide improved transparency and clarity, which makes them an ideal choice for use in combination with labeling systems.
- PVC Shrink Film: PVC shrink film is similar to cross-linking films but has the added benefit of being fire retardant and less expensive than cross-linking films. It also produces a stronger bond than polyethylene film so can be used for heavier items or larger bundles of items than polyethylene can handle.
- Polyolefin Shrink Film: Polyolefin shrink film is another type of plastic film commonly used in an industrial packaging solution, as it offers excellent clarity, printability, puncture resistance, and overall performance making it an excellent choice when it comes to containing products securely while still providing visual appeal.
- Polypropylene Shrink Film: This type of shrink bundling film provides superior clarity compared to other types of plastic films such as polyethylene or PVC shrink wrap. It also offers excellent moisture protection properties which make it great for food packaging applications where maintaining freshness is important. Additionally, the high-temperature rating makes it suitable for packing any kind of product with different melting points without fear of damage due to overheating during the shrinking process.
How Shrink Bundling Film Works
A. The shrinking process
Step 1: The shrink bundling film is placed in the heat tunnel. The heat tunnel provides a consistent and even amount of heat to the film.
Step 2: Once the shrink bundling film is exposed to the heat source, it begins to shrink. This is because as the film is heated up, its molecules move around and together more closely, thus creating a tighter fit around whatever product or items are in the bundle.
Step 3: As the shrink bundling film shrinks it also forms a seal around whatever is being wrapped up inside, thus protecting it from moisture or dust particles that can harm the product or items inside.
Step 4: After wrapping up whatever is inside, the bundle can then be sealed using PVC tape to further protect it from any external contaminants.
Step 5: Once all of these steps have been completed, your product or item should now be held securely within the shrinking wrap and ready for transport.
B. The role of heat in shrink bundling
Heat plays an important role in shrink bundling and affects both the speed and quality of the result. Applying heat over the top of a sealed packet containing multiple items activates the shrinking properties of the shrink film and causes it to shrink tightly around its contents. This ensures that all products remain securely in place during transport and storage. Additionally, using higher temperatures will result in faster drying times as well as more uniform shrinking across all areas of each packet being shrunk.
C. Advantages of Shrink Bundling
There are several advantages associated with shrink bundling which make it ideal for packaging multiple items together at once. Firstly, it greatly reduces labor costs by eliminating manual taping or gluing individual packages together; instead, one single step is required to complete an entire batch wrapping process quickly and efficiently. Secondly, it increases product protection by creating an airtight pocket that prevents dust particles from entering and damaging its contents inside during transport or storage – meaning fewer damaged goods than traditional methods such as manual packaging/wrapping tapes or glues/adhesives could offer alone if used incorrectly on individual items separately rather than using shrink bundling for them altogether at once in one go – this also helps combat any potential losses from spoilage or theft too due to heavy duty durability offered by properly done shrink wrapping techniques well executed properly for best results when compared against other methods like manual packaging/taping/gluing etcetera with lesser quality finishes available even after longer periods due to not having been able to have had enough time spent completing each item’s own individual packaging process beforehand before moving on towards doing them altogether at once with much better results achieved overall afterwards later – this also helps conserve resources too as less energy needs expended during transportation due to weight reductions experienced when combined into one bundle instead! Lastly, shrink bundling provides excellent visual appeal as it produces clear packets with perfectly sealed edges that attractively display their contents – making them great for retail applications where presentation matters most!
Applications of Shrink Bundling Film
A. Packaging Products:
Shrink bundling film is a great solution for packaging products efficiently. It can be used to wrap multiple items and create bundles that can easily be handled and shipped without compromising the safety of the products. With shrink bundling film, it is possible to package products using fewer materials while still ensuring they are securely contained within the bundle. This makes it an ideal solution for businesses looking to reduce their packaging costs while still providing effective product protection. Additionally, shrink bundling film can be used to create custom-sized packages that fit specific products and provide additional levels of security for those items during transit or storage.
B. Protecting Products During Shipping:
Shrink bundling film plays an important role in protecting products during shipping as well. By wrapping multiple items together, shrink bundling provides a strong barrier against shock, vibration, and other environmental factors that could otherwise cause damage to the contents of the package. Additionally, because shrink bundling requires less material overall than traditional packaging methods, it reduces the amount of space taken up by the package during transit which can help reduce shipping costs by reducing freight weight and bulkiness of orders being shipped out.
C. Enhancing Product Display:
Using shrink bundling film can also help enhance product display in retail store settings or at trade shows. By creating eye-catching bundles with colorful films and custom-printed labels or branding, businesses can draw attention to their offerings while also helping their customers quickly identify what’s included in each bundle without having to open up individual packages or boxes. Additionally, this type of packaging will make it easier for customers to handle multiple products when shopping as they won’t have to juggle multiple items separately as they move between shelves or displays.
D. Examples of Industries Using Shrink Bundling Film:
Shrink bundling is widely used across many different industries including food service, healthcare, manufacturing, electronics, and retail stores just to name a few examples. In the food service industry businesses use shrink bundling for a variety of purposes such as combining ingredients into kits and bulk packs for restaurant owners or creating bundles of pre-packaged meals for catering services. Similarly in healthcare settings shrink bundling is often employed for creating patient kits containing multiple medical supplies so nurses don’t have to search through drawers full of individual items every time they need something new from inventory control measures at hospitals down to medical supply distributors looking to keep track of their stock more efficiently -shrink b undying is proving itself invaluable across many industries today due its versatility and cost efficiency when compared with other traditional methods like box making or manual packing processes
Shrink bundling film is a powerful tool for any packaging professional looking to improve their packaging solutions. By understanding its physical characteristics, materials used, and shrinking process, you can make an informed decision about whether it’s the right choice for your business. With its many advantages, including improved product protection and increased efficiency, shrink bundling film is a technology that is well worth exploring.
