The purpose of shrink tunnels is to pack and heat shrink-wrapped products. There are different types of these machines, depending on their sizes and heating methods. The fundamental operation of each of these tunnels is to produce heat to prompt the shrinking of the shrink film.

There are three common types of shrink tunnels.

Steam shrink tunnels

These machines are used in the packaging of bottles and other cylindrical products by wrapping and heating shrink sleeves around them. The heat these machines use comes from the steam. You are going to need an expensive setup and plumbing work to get this machine working.

Infrared shrink tunnels

These machines use infrared rays as a heating factor to shrink the film over packages. These tunnels are ideal for many different types of films and products. These can be costlier than recirculating tunnels.

Recirculating shrink tunnels

Due to a lower price and added durability, recirculating shrink tunnels are the most popular. You can use a variety of films and products with this tunnel.

In this article, we are going to discuss recirculating shrink tunnels.

Factors affecting the speed of the tunnel

1. Power is the most significant factor to consider when determining the speed of the tunnel. A tunnel running on 220v will produce more heat compared to the one operating on 110v. The amount of electricity you use also depends on the size of the tunnel motor.
2. You are going to have to make sure that the size of the tunnel is right for the size of packages that you run through it. If you have a short tunnel and you are running long products on it, there will be fewer packages that you will get wrapped in a specific duration. It is crucial to consider the average size of the products before buying a tunnel.
3. The number of packages you will get shrink-wrapped also depends on the types and thickness of the shrink wrap film. If you are using a thicker film, you will need to use more heat per package, and the speed of the tunnel will also have to be slow.

That said, you may want to use PVC in most applications because it requires less heat than other types of films. Even though polyolefin shrink film requires more heat, it can protect your products well after packaging. The best way is to analyze the type of protection you need.

You can adjust the speed of the tunnel based on the type of film you are using. If your product doesn’t need protection from a thicker shrink film, you can use a thin film, which allows you to speed up the tunnel. It can ultimately result in the preparation of more packages per minute. If you are already using some kind of void-fill, using a thin film for relatively fragile products may be OK.

In the end, you may want to consult with your packaging supplier to get the right suggestion. The supplies will analyze different factors, including the type of product, your packaging requirements, the machines you use, and overall business size to give you a calculated piece of advice.