What is Shrink Packaging Equipment

L-Sealer

High Speed Wrapper

Shrink Tunnel

The concept is simple, (see how it works), but the possibilities are many. The equipment can be as simple as a hand-held, single-bar sealer and an industrial-grade blow dryer or as sophisticated as an automated packaging machine and tunnel that produces more than 300 packages per minute under minimal supervision by an attendant.

In all cases, two separate pieces of equipment are required for the shrink packaging process - one to wrap and seal the shrink film around the product and a second to heat, expand, and shrink the film around the packaged product.

Types of wrapping and sealing equipment include:

• L-Sealers
• Form-Fill-Seal Wrappers
• High Speed Wrapers
• Sleeve Wrappers

In most packaging operations, heating, expanding and shrinking is usually accomplished with a shrink tunnel.

Here are some of the factors that determine which shrink packaging system will meet your specific and unique needs:

Package Size

It is possible to shrink package products as small as pill boxes and products as large as widescreen televisions, but no single machine is capable of packaging everything. The three primary measurements are:

• length
• width
• height

Packaging Speed

Shrink equipment packaging speeds range from less than 1 package per minute (PPM) to more than 300 PPM. The size of the product, the type of film being used, the speed of the shrink tunnel or heat source, and the efficiency of the operator all impact equipment packaging speeds. Therefore, each piece of shrink equipment offers a range of packaging speeds, such as 20 to 30 PPM, etc. Generally, larger products result in slower packaging speeds, and some films are not capable of running at high packaging speeds.

Film and Seal Types

Film is manufactured in two primary ways: singlewound and centerfold (see what is film for more details). Some equipment may not be capable of using singlewound or centerfold film without special equipment options.

The location of the seal on the product is very important. There are five different types of seals - and each requires a different technology option on the packaging equipment. They are:

• trim seal
• static seal
• side seal
• thermal seal
• fin seal

Automation Requirements

The greater the packaging volume and required packaging speed, the greater the need for more automation. Equipment is classified as:

• Manual (an operator loads the package into the film, manually creates the seal, and moves the product into the heat source)
• Semi-automatic (an operator loads the package into the film, automates the creation of a seal, and moves the product into the heat source)
• Automatic (minimal operator involvement)

Sealed Air offers a complete range of shrink packaging equipment to meet nearly every shrink packaging need. In addition, we provide custom equipment solutions for unique packaging applications or business needs.

The first part in the shrink-wrapping process involves selecting the appropriate type of shrink wrap. Follow this link for an introduction to shrink wrap or explore our full line of shrink packaging films.

Product specifications, brands and availability may vary depending on your geographic location. Refer to the map at the top of this page to browse products in your Region.