Characteristics of Heatshrink Wrap That Make It a Popular Packaging Material

Heatshrink wrap is a multipurpose, flexible polymer material that is used for the packaging of finished goods. Due to its ability to maintain an air-tight covering over the product, it is used in a variety of industries like food, pharmaceuticals, printing, electronics, and many more. Shrink wrap is applied over or around the product and heat is applied either through a conveyor heat tunnel or an electric or gas heat gun. Shrink wrap is available in a variety of types, thicknesses, clarities, strengths, and shrink ratios making it suitable for packing products of varying size and shape.

Few Characteristics That Make Heatshrink Wrap Ideal For Product Packaging:

• Shrink Force

The packaging material used will exert a certain amount of force on the product. Normally measured in pound-force per square inch (PSI) it shows the amount of force that the shrink film will exert on the product. When using shrink film to tightly bundle products, depending on the product being packed, appropriate shrink film with the desired shrink force can be used.

• Shrink Orientation

Shrink films are either preferentially oriented or bi-axially oriented. Preferentially oriented film shrinks differently in either direction while bi-axially oriented films shrink equally in both directions. The use of preferentially oriented film leads to usage of less film and prevention of product distortion.

• Shrink Percentages

Shrink percentages define the amount of shrink-ability in a wrap before it makes contact with the product. Higher levels of shrink percentage will help to get near perfect packaging on difficult shapes and sizes.

• Resistance to Puncture and Tear

Good packing material should be strong enough to protect the product within and also provide a fair amount of resistance to puncture and tear. With shrink films, the higher the resistance to puncture means the lower resistance to tear and vice versa. Keeping in mind what type of product needs to be protected choose a shrink film that suits the needs.

Also Read: Pros and Cons of Heat Shrink Wrapping

• Antifog

Shrink wrap provides glossy transparent packaging making it favourable to package food products. This helps customers to easily identify the product within without opening the package. Any build-up of moisture within the packaging would affect the transparency of the wrap. Antifog films are specifically used in food packaging to mitigate moisture build-up on the film.

• Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate (MVTR)

MVTR is a measure of how much moisture will or will not travel through the film. Depending on the packing needs, appropriate shrink wrap can be used. There are many industries where moisture control is critical like sensitive foods items, pharmaceuticals, and more. It helps to provide protection and ensure a longer shelf-life, better product, and package integrity.

• Odour Barrier

This property of shrink film helps to prevent unacceptable odours from either entering into or out of the packed product. It helps to preserve sensitive products that would easily be spoiled or contaminated by exterior odours.

The characteristics of heatshrink wrap make it a durable packaging material that allows protecting and preserving the product in a cost-efficient manner.