A Guide to Polyolefin Shrink Films

Polyolefin Shrink Film

Polyolefin shrink film is an excellent packaging solution for protecting goods, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and electronics. It possesses fantastic benefits in order to protect what you are selling or transporting. Its high transparency gives both full exposure and protection, ensuring your items look appealing to the customer, whilst also improving the security, reducing the risk of any tampering.

Shrink film is adaptable; it can be made using PVC, Polyethylene, or Polyolefin. Each type holds certain advantages, depending on your business and product. In this article we will explore the advantages of polyolefin shrink film in particular, and how it can work for you.

What is polyolefin shrink film made from?

Polyolefin shrink film (POF), also referred to as polyolefin shrink wrap, is usually made of thermoplastic polymers, known as Polyolefins. It is great for consumer-based products as it is visible, low-cost and versatile and is popular within the food industry as it’s food-safe. This glossy, versatile, highly transparent material helps protect fresh produce such as apples, peppers, sweets, cakes and meats, whilst keeping the products looking visually appealing for consumers.

Polyolefin shrink film’s excellent heat-shrink and thermo-shrinkable properties allows for supplies to be tightly packed for any shape and size, while retaining maximum protection. It is a strong, robust, and tear-resistant material.

Advantages of Polyolefin Shrink Film

There are plenty of advantages of using polyolefin shrink wrap as a packaging solution. It improves inspection and consumer satisfaction due to its visual clarity. Secondly, as it is tightly packed and shrunk to fit the item, it also means odours cannot escape. For example, if you were to wrap a cake, and wanted to keep the smell and moisture tightly within the packaging for a better consumer experience and extended shelf life, polyolefin shrink film can successfully achieve this.

Other benefits of polyolefin shrink film includes:

Consumer Appeal

The highly transparent material displays your items in an appealing manner. For example, if you are a consumer at a local supermarket and you were looking to buy apples and pears, it would be found on a fruit tray wrapped in polyolefin shrink film. It is more appealing to the consumer, as they will most likely opt for what they can see visibly, leading to purchase.

Shrink Properties

When heated, the material conforms itself to the shape of the product that is being wrapped, securing it for transit.

Durability

It is extremely durable, preventing punctures and tears in order to keep your packaging safely intact.

Environmentally-friendly

Polyolefin shrink film can be made from recyclable materials, and is simple to recycle itself. As it shrinks to fit, it can often use less packaging than a stretch wrap.

Convenient

The shrink film is straightforward to use, and can be applied for equipment involving heat.

FSA approved

As polyolefin shrink film is popular for food-based packaging, its material is chlorine-free, making it safe for consumers to eat.

What are cross-linked polyolefin shrink films?

Cross-linked polyolefin shrink films have been treated using a chemical process which exposes the film to high radiation, creating cross-linked molecular bonds within the film. The purpose of cross-linking polymers allows you to use a thinner type of film, yet it can still maintain its strength and durability.

More additional benefits include:

Cost-effective: The thinner film material allows for faster sealing and shrinking, yet still keeping it at a low cost. This reduction in overall weight, may also help reduce your liability in terms of the Plastic Packaging Tax.

Durable for All Environments: cross-linked polyolefin shrink films provide even higher protection against chemicals and UV protection, making it suitable for the harshest environments.

When might you use cross-linked vs standard gauge polyolefin shrink film?

Cross-linked polyolefin shrink film serves its purpose when the packaging needs additional protection. Packaging meat in a cross-linked polyolefin shrink film ensures hygiene standards are kept high, due to the fact the wrapping is strong enough to protect the meat from punctures and exposure to oxygen before purchase. At the other end of the scale, cross-linked polyolefin shrink film can also be used for adding a protective layer to significantly larger objects such as boats prior to shipping via road in order to help protect the outer surface from stone chips, dust and dirt.

However, a standard gauge polyolefin shrink film is most commonly used for supplies that do not require significant additional containment or protection. The packaging is usually cheaper, as it’s easier to manufacture and uses less raw material during the manufacturing process. An example of when a standard gauge polyolefin shrink film may be used is when electronic goods need to be shipped. To wrap the external packaging box of a stereo in a standard gauge polyolefin shrink film protects the item from damage and physical impact, while keeping it safe from exposure to harsh weather conditions in transit.

The difference between cross-linked versus standard gauge polyolefin shrink film boils down to the specific requirements of the items being packaged. Budget, strength, and temperature separate the two.

Order Your Polyolefin Shrink Film Today

We supply customised polyolefin shrink film, manufactured to meet your specific needs but as a guide, some of our most common requests include:

• “Typical” thicknesses from 12.5mu to 400mu
• “Typical” widths from 200mm to 12m
• Custom-printed shrink films

If you are interested in finding out more or would like to request a free sample or quote, contact us today.