What Shrink Film is Best for Your Product?

What Shrink Film is Best for Your Product or Application?

If you want to keep your product safe and secure for sale, you may have already seen that shrink film can help you do that. There are many kinds of shrink film on the market today so it&#;s important to get the right type. Not only will choosing the right type of shrink film help protect your product on the shelf, but it will also enhance the buying experience for your customers or buyers.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit HYF.

Out of the many types of shrink film, the three main types of film on the market you will want to review are PVC, Polyolefin, and Polyethylene. These shrink films each have properties that cross over to different applications, but specific characteristics of these films may make them more suited for your particular use.

Here are some strengths and weaknesses of each type of shrink film to help you choose which one may be best for your application.

PVC (also known as Polyvinyl Chloride)

Strengths:

This film is thin, pliable, and light, typically more affordable than most shrink films. It shrinks only in one direction and is highly resistant to tearing or puncturing. PVC has a clear, shiny presentation, making it aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Weaknesses:

PVC softens and wrinkles if the temperature gets too high, and it becomes hard and brittle if it becomes to cool. Because the film has chloride in it, the FDA has only approved PVC film for use with inedible products. This also causes it to emit toxic fumes during heating and sealing, making it necessary to use it in very well-ventilated areas. This film therefore also has strict disposal standards. PVC is not generally suitable for bundling multiple products.

Polyolefin

Strengths:

This shrink film type is FDA approved for food contact since it doesn&#;t have chloride in it, and it produces much less odor during heating and sealing. It&#;s better suited for irregularly shaped packages as it shrinks more fully. The film has a beautiful, glossy surface and is exceptionally clear. Unlike PVC, it can withstand a much wider range of temperature fluctuations when stored, saving inventory. If you need to bundle multiple items, polyolefin is a great choice, and it is highly resistant to puncture and tearing. Cross-linked polyolefin is also available which increases its strength without sacrificing clarity. Polyolefin is also 100% recyclable, making it the &#;green&#; choice.

Weaknesses:

Polyolefin is more expensive than PVC film, and it may also require perforations in some applications to avoid air pockets or bumpy surfaces.

Polyethylene

Some additional information: Polyethylene film can be used for shrink film or stretch film, depending on the form. You will need to know which form you need for your product.

Manufacturers create polyethylene when adding ethylene to polyolefin during the polymerization process. There are three different forms of Polyethylene: LDPE or Low-density Polyethylene, LLDPE or Linear Low-density Polyethylene, and HDPE or High-density polyethylene. They each have various applications, but normally, the LDPE form is used for shrink film packaging.

Strengths:

Beneficial for wrapping multi-packs of heavy items&#;for example, a large count of beverages or water bottles. It is highly durable and is able to stretch more than other films. As with polyolefin, polyethylene is FDA approved for food contact. While PVC and polyolefin films are limited in thickness, usually only up to 100-gauge, polyethylene can be scaled up to -gauge, making it ideal for wrapping vehicles such as boats for storage. Uses range from bulk or frozen foods to trash bags and palletizing as stretch wrapping. Check with your manufacturer to know which form (LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE) you should use.

Weaknesses:

Polyethylene has a low shrink rate of around 20% and isn&#;t as clear as other films. It is more expensive than other films. Polyethylene shrinks while cooling after it has been heated, making it necessary to have additional space for cooling at the end of your shrink tunnel.

Conclusion

Make sure you know what shrink film you need for your product application. It will save you time and money. If you need help, let one of our packaging experts help you. Traco Packaging has been supplying shrink film for over 35 years. Call or one of our packaging specialists to get your project going, or go to our website at https://www.tracopackaging.com/and request a quote today.

It's important to identify some specifics about your product to be packaged before diving into the details of the films available to you. Without question, a packaging supplier is key to selecting the appropriate film for your needs. Their industry experience and ability to understand your needs gives them the expertise to ascertain which types of films will and won&#;t work for your product.

Some of the packaging considerations  you&#;ll need to be aware of include:

• What type of product you are packaging

• The product&#;s weight, shape, and dimensions

• Your objectives for color and labeling

• Whether the film can be printed to meet your needs

• How the product will be packaged into the flexible film (manually or via machine, and what type of machine

• The product&#;s journey from creation to shipment to the shelf and beyond

• Whether it will be handled often and/or subject to rough handling

• The types of climates/environments it will experience

• Whether it requires specific film additives to keep it fresh (e.g., oxygen or moisture barrier)

  Contact us to discuss your requirements of custom logo shrink wrap. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

• Requirements for anti-tampering and security of the finished good

  
  

With so many types of flexible packaging film available, you are sure to find the right packaging for your product. Whether you need an option with a high melting point, one that emphasizes durability, or one that prioritizes recyclability and sustainability, there is a shrink film product available to suit your needs. With all of the opportunities for a custom finish to any product, it&#;s always important to do your research and consider your specific needs to determine the best options.

Also, you&#;ll need to do some homework regarding equipment. If you have an automatic shrink wrapper or are planning to purchase one in the future, it&#;s important to keep an eye on your bag length and running speeds. Sometimes operators adjust the bag length from the original specs to make running the line easier. This is particularly more noticeable on older pneumatic shrink wrap equipment. Running your film at just 1" larger than necessary can equate to 2,000 extra feet of film used per day. That&#;s approximately 118 wasted rolls of film.

Be sure to think about how capable your internal maintenance technicians are. Adding a shrink film wrapper to your packaging line will require technical support on a regular and as-needed basis. Assess your internal maintenance team&#;s comfort level with working on the new machine(s), and make sure you have a backup technician for when service is needed and your internal team can&#;t handle the repair.  

Before purchasing and storing shrink film, make sure you know its storage requirements. You don&#;t want to try to work with climate-compromised packaging. Your supplier should have this information available if you&#;re unsure what your material requires. Overall, shrink packaging is best stored in temperatures between 30 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Naturally, summer and winter are the seasons that require you to be most attentive to your storage environment.

Summer:

Your facility will likely be subject to high heat in the summer, if not during springtime. If shrink sleeves are kept in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, they may prematurely shrink and compromise their ability to protect your goods. During these hot months, keep your shrink materials stored in the coolest areas of your facility without subjecting them to refrigeration.

They should be kept cool, but not too cold. The coolest spots in your warehouse are typically close to the floors &#; on the lowest part of your pallet racks &#; and away from windows or places that are subject to a lot of sunlight. You&#;ll also want to keep your shrink films away from high-traffic doors because the temperatures in these areas tend to fluctuate greatly.

Additionally, try to schedule your shrink film deliveries early in the day. That way, the materials won&#;t sit in the back of a hot trailer when traveling from warehouse to warehouse. Not only will you avoid the harshest hours of the sun, but you&#;ll also give yourself more time to store them before the temperature reaches its peak.

Winter

:

As mentioned, packaging films tend to become especially brittle in cold temperatures, which greatly reduces their stretching and shrinking properties. While the PVC may crack, it can even shatter like glass if left in extremely cold conditions for too long.

As in the summer, store your rolls away from doors to avoid temperature fluctuations. You also want to ensure rain or snow won&#;t create unwanted moisture in the rolls. If you&#;ve been using PVC shrink film to package frozen foods or other products that spend time in a freezer truck or refrigerator, consider switching to a polyolefin film. This is a more durable, food-safe, and recyclable material that will keep your package intact during transit and packaging.

When you take shrink film out of storage, you may not know how to tell if it&#;s been compromised. One key sign is sticky rolls. If PVC rolls stick together, they were likely exposed to too much heat. Don't risk downtime on the packaging line by trying to use them anyway. Skip over the rolls that are stuck together. Bagging and sagging are also signs of overheated film. The rolls may begin to sag on the edges or show bagging within their layers. Using these rolls can interfere with the tracking on your machines, so avoid using these compromised rolls as well.

Remember, even the highest-quality shrink film and packaging materials are apt to deteriorate when subject to these environmental factors. No matter what quality film rolls you&#;re purchasing, take the time to assess how you&#;ll store them to ensure they protect and present your product exactly as you&#;ve planned.

Audience:

Finally, keep your target audience at the forefront of your packaging design. The type of material you choose is a part of your brand, so any disconnect between that and your brand&#;s message will confuse consumers and make them lose trust. To appeal to your customers, you have to research and understand them enough before you make these key marketing and branding decisions. Market research is a great way to learn what your target audience values and decide how to pair those details with your budget, transportation, and sustainability needs and goals. Always listen to your key demographic and cater to their needs specifically.

For a quick look at some additional considerations regarding your use of shrink wrap film, check out this free shrink film cheat sheet.

Are you interested in learning more about Food PVC Shrink Film Supplier? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!