Thursday, September 21, 2017

How To Make Sure That You Are Choosing The Right Shrink Film

Shrinkwrap is one of the significant investments that you make for your packaging applications, and it can offer a promising return on that investment. However, you will need to make sure that you are going for the right shrink wrap film.

A shrink wrap film may be composed of many materials, and it may come in different sizes and styles. A shrink film refers to any plastic wrapping material that shrinks to mold into the shape of the product after the introduction of heat through a heat gun.

In this article, we will discuss ways to find the best shrink wrap film. A lot in this regard depends on the type of material used in the making of shrink film. These materials include polyolefin, PVC, Polypropylene, and Polyethylene. Understanding the functions of each of these materials in a shrink film can help you pick the right shrink wrapping material for your packaging applications.

Know the size of your product

To pick the right shrink wrap film, you are going to need to know the dimensions of your product. Dimensions refer to the height, width, and length.

Here is what you may want to know.

  • If you are packaging heavier products with sharp edges, you are going to need to use polyethylene shrink wrap film, which is available in 200-gauge. These films come in varying thicknesses, from 2 Mil to 12 Mil.
  • Polyolefin shrink wrap is a very popular shrink wrapping option due to being a food-grade material. The FDA approves it for direct food contact. This film is available in different thicknesses.
  • PVC Shrinkwrap is another option that you can use for the packaging of your products. It requires low heat to shrink, and the shrink rate of this material is 40%.

Estimating production levels

Another factor that you will need to consider while selecting a type of shrink wrap film is your production level. This way, you will also be able to determine the type of machinery you need.

If you are working with smaller production levels, you will need to use shrink bags and tubing with a heat sealer. This system will help you prepare 200 or fewer packages a day. To meet the requirements of higher production levels, you are going to need to use a single wound and counter folded film.

Machines also vary, depending on the production levels. Production times may range from one product to several products per minute. These machines can be semi-automatic and fully automatic.

Transportation stress

You can shrink wrap anything from small products to larger boats. The type of film you use will depend on the size and weight of the product and the distance this product has to cover to reach its destination. If the product has to remain in the open storage, you are going to need to use UVI inhibitors to prevent the ultraviolet breakdown of the outer packaging. If the product has to go through harsher shipping environments, you will need to use polyethylene shrink wrap.

You can speak with your packaging supplier to know the best option.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Difference Between Local And Online Purchase Of Packaging Supplies

New businesses or startups have to deal with a tremendous amount of challenges from all sides. First, they have the challenge of earning a name in the industry. Then, they have to make sure that their profit margin is big enough to allow them to meet their expenses and grow their business.

One of the most crucial aspects of saving a significant amount of money is to avoid any mistakes when it comes to purchasing packaging supplies. That’s where it becomes necessary to understand when to buy these supplies online and when to purchase them from local sources. You can decide about it after considering some crucial factors, including products’ weight, shipping charges, and availability. It should help you determine where to buy packaging supplies from.

In this article, we will discuss a few factors that you must consider when it comes to deciding about the purchase of your packaging supplies.

The types of supplies to purchase

Knowing the types of products you need to purchase is a crucial part of understanding where should you buy the packaging supplies from. Many of the packaging supplies are inexpensive, but having them shipped to your business place can cost you a significant amount of money. For instance, cardboard boxes are generally inexpensive, so you will want to buy them from local stores rather than ordering online. Online orders will include shipping costs, meaning that the overall purchase will become costlier.

You will want to refer to regional sources even if you intend to buy bulks of boxes. According to a rough estimate, you can save up to 20% of total costs if you stick to local sources of cardboard boxes.

Most of the expensive packaging products are heavy, but they do not cost much in terms of shipping charges. Products like packaging machinery, film rolls, containers, and bottles are better bought online.

The amount of a packaging product that you need

You can decide where to buy a packaging product after determining the amount of it you need. You do not want to order online for the products that you need in a small amount, and you can find those easily. A great example of it is the purchase of stretch wrap rolls. If you need one roll, you will want to purchase it from a local source.

To purchase larger quantities of products that you are unable to find from local stores, you may want to order online.

Purchasing custom products

Most of the time, you may not be able to find a custom product from local stores. Unless you live near a manufacturer, you are going to need to order online to purchase a custom packaging product.

Another challenge here is that most manufacturers do not sell their items to end-users. In that case, you will need to use the network of distributors to get the product you need.

In many cases, you will not get a printed product from a manufacturer. It also necessitates you to approach a distributor.