Shrink Films: Heat-Activated Polyethylene Wrapping for Bundling, Collation and Product Protection
When products need to be grouped into multi-unit bundles, secured to pallet loads, or wrapped in a tight protective skin that conforms precisely to their contours, shrink films provide the solution. A flat or tubular PE film is loosely placed around the product, then passed through a heat tunnel where the film contracts—shrinking by 30–70% depending on the formulation—to create a tight, transparent envelope that holds products together, protects surfaces from dust and scuffing, and presents a clean, professional retail appearance. Heat shrink wrap is used across virtually every industry: beverage multi-packing, tissue bundling, industrial pallet wrapping, printed media collation, and consumer electronics protection.
Aydoğan Plastik manufactures polyethylene-based shrink packaging film products on film extrusion lines specifically configured for the oriented blown-film process that gives shrink films their characteristic heat-activated contraction behaviour. Our PE shrink wrap range covers the full thickness and shrink-ratio spectrum that thermal contraction film and collation shrink packaging applications demand.
Applications Across Industries
Beverage and Bottle Bundling
Multi-pack water bottles, soft drinks, juice cartons, and canned beverages are the single largest application for PE shrink film by volume. Bundles of 6, 12, or 24 units pass through heat tunnels where the film shrinks tightly around the group, creating a unitised retail pack that holds bottles securely together through distribution, stacking, and consumer handling. Our bottle bundling film delivers consistent shrink ratios and holding force across the high-speed bundling lines used by major beverage producers, with the optical clarity to maintain product visibility through the outer wrap.
Film thickness optimisation is a major cost lever in beverage shrink packaging—even a 2-micron reduction across millions of bundles generates substantial material savings. Our engineering team collaborates with customers to identify the thinnest viable gauge that still delivers the required holding force, tunnel performance, and stack strength, reducing cost per bundle without compromising pack integrity.
Tissue and Paper Product Wrapping
Toilet paper multi-packs, kitchen roll bundles, and facial tissue packs use PE shrink film to create tight, attractive bundles that showcase the product through crystal-clear film. Tissue products are soft and compressible, requiring shrink films with controlled shrink force that holds the bundle together without crushing the product. Our films achieve this balance through precisely calibrated shrink-force curves that apply enough tension for unitisation without exceeding the crush threshold of soft tissue products.
Industrial Pallet Wrapping and Transit Protection
Pallet-sized PE shrink hoods and shrink bags envelop entire pallet loads in a protective film cocoon that secures the load for transport, protects products from rain and dust during outdoor storage, and provides tamper evidence for high-value shipments. These large-format pallet shrink hood applications use heavy-gauge films (60–120 microns) that withstand the mechanical stresses of forklift handling, stacking, and long-distance road, rail, and sea freight.
Shrink-hooded pallets offer superior weather protection compared to stretch-wrapped pallets because the sealed top prevents rain and condensation from pooling on the load surface—a significant advantage for products stored outdoors in distribution yards and port facilities.
Printed Media and Stationery Collation
Books, magazines, catalogues, and boxed stationery sets are collated and shrink-wrapped for retail presentation and distribution protection. The shrink film must conform tightly to the product’s edges and corners without leaving loose, sloppy wrinkles that detract from the professional appearance. Our films deliver the balanced shrink behaviour—high shrink ratio with controlled shrink force—that printed media applications require for crisp, corner-hugging wraps on both high-speed and semi-automatic L-sealers.
Consumer Electronics and Appliance Packaging
Boxed electronics, small appliances, and software packages use product overwrap film as a tamper-evident outer layer that signals the product is new and unopened. The tight, glossy shrink wrap adds a quality perception that enhances perceived product value. Our films achieve the high gloss and uniform shrink that consumer electronics brands demand for premium shelf presentation, with controlled perforation options that allow consumers to tear the wrap open easily at designated peel points.
Food Multi-Packing
Canned goods, jarred products, condiment bottles, and snack multi-packs use shrink film to create promotional bundles, variety packs, and volume-discount retail units. The film must shrink uniformly around irregularly shaped containers without trapping air bubbles between products—a defect called “bullseye” that degrades both appearance and holding performance. Our formulations achieve smooth, bullseye-free shrink across the diverse product geometries encountered in food multi-packing applications.
Technical Specifications
Film Thickness and Shrink Ratio
Shrink films range from 15 to 120 microns. Lightweight product overwraps use 15–25 microns, standard beverage and tissue bundles 25–50 microns, and heavy-duty pallet shrink hoods 60–120 microns. Machine-direction shrink ratios of 30–70% and transverse-direction shrink of 10–30% are calibrated during the blown-film extrusion process to match each customer’s heat tunnel parameters and product geometry.
Our co-extrusion lines produce multi-layer shrink films where the outer layer provides optical clarity and print adhesion, the core layer controls shrink behaviour and mechanical strength, and the inner layer manages product contact and seal performance.
Heat Tunnel Compatibility
Shrink film performance is inseparable from heat tunnel operation. Film must reach its activation temperature uniformly across the entire bundle surface, shrink at a controlled rate, and cool rapidly to lock in the final shape. Our films are formulated for broad shrink-temperature windows that accommodate line-speed variations without under-shrinking (loose, baggy wraps) or over-shrinking (distorted, burned films). This forgiving process window maximises line uptime and minimises operator-dependent quality variation.
Optical Properties
For retail-facing applications, shrink film transparency is a critical quality attribute. Our films achieve haze values below 10% and gloss values above 70 GU, providing clear product visibility through the shrink wrap. Anti-fog additives are available for applications where temperature changes during cold-chain handling could cause condensation that obscures product visibility.
Seal Technology
Shrink bundles are sealed with overlap or fin seals before tunnel entry. Our films deliver clean, reliable seals across the temperature and speed ranges of modern shrink-bundling lines. Quality control testing verifies seal strength, shrink ratio, shrink force, and optical clarity on every production reel.
Printing and Branding
Up to 8-colour flexo printing adds brand logos, promotional messages, and product information directly onto shrink film. Pre-distortion artwork design ensures graphics appear correctly after the shrink process. Our graphic design team manages the technical pre-distortion calculations and provides mockups showing the final post-shrink appearance. Lamination protects print from abrasion in distribution environments.
Production Process
Our integrated facility manages the complete shrink film workflow: extrusion of oriented shrink-grade base film, printing where required, slitting to customer reel specifications, and cutting for pre-cut bag or hood formats. Every batch passes quality control testing for shrink ratio, shrink force, optical clarity, and seal performance. Production waste is recycled via our recycling facility. Products ship from warehousing and shipping. Visit about us or contact us for specifications and trial reels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What shrink ratio range is available?
30–70% in machine direction and 10–30% in transverse direction, calibrated to match tunnel parameters and product geometry.
What film thickness is used for beverage bundling?
Typically 25–50 microns. Down-gauging programmes help optimise thickness for cost savings without compromising bundle performance.
Can the film be printed before shrinking?
Yes, up to 8-colour flexo with pre-distortion artwork that appears correctly after heat-tunnel shrinkage.
Is the film compatible with high-speed bundling lines?
Yes, broad shrink-temperature windows accommodate speed variations and minimise reject rates on modern bundling equipment.
Are pallet shrink hoods available?
Yes, large-format hoods in 60–120 microns for full-pallet weather protection and tamper evidence.
What is the minimum order quantity?
Varies by film gauge, reel width, and printing. Trial reels are available for machine qualification. Contact our team for details.