Looking for the right packaging supplies so you can safely sell, store, or deliver your products? If you work in the shipping or warehousing industry, you may have heard of stretch and shrink films. These are two popular packaging solutions which are oftentimes interchanged. While these films are both made of plastic material, they’re different in multiple aspects including utility, types, and tool requirements.
To make the right choice and avoid shipping problems, you should gain a better understanding of these two options. Read on to learn more about the differences between shrink film and stretch film as well as where you can buy them.
Utility
Both stretch and shrink films are excellent packaging solutions, although they have different applications.
Stretch Film
A
stretch film, also known as a stretch wrap, is a long strip of clear plastic made of thin yet elastic polyethylene material. Stretch film is used to wrap stacked goods and boxes so that they won’t wobble or collapse when loaded onto a pallet. Hence, this is the packaging material you should use if you plan on transporting, storing, or selling palletized products.
Shrink Film
Meanwhile, a shrink film or shrink wrap is made from plastic materials that can contract upon exposure to a certain heat source. This makes shrink films ideal for packaging bundles of consumer goods like canned soda and bottled water. The film shrinks and takes the shape of the product it's wrapped on. Thus, if you’re looking for a way to bundle your products and sell them as a package, get a shrink film.
Types
There are multiple types of stretch and shrink films that further show the difference between these two packaging solutions.
Stretch Film
Shrink Film
There are fewer types of shrink films than stretch films. First, there are
polyolefin shrink wraps. They have a thicker composition, making them more durable yet less clear than other film types. Moreover, there are the less expensive Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) shrink wraps. These are clearer than polyolefin wraps and have adequate durability. They also have excellent cold resistance, so you can use PVC shrink wraps if you store products in a freezer.
Required Equipment
To properly use a stretch film or shrink film, you need access to certain tools.
Stretch Film
Depending on the type of stretch film you’re using, you’ll either need just your hands and a pair of scissors or a film wrapper. Film wrappers are special equipment that can autonomously wrap machine stretch films around your goods. There are multiple implementations of these machines. Some apply the film using an arm while others spin the goods on a platform so that they’ll automatically get wrapped.
Shrink Film
Shrink films contract upon exposure to high temperatures. Hence, you’ll need a heating tool like a heat tunnel or heat gun. To make shrink film application easier, you can also use a shrink wrap machine that can cut, seal, and shrink the films for you.
Where To Purchase Stretch Film, Shrink Film, and the Needed Equipment
Many physical and online stores sell shipping supplies like stretch and shrink films. Your local home and office supplies depot may have a supply of these items as well. Certain tool shops also sell heat guns and machine wrappers.
Or, you can look to the packaging and shipping experts at PackageIt. You can confidently
order your packaging supplies from the service-focused professionals at PackageIt who have been offering the best solutions for your packaging, shipping and warehousing needs since 1974.
Final Thoughts
Stretch films and shrink films are different in several areas including their applications and the number of variations of each product. If you think that stretch film is the right packaging solution for you, look for no other supplier than PackageIt.
PackageIt provides professional shipping and packaging solutions, including giving advice on the right type of stretch wrap to buy. We also have a wide array of premium yet cost-effective stretch wraps in our inventory. Should your business need a special kind of film, we create custom wraps too. Visit our
website to order and learn more about our other products and services.
