Shrink wrap also referred as shrink film, is a material made up of polymer plastic film used for packaging goods. It can be used to wrap around any cargo, no matter what the size or shape. It is available in a variety of thickness, clarities, strengths, and shrink- ratios. Heat is applied to the shrink wrap through a conveyor heat tunnel or an electric or gas heat gun causing the wrap to shrink tightly around the product placed within. It shrinks to the shape of the product and seals it. Heat shrink wrap can be used for packaging products for outdoor and indoor storage as it is ideal for cargo that needs to be protected from rain, dust, and debris during transport and storage.

The most common types of plastics used are polyolefin, PVC, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Shrink wrap is used for many products like food, beverages, books, boxes, machinery, etc. Various examples of heat shrink wrap types are centerfold shrink wrap, shrink tubing, shrink bags, or even marine shrink wrap rolls, and many more.

It is one of the most affordable and easy means of packaging a product and is eco-friendly making it quite a popular method used for packaging cargo. Although it involves quite an easy application process, heat shrink wrap if not applied properly can create certain defects or improper finish to the final packaging of the product. A few of the common shrink wrap problems you might experience are mentioned below.

Common Shrink Wrapping Problems:

The most common problems faced during heat shrink wrapping are due to improper settings of the machine like temperature, conveyor speed, air velocity of the tunnel, or as basic as the usage of the type of shrink wrapping wrap being used.

• Dog Ears
During the application process, if the shrink wrap becomes bunched up in sections of the packaging, resembling triangular protrusions of the wrap on the corners of a package, this is called dog ears. They happen due to insufficient shrinkage of the wrap, causing the corners to not shrink down enough. This problem can be solved by applying more heat to the shrink wrap or using high-quality wraps.

• Ballooning
Shrink wrap ballooning happens when the shrink wrap is exposed to hot air after sealing and the air inside the packaging expands causing the shrink wrap to balloon. This can be solved by using a wrap with vent holes, also known as a pre-perforated wrap that allows air to escape as the wrap is shrunk around the product. One can also create microscopic vent holes in the wrap to eliminate or prevent ballooning from happening during the application process.

• Burn Holes
Burn holes occur when too much heat is applied to the shrink wrap being used. This would prevent proper sealing to be applied around the product and can also cause damage to the product if the heat is applied to close to the product. By adjusting the heat settings or slowing down the conveyor belt would help to prevent burn holes from appearing in the final packaging.

Also Read: Pros and Cons of Heat Shrink Wrapping

Heat shrink wrap is a versatile, flexible, and cost-effective packaging method to provide complete protection for your product.