Shrink wrapping is a form of plastic packaging that, when heated, creates a form-fitting and taut plastic film around a product. Shrink wrap is available in many varieties. Heavy-duty shrink wrap can be used to package any materials for storage or shipment, though its use is usually limited to the packaging of products for distribution on an industrial or commercial scale.
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Shrink wrap is intended to safely and securely transport individual, large products or equipment or large quantities of smaller products. It can protect products from weather conditions, contact with transport vehicle walls and other products while in transit. Products being sold in point of purchase displays like boxed computer software, small electronics and even food products can be shrink wrapped with thin, light-duty shrink wrap varieties that are much more easily opened by end-users than other plastic packaging like blister packs or clamshells. Many different industries use shrink wrap to package their goods, including the food, beverage, cosmetics, toy and electronics industries, among many others. Outside of commercial and industrial packaging, heavy-duty shrink wrap can be used to protect vehicles and even entire buildings. The United States Navy often shrink wraps entire helicopters when they are not in use to protect them from weather conditions.
Shrink wrap can be made out of many plastic materials but is usually made out of polyolefin, a transparent, flexible thermoplastic. Thermoplastics are plastic materials that are easily formed when exposed to heat. Polyvinyl chloride, which is better known as PVC, is also sometimes used as shrink wrap material. These plastics offer different thicknesses, clarity, color and shrink ratios. When heat is applied to the plastic, it shrinks and conforms to the contours of the objects around which it has been wrapped. Smaller objects or low volumes of products can be shrink wrapped by using a hand-held heat gun. For large industrial applications, shrink wrapping is often automated and is conducted on an assembly line with gas or electric-powered heaters. In this case, a product to be shrink wrapped is loaded on a conveyor belt. An automated system of rollers wraps the plastic around the product, which then passes through heated electric panels or coils, which causes the plastic to shrink. The newly shrink wrapped product is then ready for shipment.
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