Shrink wrap is a form of initial protective packaging that is used in many industries. Its primary purpose is to protect goods by sealing them. The wrap itself is made from polymer plastic. It’s wrapped all around the product or box to provide total coverage. Heat is then applied throughout the plastic which causes it to shrink in size, sealing the product. The process creates a strong seal and reduces the space that the product requires inside its packaging or delivery box.
Here are some of the benefits of using shrink wrap in your business.
Product Protection
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When using shrink wrap, it protects the product from external damage. A product box with its glossy promotional image is often displayed unadorned on the retail shelf. Should the product become damaged due to dirt, dust, moisture or another contaminant, the product is instantly considered worth less than its retail price.
The plastic seal when using shrink wrap keeps the product in the best possible condition including during transit too. For companies that are concerned about the extra time it takes to individually shrink wrap each product, using a shrink wrap machine rapidly speeds up the process by automating it. Douglas has decades of experience producing automated solutions for production lines and warehouses, so your team is in safe hands with them.
Toughness
Once the plastic material is heated up, it forms into a shrunken shape that holds its form particularly well. The wrap provides its own structure that forms a protective shell over what it’s covering. This proves far more durable than many other packaging options that either don’t hold up as well or add considerable extra weight which increases shipping costs substantially.
Minimal Extra Space Used
Shrink wrap itself is thin. Unlike bubble wrap, cardboard or other protective wrapping solutions that have been tried before, plastic wrap takes up minimal space. Not only because it’s thinner while still holding good rigidity, but it also forms around the product’s packaging without bulking it up or padding it out.
It’s also possible to use the wrap to keep a collection of smaller products together, such as a bundle of water bottles or other individual items sold as a pack.
Tampering Is Evident
For warehouses shipping out or receiving goods and unpacking them, shrink wrap makes any tampering clear right away. Due to the plastic that condenses down and seals the product in through heat when applying it, it’s not possible to interfere with the contents without it being very obvious.
Whether sending confidential papers, medicine that shouldn’t be tampered with or food items, these all must arrive in the same condition and manner that they were intended. Therefore, using shrink wrap works efficiently to make tampering harder to achieve and obvious to detect.
While shrink wrap isn’t a new packaging technology, having been invented in 1975 in Italy, it’s stood the test of time because its usefulness today has yet to be surpassed. It’s affordable, efficient and lightweight, making it ideal as a packaging solution.
