Adding to our Shrink Wrapping 101 post last month, we wanted to demonstrate how a shrink tunnel machine works. It’s super easy and maintenance free and sooooooooo much faster than using a heat gun!
We have two dial settings: one for the upper and one for the lower heaters. Adjust the temperature and speed conveyor to your preference. Note: the faster the conveyor, the higher the heat. Play around with the settings…this may take some trial and error. Once your settings are set, place your item with shrink wrap packaging on the conveyor and voila!
Why Shrink Wrap? Shrink wrapping is an excellent and easy way to package a product without the need to purchase a lot of expensive equipment. Shrink wrapping provides:
Crystal clear sealed packaging
Protection from dust and moisture
Tamper proof packages
What Do I Need to Shrink Wrap? All you need to shrink wrap is
Shrink material which comes either as rolls of film or shrink bags
Hand impulse sealer (w/round wire), and
Heat gun
How Do I Shrink Wrap?
Insert your product between the fold of film or into a shrink bag
Using your sealer, cut off excess film and seal the ends of your film closed
Shrink the film on all sides using a heat gun
How Do I Determine the Right Film?
Measure the width and height of your product and add 5-10% to the measurement. This provides you with your minimum shrink bag width.
Measure the length and height of your product and add 5-10% to the measurement. This provides you with your minimum shrink bag length.
For shrink film (usually sold as centerfold film), take the smallest figure of the two to determine the shrink film size needed.
If the size you needs is not available, a larger size can be used because shrink films will shrink up to 40% in all directions
Need to Shrink Wrap Faster? If you are looking to shrink fast your product even faster, we have L-bar sealers which cut and seals two sides of the film in one motion.
Nozzle vacuum sealers are the most versatile among the three types of vacuum sealers we carry. Nozzle-style vacuum sealers suit nearly every application: for your home, manufacturing, food, pharmaceutical, etc. Nozzle style vacuum sealers are easy to use and easy to clean. Because there is no chamber, nozzle vacuum sealers can seal virtually any type of product, especially large or bulky items.
Bag Type: Standard
Process: Air is extracted by means of a retractable nozzle which is placed in between the vacuum pouch. Bag conforms around product as air is extracted
Pros
Fast and light vacuum
Best for fresh vegetables and other “crushable items”
Best for liquids and/or grains
Gas flush option allowing perishable items to be sealed
Cons
External compressor may be required (our SINBO household vacuum sealer does not require an external compressor)
ONLY portable vacuum sealer on the market utilizing STANDARD poly/nylon vacuum bags.
NEW! DZ-280/2SE – filter canister allows this unit to seal liquids and powders – Video here!
VV-305T – 12″ Vacuum Sealer – for medium duty applications VV-305T is a medium duty vacuum packaging machine that is easy to operate and practically maintenance free. Sealer is also equipped with two sealing bars (top and bottom) for greater heat penetration when sealing thicker materials. A work table is also included.
STANDARD FEATURES
Impulse seal
High flow stainless steel retractable nozzle
Easy set up using only compressed air and standard electrical outlet
Controller with 20 programs
Non-oil filling Italian pump
Metal construction
Fitted with emergency stop
External compressor required
Value Vac is an economical high performance nozzle vacuum sealer.If you are looking for a no frills, entry level, commercial vacuum sealer, the VV1600 Value Vac is what you are looking for!
16″ Wide Impulse Sealing – No warm-up time needed with a 1/4″ flat band seal
Stainless Steel Nozzle – Easy to clean and more durable
Venturi Vacuum – No moving or electrical parts make the venturi pump very quiet
Lightweight Metal Construction – Provides portability and durability.
Vacuum Sealers remove oxygen from a package prior to sealing the bag. By removing oxygen from the package, vacuum sealing can extend the life of a food package or prevent rust of industrial items. Some vacuum sealers also provide gas purge/gas flush which can flush your pouch with nitrogen to ensure the complete removal of any oxygen in your pouch. Barrier type of bags must be used to ensure a proper vacuum…some sealers such as the external vacuum sealer require special channel or embossed bags in order to vacuum and seal. There are three major categories of vacuum sealers: external vacuum sealer, nozzle vacuum sealer, and the chamber vacuum sealer. We carry vacuum sealers in all three categories. Click here for our vacuum sealer product line.
External Vacuum Sealers
In an external vacuum sealer, your product remains outside of the vacuum sealer and a vacuum pump extracts air from a small vacuum cavity. See our WVT-455T video for an example of how this sealer works.
Bag Type: Only embossed/channeled bags can be used
Process: Air is extracted through the ridges on the pouch after the machine’s lid is closed over the bags’ end
Pros
Inexpensive
Cons
Embossed pouches more expensive than standard vacuum pouches
Not practical for higher volume user
Slower than commercial vacuum sealers
Nozzle or Snorkel Vacuum Sealers
In an external vacuum sealer, your product remains outside of the vacuum sealer; a nozzle draws air out of the bag and retracts so the bag can be sealed. See our Value Vac video for an example of how this sealer works.
Bag Type: Standard
Process: Air is extracted by means of a retractable nozzle which is placed in between the vacuum pouch. Bag conforms around product as air is extracted
Pros
Fast and light vacuum
Best for fresh vegetables and other “crushable items”
Gas flush option allowing perishable items to be sealed
Cons
External compressor may be required (our SINBO household vacuum sealer does not require an external compressor)
Chamber Vacuum Sealers
In a chamber vacuum sealer, the product is placed completely in a machine before sealing. See our picture of the TC-280F.
Bag Type: Standard
Process: Product is placed in the chamber and the lid is closed. A vacuum pump extracts air from the chamber; when the air has been extracted, the sealer will then seal the bag. Air allowed back into the chamber and the vacuum sealed product can be removed
Pros
Highest possible vacuum pressure
Identical vacuum extracted each time
Best for liquids and/or grains
Gas flush option allowing perishable items to be sealed
Most of our distributors associate us with sealers, but we carry much more than sealing equipment. Please check out our HP-280 imprinter which allows your customers to imprint any type of information on his/her packaging.
Portable, tabletop model
Automatic or manual mode available
Easy to operate
NEW – 4 lines of imprinting
Use our HP-280 imprinter for any imprinting job….the automatic mode can imprint 20-70 imprints/minute. The HP-280 can imprint up to 3 lines of imprint with each line holding up to 14 characters.
We also now carry a 4-line imprinter for anyone that needs to imprint more information on their packaging.
Resealable zip lock for tear notch for easy opening
Packaged in small quantities, 250pcs or 500pcs
4mil thickness
Stand up pouches have become the ideal flexible packaging medium for both large and small businesses alike. Stand up pouches elegantly maximize shelf space over traditional packaging such as boxes and cartons and since the pouches are shipped flat before filling, they also minimize costs of freight and warehousing. Stand up pouches can be used for unlimited number of applications (cookies, nuts, candies)
Pouches meet FDA regulations for food use. We do not recommend the pouches for any freezing applications or liquids. Use our 5mm, direct heat sealer or band sealer for the best sealing quality!
While we focus primarily on sealing equipment and materials, every once in a while, we come across a product with great potential for changing the packaging world and we have no choice but to introduce the product to our distributors.
ColumnAir Packaging will revolutionize how your customers package and ship fragile items such as wine bottles. Simply place the product in the deflated bag; inflate the bag using a portable compressor at the single inflation point and the bag will inflate all around the product to create a form fitting cushion. What is amazing about our ColumnAir Packaging bags is each inflated column is connected via a series of one-way valves so if any of the columns are pierced during shipping, the other columns remain inflated! Bags are shipped deflated saving reducing warehouse space for the space constrained.
Many of our customers call us asking what sealer works best for their gusseted bag. Our blog, today, will address that question.
What is a gusseted bag? Gusseted bags are commonly used in the coffee and tea industry. The sides of the bags fold in to form a gusset. Gusset bags have sides that expand, allowing you to package bulkier, larger items.
What type of sealer should you use to seal a foil gusseted bag? Because of the gussets, a single element sealer such as your typical hand impulse sealer cannot properly seal through all four layers of the gusseted bag. Do not use a hand or foot or automatic sealer, not even a 5mm sealer.
We recommend using the following sealers:
…this small unit is the perfect size for sealing coffee bags
Double Impulse Sealers Double impulse sealers utilize two heating wires (upper and lower) to seal through your gusset bag. We carry both hand and foot operated as well as a few automatic units to suit your produtction level needs. Seal width – usually 5mm or 10mm (.20″ or .40″)
Direct Heat Sealers Direct heat sealers (also known as constant heat sealers). Whereas impulse sealers only create heat when sealer jaw and body meat, direct heat sealers maintain heat in the jaws as long as the sealer is turned on. As a result, direct heat sealers possess better heat penetration to seal thicker materials. Seal width – usually 15mm (0.6″)
Portable direct heat sealers or clamp style sealers are affordable and easy to use. We carry 6″, 8″, and 12″ models.
A temperature controller accurately controls the temperature from 30°-550° F (0°-300° C)
Band Sealers allow you to seal nearly any thermoplastic material considerably faster than any other sealer.
Seal quickly and efficiently with a band sealer
Vacuum Sealer Sometimes, in addition to sealing a bag, you will require a vacuum. We also carry a vacuum sealer made specifically for foil gusset bags (coffee bags). The vacuum sealer is a double impulse sealer with a 5mm seal.
Seals and vacuums in one step!
We hope this provides you with some smart choices for sealing your gusseted bags. Please be sure to check out our website – Sealer Sales. Please contact us for more questions.
Sealer Sales has been in the sealing business for over 30 years....we know our sealers! Our blog is dedicated to educating you all about sealers: how to choose a sealer, how to use a sealer, how to repair a sealer, and much more!
Our distributor base is all over the US, Canada, and Mexico. Please contact us for a distributor near you.
sealers101 