Shrink Wrap
Definition: What is Shrink Wrap?
Shrink wrap is protective plastic wrap used on materials or goods. The clear plastic film – which is an industrial version of the plastic wrap you use in a home kitchen — is wound around the articles and then is shrunk with heat. After the wrapped package is perfectly contained in the wrap material, heat is applied that shrinks the file to form a sealed, tight-fitting package. The final product is also called a shrink package.
Polymer-based plastic film is the primary material used as shrink wrap. Polyolefin is the most common film in use because as it’s available in a variety of thicknesses, clarity, strengths, and shrink ratios.
Other frequently used shrink wrap materials are also polymer-based. They include PVC, Polyethylene, and Polypropylene.
To apply heat, operators use handheld heat guns (powered with electricity or gas). The product wrapped in the film can also be run through heat tunnels on conveyors to maximize the speed at which the wrapping task is done.