Now Let us find out how to choose the shrink film and stretch film for our packaging needs.
Which Type Of Film Should You Use?
Depending on what application you are planning on using your film for will decide if you should be using shrink film, stretch film, or something else entirely.
When To Use Shrink Film
If you are looking for a film that can be used to package your products for display on store shelves while giving them a glossy sheen, shrink film would be a good choice for you. Furthermore, if you are attempting to catch the eyes of the consumer while they are shopping, using printed shrink film may be an even better choice.
Finally, when packaging food, shrink film is an excellent choice. Specifically, you will want to consider using polyolefin shrink film as it is the best shrink film for packaging food.
To choose the right type of shrink film for your needs, you will have to ask yourself these questions about your product:
- Are you packaging food? If you are packaging food, you will want to use polyolefin shrink film.
- Does your packaging need to breathe? If so, you may want to consider using perforated shrink film.
- Are your products ultra-sensitive to heat? If the answer is yes, shrink film may not be a good choice for you.
- Are your customers very environmentally conscious? If they are, you may want to consider using biodegradable shrink films instead of traditional plastic films.
- Are you on a tight budget? If you are, you will want to consider using traditional clear plastic shrink film.
With this information in hand, you are ready to start shopping for the appropriate shrink film for your packaging needs. You may want to take a look at the top 10 brands of shrink film to help you decide on which brand of film is best for you.
When To Use Stretch Film
If you are looking for a film to wrap pallets of products that have been stacked on pallets and are ready for shipping, you will definitely want to use stretch film. Stretch film is specifically made for palletizing products with the proper load containment.
Depending on the volume of products you are palletizing, you will want to ask yourself a few questions.
- What is my budget? Stretch wrapping machines cost, on average, between $2,400 – $250,000. Stretch film dispensers cost about $50 – $100.
- How many products am I wrapping each day/week/month? If you are wrapping a large volume of products and have the required funds, you may want to use a stretch wrapper machine in order to cut costs associated with manual labor.
- What are my load containment requirements? Depending on the size and weight of your products, using a stretch wrap dispenser may not be the safest or even the right tool for the job. If you can not achieve the proper load containment with a dispenser, you may have to upgrade to a stretch wrapper machine.
Once you have answered these questions, you can start exploring the different types of stretch film as well as the different types of stretch wrapper machines.