If you’re an electrician, or have worked with electrical wiring, you probably know that the lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. For example, 16-gauge wire is actually significantly thinner than 10-gauge wire. This almost goes against common reasoning as higher numbers typically represent bigger or thicker. So is this the case with the gauge of shrink wrap film?

Shrink wrap film is commonly available in 60, 75 and 100 gauge thicknesses. As you might understand, many people wonder if 60 or 100 gauge film is the thickest. Shrink wrap film gauges, contrary to electrical wire gauges, are actually thicker as the number goes up. One-hundred gauge film is in fact thicker than 60 gauge shrink wrap film.

Hopefully this helps clarify some of the confusion out there. While we have established how shrink wrap gauges work, you should be aware that there are two primary different types of shrink wrap film. These are:

1. PVC Shrink Wrap Film
2. Polyolefin Shrink Wrap Film

While both PVC and Polyolefin shrink film gauges are literally the same in thickness, you should be aware that 75 gauge PVC and 75 gauge Polyolefin act very differently.

One of the biggest reasons people go with thicker PVC film is to prevent tearing or breaking of the film. This is because PVC film has a more brittle quality to it than Polyolefin film.

While people increase the film gauge with Polyolefin to help increase the packaging strength as well, Polyolefin film has an elastic-like stretchy quality to it. For this reason, 60 gauge Polyolefin film, while thinner, has just as good an integrity quality as 75 gauge PVC film. Simply put, you don’t need as thick a gauge of Polyolefin film to get the same results as 75 gauge PVC film.

I hope this helps you understand shrink wrap film in a little more detail. We have over 30 years experience with shrink wrap packaging, so please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions regarding shrink wrap film or machines.

You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap film and replacement parts here and our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here.

I have been asked my many entrepreneurs and start-up businesses what the best way is to package items such as DVDs, CDS, small boxes and other products for retail sale. My answer is always, “try using a shrink wrap machine.” One of the most reputable shrink wrap machines we offer is the Traco Standard SuperSealer (SS) shrink wrap machine. We use this same machine in our warehouse and I have had many opportunities to use it, including filming an informational video demo.

To begin with, Traco has been around for 27 years and manufactures a variety of I-bar machines, L-bar sealers, shrink wrap systems and offers a wide range of shrink wrap film. I like their products and consider them to be of a good caliber.

The Traco Standard SuperSealer is an I-bar sealer / shrink wrap machine. It is sometimes referred to as a straight-bar sealer. This is because it utilizes a single bar for cutting film, whether it be shrink wrap backs or centerfold shrink film. It includes a heat gun, which is used to complete the shrink wrap process.

This is a video demonstration of me using the Traco SS-24SS SuperSealer.

Overall the results look very professional. The only downside to using an I-bar sealer is that it is very manually involved. You have to manually flip the product to seal the sides (which isn’t difficult). I would estimate 1-2 minutes to package a product, perhaps faster if the operator is experienced. This isn’t slow, but can’t be used for high-volume packaging purposes either.

I have used the SuperSealer shrink wrap machines with PVC and Polyolefin films. PVC is typically ideal for CDs, DVDs and boxes where Polyolefin is great for food, fruit baskets, etc. The included heat gun works very well and quickly shrinks the film down in seconds.

I personally consider the Traco line (both Standard and Delux SuperSealers) to be high quality products. The only other I-bar sealer that I would consider to be of equal quality is the AIE I-bar sealer found here. The AIE machine comes with a starter roll of film, which is pretty nice.

You can find the Traco Standard SuperSealer (SS) shrink wrap machine here and our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many people have asked me, “Should I use shrink wrap or stretch wrap to package this product?” Many people interchange stretch wrap and shrink wrap not realizing that they are two completely different products. I will help clear up the differences. By then end of this article you will be a stretch wrap and shrink wrap expert!

To begin with, both stretch wrap and shrink wrap are used for packaging purposes. For that reason, I believe a lot of people get confused. Here is my brief explanation of each of these packaging technologies.

Stretch Wrap - Stretch wrap is a type of clear plastic film that has the appearance and consistence of saran wrap. This film is typically designed to bundle multiple items together or provide stability to a package of items. As the film is wrapped around a product, some tension is required to provide stability. Stretch wrap film tends to “cling” together as it is wrapped over itself. Many stretch wrap machines are designed to apply stretch wrap to large pallets of products for stability and shipping purposes. No heat is applied during the stretch wrap process.

Shrink Wrap - Shrink wrap is also a type of clear plastic film, however, it does not have stretchy or clingy “saran wrap” properties. Shrink wrap is typically designed to package an individual product, although it can be used to package multiple items together. Unlike stretch wrap, which is wrapped around a product multiple times, shrink wrap is actually cut around a product using a heat sealer or shrink wrap bar. The shrink film then shrinks (hence the name) around the product as heat is applied. The end result is a professionally packaged product. Shrink wrap provides a tamper proof and protective barrier.

I hope that helped. Let me also demonstrate the differences between stretch wrap and shrink wrap with a few video demonstrations.

This is a video demo of a stretch wrap (pallet wrap) machine:

This is a video demo of a shrink wrap machine:

At ABC Office we offer a great selection of packaging products designed to preserve, protect and package. You can find our entire selection of pallet stretch wrappers here and our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here.

Please feel free to contact one of our packaging specialists at 1-800-658-8788 with any stretch wrap or shrink wrap questions.

I just had a chat this morning with a customer regarding some small-volume packaging operations. The customer wanted to buy a shrink wrap machine, but was completely new to the industry and didn’t know exactly where to start. I don’t normally post chats in our blog, due to the fact that I have dozens a day, but this customer asked some pretty good questions that I think will help many of you who are shopping around for a shrink wrap machine.

This particular customer informed me that they were packaging about 6-8 boxes a day that measured in at 12 ½” L x 9 ½” W x 6 ½” H. This is where buying the right size machine can get a little complicated. The easiest way to determine the machine width you need is to take the width of the product you are packaging, plus the height and add 2″ on top of that. Some people only add 1″, but I find that 2″ gives you a little extra (and valuable) room.

This is what we calculated:

9.5″ + 6.5″+2″ = 18″

So we ended up determining that the customer needed a machine that was 18″ wide. In his case we only needed an I-bar sealer because he was only packaging 6-8 boxes a day. Because an I-bar sealer doesn’t use a tunnel, we didn’t need to worry about getting a machine that may have tunnel or chamber height issues.

I provided the customer with a link to our I-bar sealers. After browsing through them for a minute or two he asked me what I thought about the Traco Deluxe Super Sealer. I told him that Traco makes some great products, but that I considered the AIE I-bar sealer to be the better deal because it comes with a 500-foot roll of starter film. I informed him that both machines were probably equal in quality, but that they AIE system was simply the better deal.

He ended up ordering the 24″ AIE I-bar sealer (AIE-2024I) because he wanted to be future proof, believing that he may end up packaging larger items later down the road. In case you didn’t already know, a longer 24″ (or bigger) I-bar shrink wrap machine can use smaller rolls of film.

I hope this chat, and included details, help you with your shrink wrap machine shopping. You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here and shrink wrap film here. If for any reason you still have questions about these machines, feel free to speak with one of our shrink wrap specialists by calling 1-800-658-8788.

Do you need to quickly package and seal polyethylene or laminated foils for retail packaging purposes? Do you need to quickly seal around odd-shaped products, drums, box liners or perhaps larger items like furniture? You may want to consider using an impulse sealer like the Aline S-10 or S-6 impulse scissor sealers. This is my review.

Scissor sealers are nice because they are easy to pick up, move around and they allow easy insertion of polyethylene or laminated foils. Aline manufactures a wide range of scissor sealers including floor models and handheld units. The S-10 and the S-6 are both handheld sealers, allowing for easy movement and use.

Using the S-10 or S-6 is extremely easy. The scissor sealer itself is attached to a cable that leads down to the main housing. This housing has a master power switch and a sealing time adjustment dial (timer). Simply take the housing, plug it into the wall and you’re ready to go.

The power cable is 8 feet long and the cable connecting the main housing to the scissor sealer is also 8 feet long. This provides for 16 total feet of length, making this sealer very portable and easy to use.

Both the Aline S-10 and Aline S-6 are pretty much the same in functionality and build, with the S-10 measuring in at 10″ long and the S-6 measuring in at 6″ long. Using them is extremely easy. Simply squeeze the handles to open the scissor-like jaws. These jaws easily and quickly clamp down on bags or film for fast sealing. An indicator light on the main housing will let you know when the sealing process is completed. Once sealing is completed, the handles can be squeezed again to release the product.

Both sealers work on the concept of impulse sealing. This means they use impulses of electricity to quickly cut through material, which is a huge benefit over straight heat. Impulse sealing produces less heat and less smell with continuous use.

One feature I really like about the Aline S-10 and S-6 is the optional flat band elements. You can use a 1/8″, 3/16″, ¼” or ½” flat band element. They can both also be used with wire cutting elements or cold cut wire. Both also come in a 220-volt version upon request.

Aline is known for their high-quality heat sealers, shrink wrap machines and other sealing products. The S-10 and S-6 fall right in line with this reputation and both feature an impressive 2-year warranty, a detailed manual and a spare parts kit.

You can find the Aline S-10 or S-6 impulse scissor sealers here and our entire selection of heat & impulse sealers here.

I spoke with a customer about a week ago regarding the Minipack Galileo and the optional excess film winder. His question was, “Is the excess film winder something I really need or is just money wasted?” I have personally used shrink wrap machines with and without film winders and this is the answer I gave him.

To begin with, let me explain exactly what an excess film winder is. A film winder is a round drum-like spool that is typically located on the bottom of a shrink wrap machine. The drum is much like a cable spool that you would see electrical wire, coaxial cable or cat5e wire wrapped around. The main purpose of this spool is to contain excess film that is cut off during the shrink wrapping process.

To put it simple, a film winder helps contain the mess left behind during  the shrink wrap process. Is it necessary? No. Is it nice? Yes. Whether or not you use one depends a lot on how much material you are shrink wrapping. In my own shrink wrapping experience, I have found the winder to be more of a convenience than a necessity, however, packaging volume is the real determining factor.

If you will be packaging fewer than 50 items a day, a winder really isn’t necessary and is definitely more of a convenience. If you will be packaging hundreds to thousands of items a day, you may want to seriously consider using an excess film winder as excess shrink film will really begin to make a lot of clutter.

Many of our L-bar shrink wrap machines allow the option to use a film winder. You can find our entire selection of L-bar shrink wrap machines here. If you don’t see a film winder on the machine you need, call us at 1-800-658-8788 and well see if one is available.

One of my favorite all-in-one shrink wrap machines is the Minipack Galaxy. It is easy to use and literally takes just seconds from start to finish. This machine can be used to package CDs, DVDs, gift baskets, pizzas, soap and much more.

Basically all you need to do is take the product you are packaging, place it in the film and pull down the hood. The hood will cut the film around the product and then envelope the plastic in hot air, shrinking the film. The end results are extremely professional and are perfect for transportation, presentation and retail sale.

I would go into more detail on how to use the machine, but this video will probably do more in 6 minutes than I could explain in 6 pages. Enjoy!

I hope you liked this video. This machine is affordable, is made in Italy and now has a long history and great reputation behind it. You can find the Minipack Galaxy shrink wrap machine here and our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here. Have a great day!

Mother’s day is right around the corner and gift baskets are a popular item during that time of the year. If you are a business that makes gift baskets, our you’re simply a hobbyist, you may want to consider shrink wrapping your own gift baskets. The process is very easy and the end results look just as professional as anything out there. I’ll explain.

To begin with, shrink wrap looks great, it protects the enclosed product and keeps items safe while being transported. While cellophane is popular for gift baskets, shrink wrap looks far more professional (in my opinion). To begin shrink wrapping gift baskets, you’re going to need a few items:

Equipment Needed

• I-bar shrink wrap machine
• Centerfold PVC or polyolefin film
• Heat shrink gun

I recommend using an I-bar shrink wrap machine, sometimes called a straight bar shrink wrap machine. This is because it can be used to quickly cut down your own shrink wrap bags, making it possible to tailor a bag to fit just about any unique size basket. Some people use “wand style” shrink wrap bars, but I think an I-bar system is more precise.

You will then need shrink wrap film. I highly recommend using centerfold film. This type of film is already folded over once and rolled into a single roll. This makes it easy to quickly create shrink pockets for packaging purposes. This can be PVC or polyolefin film. I recommend using 60-75 gauge film, although thicker film should be fine.

Last, you are going to need a heat gun (not a hair drier). The heat gun is used to shrink the film around the basket.

There are two ways to package a gift basket using shrink film. One way is to wrap the film around the basket using a machine and the second way is to cut the bag first and then place it over the basket, sometimes called the “handle” packaging method. This is considered to be the best method of packaging baskets with handles.

If your basket does not have a handle, you can still use the “handle” packaging method, but you may have better luck simply placing your basket in the film (on the machine), sealing the film and heat shrinking it. I will be covering the handle method of packaging.

Here area few steps for packaging gift baskets.

1. Determine the length you will need for your basket. I recommend using a measuring tape. Also be sure that the film roll you are using is wide enough for your basket. I recommend measuring the height of the basket and cutting the film about 6-12″ longer. The film is cut by using the I-bar sealer. Remember, a little excess film isn’t a big deal as it will shrink with heat.
2. Take your cut bag and slide it over the basket. Pull the film down over the basket until the centerfold seam of the film sits on the handle of the basket.
3. Take the excess film and tuck it under the basket.
4. Take your heat gun, tilt your basket at a 90 degree angle and start shrink wrapping the bunched film under the basket. This will cause the open “bunched” end of the film to stick together. Tilt the basket the other way and apply the same amount of heat to the basket.
5. Now take your heat gun and shrink the rest of the film around the basket. Don’t keep the gun in any one place for too long as this could cause a hole to melt open.
6. Once the heat gun has shrunk the film, you can repeat the process on another basket.

Having done this myself, I can tell you that packaging a gift basket will only take about 2-3 minutes (once you have the hang of the process). The end results look great and very professional, which should in turn increase sales.

We offer a great selection of I-bar shrink wrap machines here. This includes brands from Traco and AIE. The Deluxe Traco system and the AIE system include the I-bar sealer, a roll of film and a heat gun. This is everything you need to get started. You can find our entire selection of centerfold PVC and polyolefin shrink film here.

Do you still have questions about packaging your gift basket? Give us a call at 1-800-658-8788. Our shrink wrap experts all have experience packaging a wide variety of products and should be able to quickly and professionally answer your questions.

Heat sealers are great machines to have on hand. They can be used to package and seal most plastic bags. While heat sealers vary in sealing length, they also vary in sealing width. So which sealing width is best for packaging your products?

As should probably come as no surprise, the thicker the sealing width, the more durable the seal. I have found that as the sealing length goes up, the sealing width increases to compensate for the added pressure from the larger contents of the bag. This isn’t, however, always the case.

If you have found a heat sealer of equal length, but of varying sealing widths, there are a few things you will want to take into consideration.

If you are sealing liquids, powders or other fluidic products, you may want to use a wider sealing width. This is because liquids, powders and other pliable products can quickly produce added pressure in a single area during shipping and transport. More pressure could create a rupture if the sealing width is too small.

If you are packaging solid products, food, parts and other materials, you may be fine with a thinner sealing width. Remember, the smaller the sealing width the less film and bag you will end up using. Sealers with smaller sealing widths also typically cost less money.

If in doubt, a thicker sealing width will certainly not hurt anything and will provide you with added protection.

Common sealing widths include:

1. 2mm (most common)
2. 5mm
3. 10mm
4. 15mm (typically the largest)

A few additional features you may find in a heat sealer includes a magnetic lockdown (for convenience) and a built-in cutter for slicing off excess plastic.

You can find our entire selection of heat sealers here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any heat sealer related questions.

I had a customer ask me today if we offered a machine that could be used to package cake clamshells. I informed her that we had several machines that would work, but I needed to ask a few questions first. We ended up settling on a shrink wrap machine. This is how we came to that decision.

To begin with, I asked the customer how many cakes she was packaging per day. She informed me that she would be packaging about 300 cakes a day, which were enclosed in clamshell packaging. I informed the customer that 300 pieces a day was a fairly large amount.

I then asked the customer how big the clamshells were. She informed me that they were about 9″ x 7″ wide and 2″ high. I provided the customer with a few options.

First of all, 300 cakes a day is a lot. While you could use an I-bar sealer (found here), I informed the customer that they would be looking at about 2-3 minutes per package, perhaps 1 minute per package with a well-experienced operator. Even in a best-case scenario that would be about 5 hours to package everything.

I informed the customer that she would probably want an L-bar shrink wrap machine with an integrated tunnel. These types of systems take anywhere from 10-20 seconds per package. Packaging time will go up or down depending on how automated the machine is. In a best-case scenario this would take about 50-60 minutes.

I explained to the customer that the amount of time saved per day would easily make up the difference in cost. The customer also informed me that she would probably experience an increase in volume if everything went as planned. She definitely needed an L-bar system.

We ended up settling on the Minipack Galileo. The Galileo is affordable, could easily packaging the cake clamshell and seemed to be the best fit.

Having used the Galileo myself, I am confident that the customer will be very happy in the long run.

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