If you aren’t familiar with the process of shrink wrapping, it is a really efficient way of packaging and can improve your business by lowering costs of transport as well as money spent on external packaging. The process is simple as all you need is shrink wrapping machinery and shrink wrap plastic. With this packaging type, you can make your product weatherproof and transport proof and is great if you want to protect your product.
Using shrink wrap can be great for businesses, but, as with many things, problems can often arise. However, we have taken a look at some of the common shrink wrap problems and how to fix them.
Splitting
Sometimes, the seals around the product can split and can be one of the costliest issues. If this happens, it is important that it is resolved immediately as if it splits, it can result in damage to your product as well as slipping out of the packaging and being tampered with. Splitting often happens when the shrink wrap film is not thick enough, or even if the roll of film you are using is not good enough.
To resolve this issue, you should look at cleaning your seal wire and make sure it is at the right temperature, as well as making sure that the clamp is applying pressure evenly.
Ballooning
Ballooning usually happens when the film is exposed to hot air after it has been sealed and the air which is inside the pouch expands and causes the film to expand. To fix this issue, you can use a film which has vent holes. This film comes with tiny holes in it which allows air to escape after the film has been shrunk around the product.
Fish Eyes
Fish eyes are when round patterns appear in the film after it has been shrunk and occurs when it has been shrunk poorly. This usually happens when there has been a lack of heat, so it is important to check the heating element of your machine. However, this can also be caused by bad air velocity, and when the heat source is not pushing enough air when applying the heat which makes the film shrink evenly. To avoid fish eyes, you should slow down the speed and allow the heat to apply fully.
Angel Hair
Angel hair is a very minor issue which happens when very thin strands of melted plastic stretch the product sealed part of the shrink wrap film. This usually happens when the film doesn’t have enough time to be completely cut and then the film stretches off the wire. Additionally, it can also occur by the conveyor speed, and if the sealer is opened to quickly, it doesn’t seal correctly. To avoid this, you should make sure that your sealing wire is working properly, as well as checking the clamp pressure.
Dog Ears
Dog ears can often be seen around the corners of the packaging and are triangular bulges which resemble dog ears! These are extremely common and can happen for a number of reasons. One of the most common reasons is that there is insufficient shrinkage of the film which is caused by the corners not shrinking enough.
To resolve this issue, you should asses the heat of your shrink wrap machine, and make sure that it is putting out enough heat. You should also check the size of your film as if you are using a larger film than necessary, this can result in dog ears.
Crow’s Feet
Much like dog ears, crow’s feet are wrinkles which can be found in the corners of the film once it has been shrink wrapped. This is usually caused by an excess film on the corners of the product. However, another cause is when the heating element is not producing enough heat, so it is important to make sure everything is working properly.
These are the most common problems which can occur when shrink wrapping a product. Here at Kempner, we have a range of shrink wrap film as well as machinery, so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
