Many industries use shrink-wrapping. That includes companies in thepharmaceutical, food and beverage, and consumer goods sectors. Sometimes, companies use this technique as part of their product packaging design. However, it’s also a way to protect pallets of goods heading to end customers. Working with a quality shrink wrap machine is the first step to avoiding issues.

Manufacturers rely on an assortment of equipment, such as the cartoning machine. With this, flat cartons get loaded into a magazine. Then, it forms them in the required shape, seals the bottom, and yields a product ready to fill. For example, the food and beverage industry can manufacture milk containers using acarton erector.

Fortunately, most issues with a shrink wrap machine are easy to correct. The following are some examples of what manufacturers deal with most often and the appropriate remedies.

Dog Ears

This shrink-wrapping problem occurs the most often. With this, the film has a triangular protrusion on a corner or in an area of excessive film before completing the shrinking-wrapping process. This can happen for several reasons.

  • Inadequate heat
  • Round or tall product with multiple, improperly placed perforations
  • Weak seals or too many perforations
  • Overly large shrink film

The manufacturer adjusts the cartoning machine or takes a different action based on the cause. If this occurs due to inadequate heat, they can increase the temperature inside the tunnel in 10-degree increments. If this is because of too many perforations, they can decrease the amount or can add punch holes.

Fish Eyes

This defect shows up as oval or round patterns. Caused by poor shrinking, it negatively affects a package’s aesthetics, making it look messy and unprofessional. Usually, the culprits are improper air velocity, insufficient heat, bad seals, or excessive perforations.

On a carton erector, the manufacturer would again choose the solution based on the cause. That involves increasing the temperature inside the tunnel, reducing the speed of the conveyor, choosing a smaller bag, or adjusting the air velocity.

Crow’s Feet

For this, wrinkles appear on the corners after completing the shrink-wrapping process. In most cases, this goes along with dog ears. There are two reasons this happens. First, inadequate heat, and second, too much film on the corners.

When working with a cartoning machine, manufacturers can try several different things. They can use thinner centerfold film, lower the number or size of air holes, reduce the air evacuation, or select a smaller bag.

Angel Hair

This consists of tiny strands of film that develop between the time the shrink wrap machine starts to seal the product to the time it’s done. Although this doesn’t compromise the quality of the product, consumers find it unattractive.

Typically, this occurs due to low temperature, incomplete sealing, and uneven clamp pressure. However, using the incorrect type of shrink film or seal blade can also lead to angel hair.

To prevent this from happening, manufacturers can increase the sealing temperature, adjust the clamp pressure, or use a more compatible film.

Additional Problems When Using a Carton Erector and Shrink Wrapping

Ballooning is another issue that manufacturers see. If a sealed film gets exposed to hot air, it expands and changes the product’s appearance. Burnout happens when excessive heat gets applied to the film. Then, there’s hazing, which makes the shrink film look cloudy.

Always Start With Top-of-the-line Machinery

While there’s no way to avoid every problem that comes up when using a cartoning machine, you can prevent many of them simply by investing in the right equipment. For assistance with this, contact us at Conovey.