Using Shrink Wrap Machines to Improve Productivity And Quality

Shrink wrap machines are used by manufacturers to produce a tight fitting plastic cover around a product, for storage, transportation and distribution. They use a material which is made up of polymer plastic to wrap products and when heat is applied the material shrinks down by approximately 50%, providing a smooth and tight seal.

Many hobbyists, retail store owners and small mom and pop style shops find shrink wrap an effective way to maintain the quality of a product. If an item is popular in a store, many people will come and touch it if they are interested in it, this can leave fingerprints, food and other dirt on the product, making it of inferior quality. Shrink wrap prevents this by placing a tight layer over it, so potential customers can still see and hold it

Keeping your products in premium quality, either while there on display or being transported, is a top priority for businesses, as this ensures maximum customer satisfaction and can lead to repeat business. The cost of shrink wrapping items is a justifiable one, as it projects a tone of professionalism and loyalty to the customers.

There are many different types of machines that are used in today's market. There are manual, semi-automatic, automatic and tunnel types of machinery. Each one is designed for a different work pace/work load and gives product creators and distributors a choice depending on their manufacturing capacity.

Manual machines are at the lower end of the spectrum and cater to those who do not have large volume, fast paced requirements. They require no assembly and are portable and light weight. These machines are great for small businesses that need to package products on a daily, but not constant basis. They work by covering the product in plastic and using a light weight, temperature adjustable heat gun to seal the package.

When using manual and semi-automatic machines, users need to be aware of fumes that can be produced when using the heat gun on the plastic. When the material is burned it releases a vapor, which should not be inhaled. It is best to place any production setups like these near windows, or in well ventilated areas.

If the company has a slightly higher production rate then the next best item would be a semi-automatic machine. Known as L sealers, these machines offer a cleaner and quicker job than the manual ones because they offer a two sided cut, compared to the straight bar manual one. The wrap can be heated by either a heat tunnel or gun, depending on the production pace and setup.

For companies that produce products at a fast pace, and need to package these items efficiently, a fully automatic machine is best suited to them. These are able to shrink wrap 25 - 300 items per minute depending on the size of the machine and the way it is used. These automatic machines come with a shrink wrap tunnel combined, enabling smooth and fast production.

Shrink wrap tunnels use a heated air system, and a convey belt to move products through and seal the shrink wrap with a nice tight fit. The air flow technology ensures that no air bubbles or other imperfections are left in the end result.

The machines have evolved over the years as technology has improved, and allow businesses of all size and manufacturing capabilities, to provide protection and professionalism to their products.

There have been reported cases of product retailers getting returned items and resealing them using their machines, to sell them again as brand new and this is viewed as a bad business tactic, but throughout the manufacturing world, efficiency and quality of products have improved with the use of shrink wrap machines.

UWrap are an established company providing the most simple to the most advanced Shrink wrap machines to allow businesses to safe money whilst still receiving a high quality packaging service.