Are you looking for an affordable, space-saving method for packaging boxes and products for shipping? One machine you should take a look at is the Sircle WiWair 200 inflatable air cushion packaging system. This is my review.

Many warehouses use packaging peanuts to protect merchandise and for packaging purposes. Packaging peanuts can cost a lot (over time) and take up a lot of space. Many people are now switching to inflatable air cushion packaging. This is not only in an effort to save money, but because this type of packaging requires little space.

The Sircle WiAir 200 uses a plastic roll of film to create packaging material. It essentially seals the end of the plastic, fills a pocket with air and seals the other end shut. Air pockets can range anywhere from 4 to 12-inches in size. These pockets are easy to handle, clean and don’t make a mess.  The Wi-Air 200 uses its own self-contained air compressor for filling the bags.

These pockets can then be placed in a box and provide excellent protection during shipping. Many argue that air pockets are even better at protecting merchandize than packaging peanuts. This is due in part to the fact that packaging peanuts can shift around during transit, where air pockets stay firmly in place.

One roll of WiAir 200 film equals about the same amount of packaging as you will find in 7 bags of packaging peanuts. That is a huge amount of space savings. The film used in the WiAir 200 is made from a low-density polyethylene (biodegradable).

The film rolls themselves are about 328 feet long and 2 mils in thickness. Each roll weighs about 4 pound. This equals out to about 50 cubic feet of void fill. This film has been UPS ASTM D6653 tested and certified.

I have used this machine myself and it is extremely easy to set up. There is no special training required. Once you have set the desired length and pocket size, simply turn the machine on and let it do the rest. It operates at about 3.3 feet of packaging per minute. It also features a built-in slitter for cutting the pockets from the film roll.

The money and space saving benefits alone are enough to convince me that inflatable air packaging is far superior to packaging peanuts. I give this machine high marks and highly recommend it to warehouses and packaging departments.

You can find the Sircle WiAir 200 inflatable air cushion packaging system here. You can find our entire selection of packaging equipment here.

When it comes to packaging products with shrink wrap, there are two different ways to finish the process. One is by use of a heat gun and the other is by use of a heat tunnel. Both will get the job done. So which system should you use? I’ll explain the differences here.

The biggest and probably most fundamental difference between a heat gun and a heat tunnel is speed. A heat tunnel is significantly faster than a heat gun. Here is a brief description of the two different designs:

• Heat Tunnels – Heat tunnels typically use some sort of conveyor system that transports the product. The tunnel is heated and blows hot air around the product, causing the shrink film to contract thus completing the packaging process. Heat tunnels are not only known for their speed, but also for their ability to evenly shrink film. Heat tunnels are often located to the side of a shrink wrap machine. Many machines now include a built-in heat tunnel. This process usually takes just seconds.
• Heat Guns – Heat guns are essentially glorified hair driers, however, much hotter. They are manually held and manually operated. The operator typically blows hot air on one side of the product, flips it, and then shrinks the film on the other side. This process can take anywhere from 10-60 seconds, depending on the size of the product and the experience of the operator.

Apart from speed, price is also a differentiating factor. Heat tunnels are more of an investment where heat guns are a fraction the cost.

You really need to analyze how many products you need to package per day and where you expect your production volume to be years down the road prior to making a purchase. Heat tunnels can be used to package hundreds to thousands of products a day where heat guns are typically used for a few dozen to hundreds per day.

Both heat tunnels and heat guns will probably last you for years, so be sure your decision today doesn’t adversely affect your job later down the road.

You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap heat tunnels here and our heat guns here.

Are you looking for a fast and effective way to seal bags, mailers and other plastic material? An effective way to do this is by using a heat sealer (aka bag sealer). One model that has quickly grown in popularity is the Traco TISH line of impulse heat sealers. This is my review.

Traco is best known for their line of shrink wrap machines, including both I-bar and L-bar designs. While they have been making heat bag sealers for some time, they have recently increased dramatically in popularity. A lot of this has to do with the high-end build quality, considered to be equal to that of AIE. Regardless of the reason, these sealers are more affordable now than ever before.

TISH bag sealers come in a variety of different lengths. This includes the TISH-100, 200, 300, 400 and 500. Sealing time takes just 0.2 to 1.3 seconds (variable) and the sealing width is about 2mm wide. These sealers are pretty light and can be easily moved from table to desk and room to room without an issue.

TISH sealers are usually used to seal bags. They can, however, be used to seal seal Polyethelene, Polypropylene, PVC, Foil and Surlyn, Mylar or Bubble Pack/Padded Mailers.

What’s nice about the TISH sealers is that they can be used to package and seal a variety of products. Operating and output speed is really limited to the speed of the operator. Simply place the opening of the bag into the sealer, pull down on the lever and the bag is sealed.

Traco’s TISH sealers feature an adjustable timer. The time can be set for shorter periods of time for simply sealing the bag. The sealing time can be increased for tearing away excess plastic. Versions of our TISH sealers are available with optional cutters, making it even faster to get rid of excess plastic.

Overall I consider the build quality of the Traco TISH heat sealer to be about as good as it gets. These sealers are designed for continued daily use and I can safely say that I am unaware of any customer complaints regarding these sealers.

You can find our Traco TISH line of heat bag sealers here. You can find our entire selection of impulse heat sealers here.

Have you ever received a magazine or a catalog that was wrapped in plastic in your mailbox? This type of packaging is called mail bagging. If you’re in the marketing for a mail bagger, one model you may want to consider is the Minipack Mailbag Digit mail bagging system. This is my review.

Mail bagging is done to provide protection to magazines, newsletters, publications, catalogs and mail. It can also be used to bundle multiple magazines, fliers and other material.

Minipack is known for making high quality machines. Their line of mail bagging systems is designed and manufactured in Italy. Minipack makes a wide variety of shrink wrap machines, mail bagging systems and vacuum sealers.

The Minipack Mailbag Digit is not only designed to protect and bundle material, but also saves money by packaging material in plastic film (polyethylene) instead of paper envelopes. One nice thing about packaging mail in plastic is that contained products are visible to the recipient. The entire mail bagging process is very simple and very efficient.

This is how the Mailbag Digit works:

1. Make sure the Mailbag Digit is loaded with film. The Mailbag digit uses a roll of film that is mounted roller inside the machine. The gauge and width of the film will depend on what you are bagging.
2. Place your magazine, newsletter or catalog into the open slot on the front of the machine.
3. The machine then places the material in a polyethylene bag and seals it shut.
4. The material comes out the other end of the machine completely packaged and sealed.
5. A conveyor system keeps bagged material organized and in order.

The Mailbag Digit operates at a speed of about 20 wraps per minute.  For higher-volume jobs, you may want to consider using the Minipack Continua (found here). The Continua is completely automated and runs at a speed of about 50 pieces per minute.

Overall I consider the Mailbag Digit to be a very solid machine. The build quality is excellent and is should be able to provide years of hassle-free service. The Mailbag Digit sits on casters, making it portable.

You can find the Minipack Mailbag Digit mail bagging system here.

I had a customer ask me today if you can package t-shirts and polo shirts using a shrink wrap machine. The answer to this question is yes. There are a few things you will need to know ahead of making a shrink wrap machine purchase, but they can be used to easily package all types of fabric. Here are some helpful tips.

To begin with, most people packaging shirts and clothing don’t need the shrink wrap machine to shrink the film, they only need it to cut and seal the clothing in plastic for retail sale and shipping purposes. If this is all you need to do, you really don’t need a complete shrink wrap machine (with heat tunnel or heat gun). All you really need is an L-bar or I-bar sealer.

The most important factor to take into consideration before purchasing a sealer is to ensure that the sealing dimensions will fully encapsulate the clothing. Luckily clothing is very pliable and easy to fold in a way that it will probably work with most machines. If you use a machine to fold the clothing, you will definitely need a sealer that fits the folded clothing’s dimensions in order to save time.

Shrink wrap machines and sealers use two different types of film for packaging purposes. These two types of film are PVC and Polyolefin. PVC film has almost a cellophane feel to it where polyolefin has more of a saran wrap feel to it. The type of film depends on your preference (and budget).

If you find a good deal on a shrink wrap machine that has a heat tunnel built into it, don’t worry. Most shrink wrap machines with tunnels can have the tunnel portion turned off so that it only seals.

With regards to the customer I was speaking with about packaging t-shirts and polo shirts, he was interested in these two machines:

• Minipack Prima Manual L-Bar Sealer
• Minipack Galaxy Industrial Shrink Wrap Machine

The Minipack Prima is an L-bar sealer only, where the Minipack Galaxy includes a built in heat tunnel. I told the customer that Minipack machines allow the operator to turn off the heat.

Still have questions about packaging fabric and clothing? Speak with one of our packaging specialists at 1-800-658-8788.

You can find our entire selection of fabric shrink wrap sealers here. You can find all our shrink wrap machines here.

So you need to seal products in a bag and need a reliable impulse hand sealer to get the job done. Which model should you go with? One model that you may want to consider using is the AIE impulse bag and hand sealer. This is my review.

To begin with, AIE has been making hand sealers and shrink wrap machines for years. AIE stands for American International Electric. AIE is especially known for their exceptional build quality and reliability.  AIE tests all their sealers in their West Coast facility and provides a warranty that guarantees dependability and durability.

We carry a wide variety of AIE impulse hand sealers. The biggest difference between models is the sealing length and the sealing width. Models range from four-inches long to 20 plus inches long.

The sealing width ranges from 2 mm to 10 mm. The bag thickness these sealers can handle ranges from 5 mil to 8 mil (on select models). The “C” version of our impulse hand sealers include a sliding cutter. Some of these sealers even include a holding magnet for convenience.

Models include: AIE-100, AIE-200, AIE-200C, AIE-205, AIE-205C, AIE-300, AIE-300C, AIE-305, AIE-305C, AIE-400, AIE-400C, AIE-405, AIE-500.

Our sealers can be used to seal most plastic bags without any issue. AIE hand sealers provide exceptional air and watertight seals on most plastic materials up to about 6 mil. This includes  poly bags, mylar bags and much more. This may be to package food, protect products or for display purposes.

Customer satisfaction with AIE impulse hand sealers is exceptionally high. I very rarely hear about any customer service issues with these machines.

You can find our standard AIE impulse hand sealers here. You can find our AIE impulse hand sealers with cutters here. You can find our entire selection of impulse hand sealers here.

So you’re packaging playing cards for retail sale, for use in a casino or for promotions. What is the best way to do this? You may want to consider using a shrink wrap machine. Shrink wrap is a fast and effective way to package playing cards. There are a few different ways to do this.

The two ways people package playing cards is by using an I-bar or an L-bar sealer with a heat tunnel or heat gun. The method you use will depend entirely on the amount of decks you would like to package. As a general rule, I-bar sealers are designed for lower volumes and L-bar sealers are for higher volumes of packaging.

• I-bar sealers can be used to package several dozen to a few hundred decks a day. The speed really depends on the operator. A total of two passes of the sealing bar are required to completely seal in the deck of cards. A heat gun is then used to shrink the film. The entire process takes about 30 seconds to a minute. Be aware that I-bar sealers are sometimes called straight-bar sealers.
• L-bar sealers can be used to package several hundred to potentially several thousand decks a day, depending on the model. Only one pass of the sealing bar is required. Heat tunnels are general used with L-bar sealers, with many L-bar machines including built-in heat tunnels. The entire process usually takes a few seconds.

Again, take into consideration how many decks of cards you wan to package now and in the future. If you expect your packaging volume to increase, you may want to invest your money in an L-bar machine. This will save you money in the long run.

You can find our entire selection of I-bar shrink wrap machines here and our entire selection of L-bar shrink wrap machines here. Still have questions about packaging your decks of cards? Call us at 1-800-658-8788 or leave you question in a comment.

Shrink wrap is a great way to package boxes, DVDs, CDs, food and other products. So what is the best type of film to use with your shrink wrap machine? Most people use centerfold shrink film. This article will explain why.

So what exactly is centerfold shrink wrap film? It comes in a variety of widths and lengths. Most centerfold shrink film consists of a roll of film that can range anywhere from a few dozen to a few thousand feet in length.

The film itself is folded in half, hence the name centerfold. Let’s say you are using 24-inch wide shrink film. That 24-inch wide roll of film is actually a 48-inches wide sheet of film that has been folded in half, creating two 24-inch wide layers with a seem. This helps create a convenient pocket, making it extremely easy to place products inside.

Most L-bar and I-bar sealers are designed to be used with centerfold shrink film. One thing you will want to keep an eye on is the diameter of the roll you are using. Most I-bar sealers can use just about any roll out there, but L-bar sealers often have a diameter limitation.

We sell two different types of centerfold film. One is PVC centerfold film (found here) and the other is Polyolefin centerfold film (found here). PVC is typically used to package CDs, DVDs and boxes, where Polyolefin is more pliable and food safe.

You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here. Still have questions about centerfold shrink wrap film? You can either call one of our experts at 1-800-658-8788 or post a comment. Have a great day!

So you want to shrink wrap CDs, DVDs or video games but don’t know where to start? You’re in luck. We offer several options for packaging and shrink wrapping DVDs and CDs. You have two options for doing this.

The first option is the all-popular I-bar system and the other is the L-bar system. The shrink wrap machine you use will depend entirely on how many you would like to package per day. Shrink wrap protects, presents and provides a tamper-proof way to sell products.

The I-bar shrink wrap system, sometimes called a straight-bar system, is the most common and popular method used for packaging CDs, DVDs and video games. This may be for re-packaging video games for “used” sales or for packaging an independent artist’s CD.

I-bar shrink wrap machines use centerfold shrink film, which is very affordable. Once encased in plastic, a heat gun is used to shrink the film. This can be used to package anywhere from a dozen to a few hundred items per day. The entire process can take 20 seconds to a few minutes, depending on the skill of the operator and the size of the item being packaged.

Here are two good I-bar sealers for packaging CDs, DVDs and Video Games:

• Traco Standard Super Sealer with Heat Gun
• AIE I-Bar Shrink Wrap Sealer with Heat Gun

L-bar shrink wrap machines are faster than I-bar systems. They use an “L” shaped sealing bar that completely encloses a CD, DVD or video game in plastic in one single pass. Many have a built-in heat tunnel. The entire process takes a few seconds. These can be used to package hundreds of disks a day. Little manual effort is needed.

Here are two good L-bar sealers for packaging CDs, DVDs and Video Games:

• Minipack Galaxy Shrink Wrap Machine
• Compack 5800 Shrink Wrap System

You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here. Good luck packaging your CDs, DVDs and video games!

I-bar shrink wrap machines are economical, compact and perfect for packaging products on a low to medium-volume level. There is a wide selection of I-bar (straight bar) systems to choose from, but the Traco I-Bar shrink wrap machines continue to be one of the most popular models offered. Here are a few reasons why:

First off, the total cost of packaging a product with this system costs just pennies. The Traco Sealer uses a heat knife to cut and seal shirk film around a product. Once sealed, an included heat gun can be used to shrink the film. The entire process takes just a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the operator.

Traco makes their I-bar shrink wrappers in various different sizes and lengths. They also offer their machines in a Standard (SS) and Deluxe (DS) version. The deluxe version includes a 50 foot starter roll of film and a parts kit. Other than that, the two systems are very similar. Both Traco I-bar shrink wrap systems can use both PVC and Polyolefin film.

The size of Traco system you use will depend entirely on what you are packaging. Be sure, however, to take into consideration what your future packaging needs may be. If there is a possibility that you may be shrink wrapping a larger product a year or two down the road, get the larger machine now. You can easily package smaller products with a larger machine.

Traco has built up a reputation for making some of the highest quality shrink wrap machines available today. The build quality of the Traco I-bar systems is great. You may need to change the wire, pad or tape with consistent use, but you should be able to keep your Traco I-bar shrink wrap system going for years.

The biggest con of these machines is that they is not more automated. You have to manually cut and shrink the film. This is to be expected with an I-bar sealer though, and for the price, you can’t complain too much.

What I really like about the Traco I-bar sealer is that it comes with everything you need to get started. The Deluxe model even includes a starter roll of film. You can view a video demo of the standard Traco I-bar shrink wrap machine here.

You can find the Traco Standard I-bar sealer here and the Traco Deluxe Super Sealer I-bar sealer here. You will find our entire selection of shrink wrap machines  here.