About shrink wrapping machines

Shrink wrapping is a process that uses heat-sensitive films. When heat is applied, the film shrinks tightly around the product. Shrink wrapping equipment is available for a range of product sizes and comes in both automatic and semi-automatic models.

Shrink wrap is versatile and offers many benefits, making it suitable for a wide variety of products and materials.

Shrink wrap protects goods from dust, moisture, and dirt. This is important for all products and essential for food and pharmaceuticals. The tight seal keeps products in optimal condition longer than if they were exposed to air.

Shrink wrap is typically stronger than overwrapping or stretch wrapping. The film is usually made from polyolefin, PVC, polyethylene, or polypropylene. It is available in different strengths, thicknesses, and levels of clarity, so it can be matched to the product’s weight and protection needs, including protection from light.

Shrink wrap maintains its shape well, so products always look presentable—an important factor for consumer goods. It also makes tampering or interference easy to detect, which is critical for cheese, meats, prepared meals, pharmaceuticals, and bundles of currency or sensitive documents.

Shrink wrap is more space-efficient than cardboard or plastic, taking up no more room in storage, transport, or on shelves than the products themselves. It is also lighter, making handling and transport easier and less expensive. Shrink wrap is suitable for products or groups of products of any kind, shape, or size. It is often used for groups of bottles or cans, or to combine items in a multipack.

Shrink wrapping machines price

The price of a shrink wrapping machine depends on several factors and the type of machine you need. Prices for shrink wrappers range from about 1,800 EUR to 29,000 EUR. The cost is influenced by the type of shrink wrapping machine, the output per minute, whether a shrink tunnel is included, and the size of the sealing area. Another important factor is whether the shrink wrapping machine has a powerful motor and its type.

Types of shrink wrapping machines

L-Sealer shrink wrapping machines

L-sealer shrink wrapping machines are ideal for smaller products. A heated arm moves up and down as products pass through. The shrink film is sealed and heated around each item, ensuring the right amount of film is used.

Automatic side seal shrink wrappers

Automatic side seal shrink wrapping machines are high-speed, continuous-motion packaging systems. A conveyor moves products through the machine while mechanical arms trim and seal the film. The continuous operation allows for faster packaging, and in-feed systems ensure the correct amount of shrink film is applied.

Shrink tunnels

Shrink tunnels are central to shrink wrap systems. They move products along a conveyor while maintaining a consistent temperature, improving the shrink wrap process and ensuring even application around the product.

How do shrink wrapping machines work?

How a shrink wrapping machine works depends on the type of machine. The three main types are chamber sealers, L-sealers, and side sealers.

A chamber sealer places the product and shrink film into a heated compartment, or chamber, where the film shrinks tightly around the product to form a protective layer. The process time depends on the thickness of the film.

An L-type machine with a tunnel is designed for higher volumes, as it wraps products in film more quickly. A more economical option is an L-type machine with a chamber, where the entire shrinking process happens inside the chamber.

The L-type machine with a tunnel uses two sealing bars arranged in an L-shape. The shrink film is folded along these bars to create a pocket for the product. After placing the product in the fold, the other three sides of the film are sealed. Once the product is inside, the wrapping process begins. The product then moves into a tunnel, where heat shrinks the film tightly around it.

Side sealers are the fastest and most adaptable option for packaging high volumes of products. These machines wrap items in a continuous film tube, sealing one side and then separating each package downstream with a cross seal. Side sealers are typically available in two main types: two-belt and three-belt models. Two-belt sealers are more compact—just a bit larger than an L-sealer—and remove one infeed belt to make the end seal before the side seal. They are ideal for wrapping longer products when you have limited space for your production line. Three-belt sealers are a bit larger and offer the added benefit of accurately spacing products before they enter the wrapping section.

Benefits of Shrink Wrapping Machines

Another important benefit is that shrink wrapping machines and materials are relatively inexpensive. Smaller businesses and operations can use basic shrink wrapping machines with a modest investment, choosing manual or semi-automatic models. A higher investment allows for fully automatic systems, which reduce labor needs and eliminate repetitive manual tasks.

Boost Your Shrink Wrap Productivity

Shrink wrapping machines offer a fast and efficient alternative to manually shrinking your products. In the past, employees spent significant time using handheld heat guns for the shrinking process. With shrink tunnel technology, the process is automated. Products move through the tunnel on a conveyor, ensuring consistent shrinkage. This hands-free method increases throughput and speeds up packing times.

Eliminate Harmful Burns and Fires

Handheld heat guns, often powered by propane, can be hazardous. These tools reach temperatures over 600 degrees Celsius and can cause severe burns or fires. Shrink wrapping machines remove these risks by containing the heat during the shrinking process. Shrink tunnels have protected openings and built-in safety features to help prevent employee injuries and fires.

Shrink Wrapping Machines Save Space

Reclaim your workspace. Shrink wrapping equipment can take up less room than other containment solutions. The system includes two main parts: the sealer and the shrink tunnel. These components can be placed side by side or spaced apart, depending on your available floor space.

Space savings with shrink wrapping go beyond the machines themselves. Often, the wrapped products become more compact. This size reduction frees up storage space and can lead to direct cost savings by increasing the number of products shipped per load.

The Shrink Wrapping Process Explained

Most people do not consider how a shrink wrapping machine works or how the film ends up tightly sealed around a product. The process involves managing and shaping polymer molecules. Polymers are long chains of atoms in plastic, usually twisted and disordered, making them unsuitable for wrapping. When made into shrink film, the molecules are stretched straight into a thin layer, ideal for wrapping around products.

This film is then placed around the item to be wrapped. When heat is applied, the film shrinks because the polymers return to their natural tangled state. The amount of shrinkage depends on the polymer type: PVC shrink film can shrink up to 50 percent of its original size, while polyolefin shrink film shrinks a bit less but provides stronger seals than PVC.