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Shrink film is a clear film that is used to wrap a variety of packages. This type of film shrinks when it is exposed to heat via a shrink tunnel or a heat gun, adding a tight and flawless seal to any package. Shrink wrap or shrink films add tamper resistance and protective layer of material to perishable foods on retail shelves and many other applications. Shrink films are often referred to a shrink wrap or occasionally stretch film although stretch film is a completely different packaging product; check out our Stretch Film FAQs as well!
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT SIZE SHRINK FILM TO USE?
There are a lot of variables that determine the width of the shrink film you should be working with. If you don’t buy the correct width shrink wrap film, you could experience increased breakage and have issues with the shrink films sealing. For optimal seal and shelf-appeal, choosing the correct shrink film to work with matters.
The first thing you should think about is the shrink film equipment you are working with. Some shrink wrappers have limitations to the size and gauge film you can use. The shape and size of the product you are planning to shrink wrap also matters. Irregular, sharp, or otherwise unique products require a larger width and thicker gauge shrink film to prevent breakage during the shrinking process. While regular, smaller, and less jagged products might not require a gauge polyolefin shrink film that is as thick. More uniform products come with a lesser risk of puncture resistance especially if you’re using a cross linked shrink film as your primary shrink wrap.
The specific equipment you are working with and the speed at which you are planning to shrink wrap your products also affects the size of the film. If you want to run your shrink wrapper at a higher speed, you will need to choose a shrink film with a thicker gauge to prevent breakage of the film. Sizing your shrink wrap with the more efficient machine direction in mind ensures you are shrink wrapping in a manner that moves products to the shrink tunnel as quickly as possible getting product out the door more quickly.
Purchasing the wrong-sized polyolefin shrink film can be a costly mistake. If you are unsure of which film to choose, our shrink wrapper parts and service department can review your specific packaging needs as choosing the right shrink film helps make your operation more efficient. They are here to help you choose the correct width and gauge film (whether pvc shrink film or pof shrink film) that keeps your products protected and looking great on retail shelves. Contact us for more information.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED SOFT SHRINK?
Soft Polyolefin Shrink film is a highly durable, smooth shrink film that can be used in a variety of settings. If you are going for that perfect look on retail shelves, soft shrink is the shrink wrap you want to work with. This film decreases wrinkles, or dog ears, in smaller, more difficult to wrap products in addition to having higher puncture resistance and being more forgiving to applying too much heat in the shrink tunnel. Ask our parts and service department if soft shrink is right for your packaging needs as there are “soft” shrink films in both pvc shrink film and pof shrink film each of which are cross linked films but used on widely different products.
WHAT PRODUCTS ARE THE BEST FIT FOR POLYOLEFIN SHRINK?
The short answer to this question is that polyolefin shrink wrap is a great fit for everything. You can find polyolefin shrink wrap on any single item wrapped in a retail store, including food items. Examples include gels, soaps, pizza, and more. These shrink films are versatile and easy to work with, making it the most common shrink film out there. If you are looking for a clean, retail look with an incredibly easy shrink film to work with, then polyolefin shrink films are the right choice for you. We always recommend a cross linked shrink film as opposed to non cross linked films which make the shrink wrapping process much more difficult on your shrink wrapper and shrink tunnel operators.
HOW DO I RIGHT GAUGE MY SHRINK FILM?
There are many factors to think about when choosing the right gauge shrink film that is best for your products. The first thing to consider is the size, shape, and type of product(s) that you are planning to shrink wrap. Some products with jagged or sharp edges might require a thicker gauge to prevent tearing during or after the shrinking process.
Another factor that affects the gauge of the shrink wrap is the equipment and the speed you are running the shrink film on. Higher speeds require thicker gauge shrink wrap for better results without frustrating tears in the shrink film.
Choosing the right gauge shrink film is very important, and often difficult without some trial and error. That is why we offer our customers in person consultations, where our parts and service department will assess your specific needs. Our technicians perform a shrink film test for our customers where we trial different gauge shrink films to ensure that you are working with the best shrink wrap to meet all your needs. Our cross linked shrink film offers 29 microlayer technology ensuring you are getting the absolute most of our your shrink wrap. Contact us for more information.
SHOULD I USE PERFORATED OR NON-PERFORATED SHRINK FILM?
When it comes to perforation, shrink film comes in two different forms: Perforated and nonperforated shrink wrap. Perforated shrink film comes with tiny, uniform holes in the film. These holes allow the film to shrink evenly, for a smooth and uniform look. Shrink film can also be nonperforated. Non-perforated shrink wrap requires the consumer to perforate the shrink film themselves, with the assistance of a specific roller that is integrated into their shrink wrapper. When deciding which option is best for your packaging needs, it all comes down to the goals of the consumer.
Most customers prefer to work with perforated shrink film. Perforated shrink wrap comes with evenly spaced perforations for a smooth look. There is less chance of the shrink film tearing with perforated film. If not used in the correct manner, manually perforated shrink films can have irregular, and larger perforations causing increased tearing of the film during the shrink process.
While 90-95% of our consumers purchase pre-perforated shrink films, there are still some customers that prefer nonperforated film. These customers use a perf wheel to make manual perforations into the product. Some very small or delicate products do require customized perforations, so it is important to think about the products you are working with.
There are some challenges to working with manual perforated shrink wrap. The first one is the increased time needed to add the perforations to the shrink wrap before your products can be wrapped. Another challenge is the additional shrink film part that is housed in the packaging equipment, requiring ongoing maintenance and takes up space in an already crowded warehouse.
Determining the correct shrink film to use is a very important decision. That is why our service department is available for consultation on your shrink wrap and shrink wrap equipment. Our technicians will come out to your warehouse to test different forms of shrink wrap until we find the best fit for your products. In the most difficult of cases, we can even add manual perforations to our pre-perforated film, adding customization to your packaging process. Contact us for more information.
SINGLE WOUND OR CENTERFOLD SHRINK FILM?
The change between single wound and centerfold shrink film is simple. Centerfold shrink films come already folded and ready to go when it arrives at your door. Single wound shrink films require folding prior to loading this on the machine. Choosing between the two depends on a few simple factors. The first one is convenience. If you are looking for a film that is ready to use the day it arrives, cutting out labor costs and getting more products packaged in less time, centerfold shrink wrap is the way to go.
The next factor is that single wound shrink wrap requires you to have additional parts to create the centerfold shrink wrap in-line.
One thing to be aware of when it comes to single wound shrink film, is that this film can often come from overseas. When products are shipped overseas they are exposed to a number of different elements. This exposure can lead to damaged film, especially if it is exposed to high temperatures.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANUAL, SEMI-AUTOMATIC, OR AUTOMATIC SHRINK WRAPPERS?
There are several levels of automation that are available when purchasing a shrink wrapper. The decision on which shrink film equipment to use depends on the customer’s goals and the products that they are planning to shrink wrap. Some products require more hands on from operators, while other more uniform products would be a perfect fit for a fully manual shrink wrapper.
Manual shrink film wrappers require the most amount of human labor to operate. These wrappers require an operator to put the product in the seal area, manually pull the seal head down to create the bag. Once the bag is created the operator then manually takes the product to be sealed. Additional automation can be added to these machines, such as adding a conveyer to move the product if desired.
A semi-automatic film wrapper requires an operator to place the film in the bay, then seal head is placed down over the product. Once the bag is created, the conveyor then takes the product out of the bay and brings the panel to the seal panel to complete the process.
An automatic shrink wrapper is fully automatic. The operator places the product on a conveyer and the equipment does the rest. This is by far the easiest and safest machine to operate, as it does not require any operators to manually operate any of the elements of the shrinking process, including the seal head or the shrink film panel.
Which style shrink wrapper to purchase is determined by the needs and goals of the customer. If you are unsure which option is best for your products, reach out to our sales department for a consultation.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES MADE WHEN SETTING UP A SHRINK WRAPPER MACHINE?
Our service department answers many calls from customers with shrink wrappers not working properly. Any shrink wrapper and/or product that is not sized correctly with the correct gauge, perforation, and width shrink film will likely result in increased tears to the film and increased frustration on behalf of the consumer. That is why we spend a great deal of time ensuring that our customers are working with the film that best fits their needs first to avoid these issues.
In order to properly shrink film, it requires a clean and dry environment. If humidity gets into the air dryer, then the shrink film will be compromised and will not package products correctly. Installing and properly maintaining the dryer and surrounding environmental conditions will keep your shrink wrapper running smoothly longer.
Some additional shrink wrapper frustrations are related to the power voltage available to the machine. Many shrink wrappers require a 220 volt outlet to operate properly. If the customer attempts to plug the shrink wrapper into an outlet with less voltage it will result in shortages to the circuit and the machine won’t be able to operate.
Finally, our service department receives a number of calls from customers stating that their shrink wrappers are no longer working or have damaged parts. A lot of damage to shrink wrappers can be avoided with proper cleaning and maintenance on a regular basis, especially upon installation.
WHAT ARE THE MOST OFTEN NEGLECTED SHRINK WRAPPER MAINTENANCE ISSUES?
Maintenance issues that occur with polyolefin shrink films are typically related to cleaning. Shrink wrappers should be cleaned after every shift to keep them free of dust, debris and carbon deposits. However, customers should not use anything except a rag to clean this equipment. Any chemicals will cause the bars to corrode and result in increased issues and damage to the shrink wrapper.
Another misconception seen among customers is the use of metal to clean the seal bars. The metal can be a metal or wire scrub brush. The bars are Teflon coated to prevent shrink wrap and products from sticking to the bars, but the metal will scrub this Teflon coating right off. Resulting in a hot, sticky mess for our customers.
Always make sure to schedule preventive maintenance on your shrink tunnels and shrink wrapper. It is best to catch any issues before they become larger problems.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY ISSUE IS FROM MY SHRINK FILM OR SHRINK FILM WRAPPER?
If you have any issues with your shrink film not creating a good seal, there could be any number of issues going on. The issue could be related to the type and size of the shrink film that you are working with. Or the issue could be related to the equipment itself. At times, the issue could be related to the environment, for example, increased humidity in the dryer, or a really warm warehouse resulting in damage to the shrink wrap.
If your shrink wrapper is not working properly and not getting a great seal, the best thing to do is contact our service department for a consultation. If the issue cannot be handled over the phone, our technicians are available to come out to your warehouse to assess the issue.
MY SHRINK FILM ISN’T SEALING, WHAT DO I DO?
If you shrink film isn’t getting a great seal, there are a few things you could check ahead of calling our service department. Take a look at the temperature the shrink wrapper and shrink tunnel are set at. Low temperatures will cause the shrink film not to get a great seal, as will temperatures that are too warm.
Another factor that could be affecting your shrink film seal, is the time the seal bar is around the product. If the seal bar is not down long enough the product will not get a good seal, same is true for a seal bar that is engaged for too long.
Lastly, the pressure the shrink sealer is deployed to can also affect the seal the shrink film gets around the product. All of the above issues can be addressed over the phone, calling our service department can help you determine which kind of issue you are having along with whether the issue is shrink wrap or shrink equipment.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?
Shrink film is an excellent film that is used around the world to seal and wrap many different products. It is a versatile film that leaves products looking great on retail shelves. However, choosing the correct polyolefin shrink film to meet your needs is the most important step. Contact us for a consultation to ensure that you are working with the best film for your product’s unique needs.