Shrink film is plastic film that tightens when heat hits it. Wrap a bundle of cans or a case of bottles, run it through a heat tunnel and the film pulls snug around every corner. Our shrink film glossary entry covers the science in detail.
Polyethylene shrink film is a blown film product, the same process we run every day in Orlando. Depending on the structure, gauge and volume, your shrink film is made on our lines or sourced through our partner network. Either way you get one quote and one engineer who stands behind the result.
How Blown Shrink Film Gets Its Shrink
Shrink is built in while the film is made. As the bubble inflates and gets pulled up the tower, the polymer chains stretch in two directions. The film cools fast and locks that stretch in place. Heat later lets it go.
Here is the useful part. The balance between those two directions is set on the line.
How far the bubble is blown out sideways, called the blow-up ratio, drives cross-direction shrink. How fast the film is pulled up the tower drives machine-direction shrink.
That balance is a choice, not an accident. Bullseye bundles from a sleeve wrapper, full enclosures from an L-bar sealer and pallet shrink hoods each want a different split.
Reinforced Shrink Film and Heavy-Duty Bundling Film
"Reinforced shrink film" means two different products depending on who is asking.
The first is scrim-reinforced shrink wrap. It carries a woven grid of polyester or similar fiber inside the film, so it resists tearing when wind or rough handling hits a large wrapped load. It covers boats, equipment and building materials. It is a laminated product, so we source it through our partner network and manage the order.
The second is shrink film made stronger by resin and layer design. Heavy multipacks like cases of bottled water need film that holds tight without splitting at the corners.
Metallocene LLDPE and co-extruded structures add toughness and puncture resistance without just piling on gauge. That is blown film engineering, and it is where we like to start the conversation.
Shrink Film Options for Bundling and Pallets
Most shrink film jobs fall into one of these four groups. The right spec depends on the load and the equipment you already run.
| Shrink film type | Typical job | What to specify |
|---|---|---|
| Polyethylene bundling film | Multipacks of cans, bottles and jars | Shrink balance, clarity and gauge for your tunnel |
| Heavy-duty bundling film | Heavy cases and multipacks | Puncture resistance and strength at the corners |
| Pallet shrink hoods and covers | Unitizing pallets and protecting stored loads | Wide layflat, gussets and UV protection if loads sit outside |
| Scrim-reinforced shrink wrap | Boats, equipment and construction materials | Size of the load and how long it stays wrapped outdoors |
Not sure whether you need shrink film or stretch film? Shrink film tightens with heat. Stretch film tightens because it is pulled. Our stretch film and pallet wrap page covers the other side.
How to Choose Shrink Film
Four specs do most of the work.
- Shrink percentage in each direction, so the film pulls in where you need it.
- Shrink force, so the bundle stays tight without crushing the product.
- Gauge, matched to the weight of the bundle.
- Clarity, if shoppers need to see the product or a barcode has to scan through the film.
Your equipment matters as much as the film. Tell us whether you run a sleeve wrapper, an L-bar sealer or a hand heat gun. Then tell us what temperature your tunnel holds.
What to Send for a Fast Shrink Film Quote
Six details get you a real quote.
- What you are bundling, with the weight and dimensions of each pack.
- Your wrapping equipment and tunnel temperature.
- Film format, such as centerfold, tubing or single-wound sheet, and the width.
- Gauge, or the film you run today and what you would change about it.
- Clarity and print needs.
- Yearly volume and delivery location.
Send it through our quote form or call (407) 704-0800. A standard request is typically quoted within one to two business days. Want to see the film before a full run? Ask about samples.