Five common heat shrink film materials

Jun 11, 2024

In the packaging industry, heat shrink film is widely used in food, beverage, daily necessities, medicine and other fields. Different heat shrink film materials have their own unique characteristics and scope of application. This comprehensive guide will take an in-depth look at five common heat shrink packaging materials (POF, PE, PET, PVC and OPS).

PVC Shrink Wrap

PVC heat shrink wrap, also known as polyvinyl chloride heat shrink wrap, is a type of plastic film specifically designed to shrink tightly around objects when exposed to heat.

Polyvinyl Chloride Heat Shrink Wrap Features

  1. High transparency
  2. Good gloss
  3. High shrinkage rate
  4. Anti-static
  5. Printability
  6. Good elasticity
PVC Shrink Film

PE Heat Shrinkable Film

PE shrink wrap, also known as polyethylene shrink wrap, is a type of plastic film commonly used for packaging and bundling products. It is made from polyethylene (PE), a versatile and durable plastic known for its flexibility, strength and chemical resistance.

PE heat shrink film features

  1. Flexible and durable
  2. Low cost
  3. Easy to process
    4.Food safe
  4. High shrinkage rate
  5. Rainproof, moisture-proof, mold-proof;
pe heat shrink film

POF shrink film

POF shrink film, a multilayer co-extruded environmentally friendly polyolefin heat shrink packaging material, primarily consists of PE and PP. Unlike PVC, POF is a flexible, environmentally friendly shrink film that does not release harmful gases during combustion and can come into contact with food. It is a widely promoted and applied environmentally friendly heat shrink film packaging material in the international market, particularly recognized in the European and American markets.

The main features of POF packaging film are

  1. high shrinkage rate.
  2. gloss, high transparency, good decorative properties of goods.
  3. good flexibility, low temperature is not brittle, not easy to aging.
  4. low commodity density, can reduce packaging costs.
  5. Outstanding heat sealing performance, sealing strength.
  6. Wear-resistant, good puncture resistance.
  7. Wide range of application, can be used in semi-automatic, automatic high-speed packaging equipment and manual packaging.
  8. The products comply with SGS certification system, non-toxic and environmentally friendly, suitable for food and drugs and other types of products packaging production.
POF Heat Shrink Film

PET Heat Shrinkable Film

PET heat shrinkable film is a new type of heat shrinkable packaging material. Because of its easy recycling, non-toxic, odorless, good mechanical properties, especially in line with the advantages of environmental protection, in developed countries polyester (PET) has become a substitute for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) heat shrinkable film the best alternative.

PET shrink packaging advantages

  1. Excellent clarity
  2. High tensile strength
  3. Excellent shrinkage
  4. Chemical resistance
  5. Cost savings: the use of wrap-around film for product packaging can reduce maintenance costs. The choices of wrap-around film include about 15% for original box packaging, about 35% for heat shrink film and about 50% for carton packaging. At the same time, it can reduce the labor intensity of workers and improve the packaging efficiency and packaging level.
PETG shrink film

OPS shrink wrap (oriented polystyrene)

Oriented polystyrene (OPS) heat shrink wrap, also known as OPS heat shrink wrap, is a commonly used plastic film for packaging and bundling products. Made from OPS, a durable and versatile plastic known for its high clarity, strength, and chemical resistance, OPS heat shrink wrap effectively secures and protects products during transportation and storage. It is a new type of oops heat shrink wrap that meets environmental requirements.

OPS shrink film features

  1. High strength, high rigidity, stable shape, good gloss and transparency.
  2. Easy to process, easy to color, good printing performance, printing resolution is very high
  3. Non-toxic, odorless, oil and grease resistant
  4. OPS ratio of light, OPS ratio of only 1.05, for the same thickness and area of OPS, PVC, there are three PET materials, OPS can reduce the weight of 25%!

Conclusion

Five common heat shrink film materials have their own characteristics, suitable for different types of packaging needs. Choosing the right heat shrink film material can improve the packaging quality of the product and enhance the competitiveness of the product. We hope that this article can provide you with a useful reference to help you better understand and choose the heat shrink film materials.