You might have seen it, but not thought much about it. Shrink wrap is ubiquitous in product packaging. It is a wrapping material that is made out of thin polymer plastic. When heated, the material shrinks, taking the shape of the product being wrapped. The heating can be done using a handheld device or industrial shrink wrapping machines. Shrink wrap can be used to create airtight seals that you see used in the food and beverage industry but can also be used in numerous other ways and other industries. In his article, we will look at 7 uses of shrink wrap some that you may have not thought about, and some that may surprise you.
To Aid With Labelling
Products have to be labeled so the manufacturer knows what products are in which containers and so the supplier knows what product will be delivered where. These labels have to be placed somewhere but doing so on a product can be a mistake. This is because they can be harder to remove and will potentially destroy the value of the product.
An alternative that is commonly used is shrink wrap. Shrink wrap is used to wrap the product and then the label is applied to the product. Once the product reaches its destination, the shrink wrap and label can be removed together.
Doing this also helps stop tampering because it is more difficult to tamper with a product, and then put the label and the shrink wrap back on like they were originally.
Packaging Design
Shrink wrap can also be used to decorate packaging. You will often see this done on bottles that are meant for promotional campaigns or where a business or brand wants its products to stand out. Additionally, businesses and brands use shrink wrap for seasonal promotions. They print the seasonal message on the packaging and then shrink wrap it around individual products or their packaging.
Packaging in The Food and Beverage Industries
Perhaps the most common use of shrink wrap is in the food and beverage industry. Here it is used to wrap food and fruits to stop them from rotting, which would lead to incredible wastage. Many beverages come in cans, and manufacturers have to think of a way to keep them tightly together to reduce both storage and transportation cost.
A shrink wrap machine can be used to unitize different canned beverages and foods so that they take up as little space as possible. There are different types of these machines, and a business can choose a shrink wrap machine depending on the type of product being packaged and its size.
Businesses that serve customers with large products that need to be packaged can use an industrial shrink wrap machine that outperforms any handheld option available. For these machines, you can get in touch with Douglas Machines who are experts at creating packaging machines for all types of industries and applications. They also provide palletizing and cartoning solutions for different types of businesses and industries.
Wrapping Pallet Loads
Pallets are used to transport goods and some of these goods might be sensitive and need to be protected from weather elements. Because it is a waterproof material, various industries and businesses shrink wrap their pallets to protect them from the weather.
As with smaller packages, using this solution on pallets also provides some security because once it is removed it is not coming back as it was before.
To Ensure Products Cannot Be Used Before Purchase
There are numerous products people can take advantage of without buying. This used to be a serious issue in the publishing industry where one would pick up a book from the shelf, read it, and put it back. Shrink wrap is used on magazines, books, comic books, and other reading materials to ensure one cannot read what’s inside without buying it first.
Shrink wrap was also used on materials that contained adult content so that minors could not go through them and be exposed to such material.
In Electrical Applications
Heat shrink tubing is a kind of shrink wrap that is used in electrical applications. It is used to insulate wires to avoid discharges. They are also used to cover naked wires and protect attached or spliced wires.
To Prevent Tampering in Banking
Security is crucial wherever a large sum of money is concerned. Banks and security companies use tamper-evident shrink wrap. This type of shrink wrap is used to cover the money in cases where physical cash is being transported. The shrink wrap will display a word or change color if it is stretched or otherwise tampered with.
While many of us are used to shrink wrap used in the food and beverage industry, it has many more uses elsewhere. From protecting print materials to ensuring products can be used without being tampered with, shrink wrap is in use all around us.
