What is Shrink Film?

Roll of Shrink Film	Core

Shrink-wrap, commonly referred to in the packaging industry as film, is manufactured and classified as a plastic product. During manufacturing, the plastic-based material is manipulated to produce a continuous thin film that is then tightly wound onto thick, layered cardboard rolls commonly referred to as cores.

Shrink-wrap rolls are produced in various lengths and widths; roll lengths range from 1,100 to 17,500 linear feet and roll widths range from 3 to 70 inches. Available roll lengths and widths vary depending upon the shrink-wrap wind and type.

There are two ways in which to wind shrink-wrap onto a core: Singlewound and Centerfold. Singlewound means that the shrink-wrap is wound onto a core in a single layer. Centerfold means that the shrink-wrap is folded in the center before it is wound onto a core in a double layer.

There are a variety of shrink-wrap types. Each shrink-wrap type is designed with special characteristics to meet specific packaging needs. For example, Sealed Air’s Cryovac® line consists of 9 different shrink films - each provide product-tailored performance characteristics such as:

• general-purpose
• abuse resistant/bundling
• soft shrink for soft goods and paper products
• high speed (75+ PPM)
• oxygen-barrier
• anti-fog

Different shrink-wrap is used to provide for different applications in order to achieve the best possible package. You can explore our complete line of shrink films here.

One final note on shrink-wrap - most shrink-wrap types also come in different thickness, which is commonly referred to as gauge. A higher gauge means a thicker shrink-wrap, but a thicker shrink wrap does not always mean that it is stronger!

The second part in the shrink-wrapping process involves using a shrink-wrap roll on a piece of shrink-wrap equipment. Follow this link for introduction to shrink wrap equipment or explore our full line of shrink packaging equipment.

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.