What is heat shrink film and where is it used

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Currently, there is a very large number of various packaging products, which, depending on their own operational characteristics, are used in various fields of activity. One of them is heat shrinkable film. This is a very practical option for packaging, because under the influence of high temperature it takes the form of products that must be stored. In this way, the manufacturer gets the opportunity to save a large amount of space. In addition, such material provides reliable protection of stored items.

The main advantages of heat-shrinkable film

Shrink film is distinguished by a number of special advantages, due to which it is used by enterprises from various fields of activity. These include:

  1. Strength. Shrinkable film is able to create a strong frame in which you can store even fragile objects. For example, glass bottles.
  2. Tightness. A high degree of tightness allows you to increase the shelf life of food products. Also, this factor allows you to preserve the appearance of the goods, which makes them more attractive to the end consumer.
  3. A small mass. Shrinkable film weighs very little, which allows to reduce the cost of transporting products.
  4. Practicality. Since this type of packaging takes the shape of the product it stores, transporting, storing and packaging the product becomes a much more convenient task.
  5. High level of protection. The heat-shrink film perfectly protects against many external factors: air, water, microflora, etc.
  6. Low cost. The low price of film makes it one of the most attractive packaging options.
  7. Resistance to ultraviolet rays. The film does not pass UV radiation, which allows you to preserve the original color of the products. Also, such a material does not change its structure during prolonged exposure to sunlight.
  8. Safety. The material is non-toxic, it does not affect the state of human health in direct contact. Therefore, it can be used for food packaging, in particular for children.

What is the heat-shrink film made of

Shrinkable film can be made from completely different raw materials, which of course affects its final operational characteristics. The following substances can be used for this:

  1. PVT. Polyethylene of high pressure. Changes shape in the temperature range of 120-180 degrees. Such a film is quite transparent and elastic, but its strength is not so great.
  2. PVC Polyvinyl chloride is also a fairly common material for the production of heat-shrink film. Under the influence of temperature, it can shrink by half, which allows you to tightly pack the product. PVC is much stronger than HVT.
  3. POF Film from polyofin is used in the food industry. This is a strong, flexible and safe packaging option.

How to choose

First of all, heat-shrinkable film is divided according to the degree of shrinkage. There are materials that decrease almost exclusively along the length (70-80%) and almost do not decrease in width (10-20%). They are called uniaxial. There are also biaxial films that shrink to the same length in both directions.




Another important factor in choosing a heat-shrinkable film is its thickness. It can be in the range from 10 to 250 microns. Choose exactly the option that will be relevant in your case.

When choosing this packaging product, pay attention to the number of layers. The film can be single-layer or double-layer. First of all, they differ in the production method, as a result of which the two-layer heat-shrinkable film is much stronger and denser.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the nature of the raw materials used for the production of the film. It can be of the first or second grade. The first option is better. The material comes out with the best technical characteristics, so it can be used almost everywhere. A film made of technical raw materials of the second grade should not be used for food packaging.

Where heat shrink film is used

The scope of use of heat-shrinkable film is quite wide. This type of packaging was used in:

  1. in the field of household appliances;
  2. production of cosmetics;
  3. food industry;
  4. production of household goods;
  5. packaging of gifts and toys;
  6. packaging of non-ferrous and black rolled metal;
  7. construction (for packing building materials).

These are far from all areas of activity that use heat-shrinkable films. The product has excellent operational characteristics, so it is not surprising that manufacturers of completely different products turn to it.

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