How can i shrink wrap something

In practice, this means that putting, say, a shrink wrap pallet cover over a pallet, and heating it the cover will start to contract and pull tight over the goods.

How to use a heat gun for shrink wrap is perhaps the hardest part of the process. It needs a specialist gun, which burns propane or butane to create a hot flame. For this reason, the flame heats a plate at the business end of the heat gun which radiates heat onto the plastic. With more attention than ever on the impact of plastic on the environment, many ask can shrink wrap be recycled? So is shrink wrap recyclable: in short it is. Being made of low density polyethylene — or polythene — means that the answer to is plastic shrink wrap recyclable is yes.

Polythene is widely recycled and can be put into the recycling waste and reused. To recycle it, simply keep it once you have removed it and either put it in the standard recycling or, if you find you have a lot of it, there are companies that will come and collect it and take it away to recycle.

They will shred it and melt it down to make polythene beads which may very well end up being used to make new shrink wrap. For all your packaging advice, our Packaging Experts are here to help you find the right solutions. Simply call us on 44 28 or visit www. Hello, it depends on the application, if you are wrapping a small retail item like a toy or something quite large like furniture.

Please call 44 28 or email sales rajapack. Many thanks. How does shrink wrap work? Blog Packaging Industry News How does shrink wrap work? Shrink wrap is so versatile it is even used to wrap up US Navy helicopters for transport Image: Wikipedia But what is shrink wrap made of, how does shrink wrap work and is shrink wrap recyclable?

What is shrink wrap? This protective packaging comes in sheets and on rolls So, when was shrink wrap invented? What is shrink wrap made of? Choose a type of shrink-wrapping film. The two most common shrink-wrap films are polyvinyl chloride PVC and polyolefin. Polyolefin is more durable when it comes to wrapping items with sharp edges, and it has less of an odor when it comes to wrapping food; however, it is also more expensive.

For most jobs, PVC is still the go to film, including CDs and Blu-Rays Depending on your specific job, you can also decide between flat rolls of film, pre-made bags in various sizes with three sides already sealed, or gauge size ranging from 60 to Turn on your impulse sealer. An impulse sealer resembles a paper cutter that seals the shrink wrap as opposed to slicing it when you bring down the arm though some models do also have a cutter included.

The specific setting you want depends on the film type and gauge size you decided on for your item. Your film may have come with a recommended heat setting, or you can easily practice on a small piece of film to find the ideal temperature where it seals without burning.

Prepare your shrink-wrap film. Cut the film with scissors, leaving yourself plenty of room to fit the excess on the three open sides under the arm of your impulse sealer.

If you ordered pre-made bags in a suitable size for your item, then you can simply place it in the bag. Seal your item. One side at a time, place the open edges of the film onto the impulse sealer and close the arm, which will heat and seal the side.

This will lead to a clean-looking finished product after applying the heat gun, and it will also help you save on wrapping film with practice. Shrink the sealed film with a heat gun. A heat gun resembles a hairdryer, but it distributes heat more evenly to the film.

From several inches away, make passes over the sealed bag. The film will quickly react to the heat and shrink down to the exact size of the sealed item. Using the gun too close to the film or leaving it pointed at one spot for too long can warp the film or even burn it, so ensure that you make even passes from several inches away. Method 2. Just as with the impulse sealer method above, you still have to choose the shrink-wrap film best suited to the job at hand.

For most items at home using scissors and a blowdryer, PVC film should work fine. Wrap your item. Fold the item in the film as though you were going to gift wrap it, and cut a piece of film that size from the roll. The sheet you cut should be a single piece slightly larger than what you need. Cut off excess film. Trim off any excess strands of shrink wrap. The film should cling tightly to the item, eliminating any air pockets and uncovered spaces.

Use the hairdryer to seal the seam. If the way you wrapped the item has left a seam that needs to be sealed before you can continue, use the hairdryer to heat directly along the overlap of the seam to seal the film.

Heat the film evenly to shrink it over the rest of the item. Apply heat from the hairdryer evenly around the wrap until it shrinks. If you apply it unevenly, the wrap will not shrink proportionately. A hairdryer will require more time than a heat gun to shrink the film properly. Heat as evenly as possible. Polyvinyl chloride PVC films have low shrink force. New polyolefin formulations offer reduced amounts of shrink force. Shrink films are either bi-axially oriented or preferentially oriented.

Bi-axially oriented films shrink equally in both directions Machine Direction or Cross Direction. Preferentially oriented film shrinks differently in either direction.

The benefits of a preferentially oriented film include using less film and preventing product distortion. In addition to altering your shrink percentages by using preferentially oriented film, you can also lower the shrink percentage and stay with a bi-axially oriented film e. Another related characteristic is Free Shrink. Unfortunately, this isn't a tip to get free shrink wrap, but it's just as important.

I know, I know Free shrink is the amount of shrink-ability in a film before it makes contact with your product. High levels of free shrink allow you to get a better-looking package on difficult shapes and sizes. This measures how hard it is to actually break the film, and how hard it is to tear the film once it has been punctured.

Often, films with high resistance to puncture have lower resistance to tear and vice versa. If you need to make this trade-off, select the characteristic that is more important e. Choose a shrink film that balances the security of your product with ease of access to the actual product. Be sure to keep your shrink wrap stored in a cool but not too cool storage area to prevent any weakening of the film prior to use.

If low moisture transmission into or out of your package is important, you should pay attention to this characteristic for improved shelf life. Something you will want to consider for this and to reduce or eliminate fog is modified atmosphere packaging. The moisture can cause a fog that affects the viewing of the product through the film.

If I'm buying something, you bet that I'm skipping over the fogged-up package for the one with the product I can actually see. Odor barrier films are used to prevent unacceptable odors from either traveling into or out of your package.

Don't disappoint your customers after they've purchased your product with a foul smell. Enough said. There are a few common types of shrink film available. Learn about how each works best for different products. To protect and secure products for retail and shipping environments, there are three main types of films used in shrink wrapping : polyvinyl chloride, polyolefin and polyethylene. Each of these materials features different capabilities and characteristics that make them suitable for specific applications.

In addition, each one can be co-extruded into multilayer films with different additives in order to create distinct barrier properties that promote shelf life or a particular appearance. Shrink films can be formed into flattened roll stock, bags, overwrap, banding, and tubing.

They can add a form of tamper-resistant protection to packaged goods. Here's a breakdown of the three main shrink film types and their common uses:. Given its lightweight nature, inexpensiveness, and multi-purpose capabilities, PVC was once the most commonly used shrink packaging material in the world. It has since given way to polyethylene PE and polyolefin POF for a number of reasons, including the health dangers posed during creation and incineration, as well as its level of sustainability.

In its rigid form, PVC is durable and used in such applications as construction projects and houseware products. In terms of packaging, PVC is applied to both rigid constructs like blister and clamshell packaging and flexible ones like shrink film and bagging. PVC comprises a combination of three elements: carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine. Due to the strong, harmful odors that are released when heated, it is recommended for use in well-ventilated facilities.

In fact, it is banned altogether in some countries because of its chemical composition and the harmful byproducts released during creation and decomposition. Even in countries where it is legal, brands that are committed to corporate and social responsibility have banned PVC in their own packaging process. For example, the Walmart Sustainability Playbook specifically targets PVC reduction in packaging materials used by the manufacturers of products sold in their stores.

A notable downside to PVC is its reaction to hot and cold temperature changes. It can become brittle under certain low temperatures and subject to wrinkling under certain high temperatures. Its resistance to tearing after being punctured is on the higher side, but its resistance to being punctured is on the lower side. This type of film is not ideal for bundling multiple items together, given its more brittle nature after shrinking.

PVC is also known to leave carbon deposits on the sealer, which means proper and regular maintenance is required for consistent operation. It offers preferential orientation shrinks in only one direction and exerts low shrink force on a product. It is a 3 recyclable material, which means it is unable to be recycled in most cases. PVC is leveraged in a number of applications in the building and construction industries, as well as the healthcare, electronics, and automobile sectors, among others.

Polyolefin shrink film is extremely durable and versatile, making it a premium option. POF materials are available with different characteristics. One option is cross-linked film, which provides high-tensile strength and incredible clarity for high-speed packaging applications. Cross-linked film also prevents buildup on the sealing components of your machinery. This decreases roll change-over and increases both efficiency and productivity. POF shrink film has excellent puncture resistance and seal strength, which helps protect irregularly shaped items throughout its supply chain lifecycle.

POF is available in thicknesses as low as gauge. The versatility and reasonable cost that POF lends to multiple machines and packaging forms make it a go-to option for protective packaging manufacturers of any size. In some instances, POF film requires the addition of perforations, or tiny holes, before application. These holes allow air to escape during the shrinking process in order to produce a smooth package with an even shrink surface and no air pockets. Pre-perforated shrink film is available by many suppliers for this reason.

With its superb clarity and glossy shelf appearance, this shrink film is optimal for consumer products for which presentation is critical. POF is durable and less affected by temperature changes. It features excellent tensile strength and propagation to tear, and it has the ability to shrink quickly and completely, resulting in a finished good as soon as it comes out of the shrink tunnel.

Common uses for POF shrink film include toys, games, candies, books, foods, most retail items, and any consumer product where appearance is important. When we say it's versatile, we aren't kidding! Depending on your need for barrier layers or MVTR, additives can be combined to give you exactly what you need with this packaging film. Polyethylene is a type of polyolefin, meaning it is a single monomer film that is formed with the addition of ethylene during polymerization.

PE is used in several forms of flexible protective packaging, including shrink film and stretch film, performing very differently for each. With a high strength-to-density ratio, HDPE is used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes, and plastic lumber.

HDPE is commonly recycled in both its rigid form e. Due to its exceptional versatility, it is the most widely utilized of plastics and is applied to a wide spectrum of products, from hard hats to milk jugs. Common uses include beverage bottles, personal care products e. The bread bags and thin plastic produce bags provided in grocery stores are made from HDPE, as are cereal box liners. It's also used in more heavy-duty stretch-wrapping situations, such as bundling produce on farms. It usually comes on a roll similar to other films but is more of a net that offers breathability to the products it wraps.

While similar to high-density polyethylene, LDPE has a lower density as the name suggests. This means that it has less mass compared to its volume. LDPE is highly resistant to impact, moisture, and chemicals.

LDPE is commonly used in applications for which heat-sealing is necessary, as well as in the manufacture of some flexible lids and bottles, and in wire and cable applications. This is one of the most commonly used films in the packaging industry. It doesn't shrink as well as other films, but is great for stretch-wrapping pallets and protecting heavy loads in transit. This film is most often confused for shrink films like a plain polyolefin because it is visually similar on the roll.

Nonetheless, it performs very differently for packaging protection. The benefits of using Low-Density Polyethylene over other forms of shrink film packaging include added strength and durability for heavier, larger items e.