Should You Use an External Or Integrated Shrink Wrap Heat Tunnel?

Most modern shrink wrap systems utilize some type of a heat tunnel. The heat is used to shrink film, either PVC or Polyolefin, for the packaging of DVDs, CDs, boxes, packages and more. A heat tunnel is the fastest way to complete the shrink wrap process, usually taking less than 5 seconds per item. This time is faster with many higher-end machines. The old way of shrinking film was by using a heat gun, which is still popular for low volume applications.

The older heat guns resemble a hair dryer. Many people think that they are in fact hair dryers. Heat guns actually output significantly more heat that a hair dryer. While heat guns will quickly shrink film, they do not evenly shrink the film all at once and require the user to turn the object over a few times to reach the entire surface area. Heat shrink guns are typically used with lower-volume shrink wrap machines, such as straight-bar sealers.

Shrink wrap heat tunnels have been around for some time. They are able to blow hot air around the object being packaged. This allows the shrink film to constrict evenly and all at once. Most heat tunnels have a variable temperature dial that allows the user to adjust the temperature, depending on the type of film and product being packaged.

External heat tunnels are usually integrated with a shrink wrap machine by use of a conveyor system. Once the film has been cut around the product, the operator slides the package onto the conveyor where it is moved through the shrink wrap tunnel. Once the package exits the heat tunnel, another conveyor can be used to transport the product to another area. Sometimes a bin sits at the exit of the heat tunnel to collect packaged material.

Integrated shrink wrap tunnels, such as those found in most Minipack shrink wrap machines, seal film around the object being packaged and shrink the film in one single pass. No conveyor belts are required. This newer style of heat tunnel is now found in most modern shrink wrap machines.

The advantages of an integrated tunnel are speed, convenience and storage space. It is recommended by most professionals to purchase a system with an integrated shrink tunnel if an operator is to be present. If the machine is entirely automated without any human interaction, an external separate heat tunnel is still the equipment of choice.

Separate heat tunnels are a great option for those with existing systems that need to upgrade to something more robust and fast. Tunnels are available in various widths and heights to accommodate most products requiring shrink packaging.

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