Efficiency and protection are paramount in packaging. A shrink wrap machine, a staple in various industries, embodies these qualities by providing a means to quickly and securely wrap products in a protective plastic film. Let us explore what shrink wrap machines are, the different types available, how they operate, and practical tips for their use.
A shrink wrap machine is a device that encloses or wraps products in a transparent, plastic film that is then subjected to heat. The heat causes the film to shrink tightly over whatever it is covering. This process secures the product and protects against dirt, moisture, and tampering. The result is a clean, attractive packaging solution widely used in numerous sectors, including food and beverage, electronics, publishing, and pharmaceuticals.
Choose the Right Film: Options include PVC, polyolefin, and polyethylene, each with different characteristics suitable for various products and durability needs. An additional tip, QUICK SHRINK-IR or QUICK SHRINK-201 , may help ensure that you choose the right film for your shrink-wrap machine.
: Install the film roll and thread it through the machine according to the manufacturer&#;s instructions. Adjust the sealer and heat tunnel temperature settings based on the film type and product size.
Operating Process
: Place the product in the center of the film sheet. For manual machines, wrap the film around the product and seal it using the sealer bar.
: For automatic machines, the product with the film automatically moves into the sealing area, where the machine cuts and seals the film.
: The sealed product then passes through the heat tunnel, where the film shrinks tightly around it.
: After the product exits the machine, check for consistent sealing and the absence of wrinkles or loose ends.
Shrink wrap machines come in various forms, each designed to meet specific needs:
: These are hand-operated. The operator wraps the product with film and manually moves it to a heat source to shrink the wrap.
: The operator must still place the products in the film. However, the process of sealing and shrinking the film is automated.
: These machines handle the entire process from product insertion, film wrapping, sealing, and shrinking without human intervention, suitable for high-volume packaging operations.
: This part of the machine cuts and seals the film around the product. Sealers vary depending on the type of machine, ranging from manual bars to automated arms.
: After sealing, the product passes through a heat tunnel where hot air or radiant heat shrinks the film tightly around the product.
: Particularly in semi-automatic and automatic machines, a conveyor system moves the product through the machine.
The second most critical aspect to consider when selecting the appropriate shrink-wrapping machine is the minimum and maximum dimensions of the products you will be wrapping. Every package has three dimensions: width, length, and height. Additionally, knowing the orientation in which the product will be packaged.
Shrink wrapping machines are constrained by the maximum size of the items they can encase. For manual or semi-automatic L-Sealer models, this maximum is determined by the dimensions of the L bar.
Fully automatic models, on the other hand, do not restrict the length of the product, but there are still mechanical limits on the height and width.
Choosing a shrink wrapper of the appropriate size is crucial for minimizing packaging costs and maximizing production efficiency. Ensuring that the shrink wrapper and the heat tunnel are large enough to handle your most significant product is essential.
What is your product? Whatever that may be, here are some typical results to expect from a shrink-wrap machine:
Display: Notice the shiny outer packaging among other products while protecting the primary packaging. For an additional advantage in branding, also use a printed film.
Tamper-Resistance: The packaging is proof of the end-user&#;s first usage. End-users gain confidence in buying the product with an unopened shrink wrap.
Storage/Logistics: To create an easy-to-carry package for heavy items.
Bundle of Products: It can shrink and wrap group products for multiple purposes. For your convenience, it can also provide results with an opening on the sides of the package when your product is heavy and you need to carry it by hand easily.
To understand what equipment to use in the packaging world. Here are some ideas for flexible film-wrapping equipment:
L-Bar Sealers: BestPack provides the best range of L-Bars available. These include their budget-friendly All-in-One Sealer/Shrink Chamber, the affordable series, the robust Series available with different cutting options, various models of their Automatic L-Sealer, and several types of faster side sealers.
Side Sealers: These wrappers encapsulate products in a continuous tube of film, sealing along one side of the package and then separating them into individual units downstream using a cross seal. Unlike L-bar sealers, side seal machines can run random products of infinite length.
Shrink Tunnels: A shrink or heat tunnel is a heated tunnel mounted over or around a conveyor system. Items (such as packaging) have shrink film loosely applied; with heat, the film shrinks to fit snugly around the wrapped object. BPX provides a wide range of shrink tunnels, from small 110v models to the largest, most durable ones available. They come in many sizes, with different conveyor styles and voltages, and include easy-to-use features.
Flow Wrappers: Flow wrapping helps keep your raw materials safe and protected. It tightly wraps the packaging around the product to prevent it from moving too much and getting damaged. The wrapping uses just enough material to seal the package, avoiding excess that would hang off the ends.
Poly Bundlers: Poly bundling is a method to group items of the same size into packs, which can be wrapped with either transparent or printed film. Printed film needs special plates and designs to create. All bundles have openings at each end called &#;bulls eyes&#; due to their oval shape. Now, Poly Bundlers have become more accessible and affordable. They are also being offered hand-fed, belted or right-angle automatic feeding.
: Keep the machine clean from dust and film residues, which can affect its performance and the quality of the seal.
: Regularly inspect the sealing bar and heat tunnel to ensure they function correctly and efficiently.
: Depending on the model, some parts may require lubrication to maintain smooth operation.
A shrink wrap machine is an invaluable tool in modern packaging, offering an efficient method to protect and enhance the appearance of products. By understanding the different types of machines and their components and how to use them effectively, businesses can ensure their products are presented in the best possible manner, with safety and cleanliness guaranteed. Mastering a shrink wrap machine can significantly impact productivity and product presentation for small-scale operations or large industrial environments.
- Sunday, September 1,
Are you struggling with how to package your products? A shrink wrapper may be the right packaging equipment for you. It allows you to package your products safely and efficiently. Shrink wrapping machines use shrinkable plastic film to tightly seal your products.
So, when choosing a shrink wrap machine, it's important that you know some basic information about it. What is a shrink wrap machine? How does a shrink wrapper work? What are the major types of it?
This guide encapsulates everything you need to know about shrink wrapping machines. Once you've read it, I'm sure you'll be able to make a more informed choice when purchasing your own shrink wrapper.
A shrink wrapping machine is a device used for heat shrink packaging. When a product enters the shrink wrapper, the machine will wrap a layer of transparent plastic film around it. The heat generated by the machine then causes the film to shrink, wrapping the product tightly. In this way, a strong, tamper-resistant film is formed on the outside of the product.
There are many types of shrink wrap machines on the market, each designed for specific needs and product types. Let's check out some of the most common types of shrink wrapping machines.
Image Source: Pro Pack Solutions
The i-bar shrink wrapper is a manually operated packing machine. It has a very simple design, using only an i-bar sealer and an infeed roller to do its job. The i-bar shrink wrapping machine is operator friendly as it can cut and seal the film at the same time with only one action.
In addition, this i-bar shrink sealer is ideal for stock shrink bags. You fill the product into the stock bag and then shrink the bag with a heat gun. So you have perfectly completed sealing a product. However, this kind of manual shrink wrapping machine has an obvious shortcoming. That is, it can only fulfill low volume packaging needs. Because by its nature, it cannot operate at high speeds like an automatic shrink wrapper.
L-bar shrink wrappers are the most popular category of shrink wrap machines. In the shrink sealer market, l-bars are usually available in manual, semi-automatic and automatic models.
Manual l-bar shrink wrap machines rely heavily on the operator. Operators play a hands-on role in the packaging process. They manually place a product into the sealing area and then pull down the sealing lever to create a seal on the film around the product. This kind of manual control allows for more precise sealing of products. So, the manual l-bar shrink wrapper is ideal for small-scale production.
The semi-automatic l-bar shrink wrapper combines manual and automatic functions. Although the operator still needs to manually feed the product into the machine. But once the product is in place, the semi-automatic l-bar shrink wrapper uses its sealing bar to automatically cut and seal the film outside the product.
This level of automation ensures consistent and accurate sealing and reduces reliance on operator skill. The sealing bar of the semi-automatic shrink sealer is controlled by a very simple control panel. The operator can adjust parameters such as heating temperature and time from the control panel.
Compared with the first two types of l-bar shrink wrap machines, automatic shrink wrapper runs faster and can pack more products in the same amount of time.
In addition, automatic shrink wrappers are more versatile, allowing for automatic film feeding, sealing, shrinking, and product discharge. With virtually no manual labor needed, this type of machines provide the fastest speeds and highest efficiencies for high-volume production lines.
Image Source: Texwrap
When it comes to side seal shrink wrapping machines, you will be faced with two options: intermittent and continuous. Both types of machines are efficient solutions for packaging your products, but they work in totally different ways.
The intermittent side seal shrink wrapper runs in cycles but with intervals. Once the product is placed on the conveyor, the sealing strip drops and seals the film around the product. After sealing, the film and product will move a set distance before stopping, and the operator places the next product. This cycle is repeated for each product.
Because intermittent side seal shrink wrappers can only handle one product at a time, so they will be slower than the continuous type in terms of speed. This type of wrapping machine is more suitable for small to medium sized projects.
The continuous motion side sealer is a wrapping machine that can run continuously. There is no need for downtime between sealing and cutting cycles. The product is placed on a moving conveyor belt and the machine automatically seals the product as it passes over the sealing strip.
In addition, the supply of film is uninterrupted and the operator doesn't have to stop or restart the machine to load the film. This type of machine is capable of high-speed packaging, making it ideal for applications requiring high throughput and efficiency.
Features
Intermittent Motion Side Sealer
Continuous Motion Side Sealer
Working Principle
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Cycles with intervals
Continuous motion
Packaging Speed
Moderate
Much Faster
Accuracy
High accuracy
Sacrificing some accuracy for high speed
Product Handling
Very flexible
Less flexible
Cost
Manual loading and unloading
Little to no human involvement
Operator Involvement
Lower cost
Higher cost
In a complete shrink wrapping process, the heat gun is often used as an auxiliary device to the heat shrink sealer. The shrink sealer applies and seals the film to the product, while the heat gun heats and shrinks the film.
Using a heat gun requires skilled manual handling and constant attention. As a result, this equipment is only suitable for small-batch packaging or small-sized products. A heat gun produces concentrated hot air, but its heat distribution is not as even as that of a shrink tunnel. This can lead to uneven film shrinkage and may even damage the product.
In addition to heat shrink sealers and heat guns, shrink tunnels are also common equipment used in the shrink wrapping process. This type of equipment is designed to meet the needs of large-scale industrial applications. On a product packaging line, you may often see shrink tunnels used in combination with L-bar sealers. This kind of combo maximizes the wrapping efficiency.
Shrink tunnels have a much greater heating capacity than heat guns. In a shrink tunnel, each side of the product is heated evenly. The film wrapping the product shrinks with the heat, and creates a tight, secure seal around the product. A heat gun, while also effective at heating the product, is still a slow, manual device by nature. So, it can't meet the demands of high-volume production like shrink tunnels can.
Want to better understand the differences between shrink tunnels and heat guns? You can check out the table below.
Features
Shrink Tunnel
Heat Gun
Function
Shrink film automatically or semi-automatically
Shrink film manually
Heating Method
Infrared, convection or steam
Centralized hot air
Applications
High-volume, larger products
Low-volume, smaller products
Size
Requires some floor space
Compact and portable
Cost
More expensive
Cheaper
Safety
Enclosed environment ensures safety
When using it, you need to be careful to avoid burns
If you want to provide the best protection for your products, a shrink wrapping machine is definitely a good choice. Below we've shortlisted 2 of the top shrink wrapping machines for you, so you can choose the most suitable one depending on your product type and required output.
The iPharMachine FQL-450A l-bar shrink wrapper combines sealing, cutting and bagging functions in one machine, using high quality shrink film as the packaging material. If you are not a large producer but want an efficient packaging machine, then this FQL-450A model is the best choice for you.
Features & Benefits
Main Parameters
Model
FQL 450A
Supply Voltage
AC220-240V/50-60Hz
Power Consumption
W
Sealing & Cutting Time
0-3sec
Conveying Time
0-10sec
Max Conveying Weight(kg)
25
Conveying Speed
0-10(m/min)
Thickness of Film(mm)
0.015-0.08
Maximum Product Size(mm)
500×450
Dimension(mm)
×850×960
Overall Weight(kg)
120
The iPharMachine DS-H400 shrink wrapper is a compact, cost-effective packaging machine. If you are on a budget, why not try the DS-H400?
Features & Benefits
Main Parameters
Model
DS H400
Applicable Materials
PP, POF, PVC, PE
Speed
0-12(m/min)
Temperature Range
0~300°C
Max Conveying Weight(kg)
5
Power Consumption
3KW
Supply Voltage
220V 50HZ/110V 60HZ
Dimension (mm)
x430x580
Weight
54kg
By now, you should have a good understanding of shrink wrapping machines. However, you may still be unsure which shrink wrapper is best for your project. Don't worry, at the end of this guide, we will provide you with some tips on how to choose a shrink wrapping machine.
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