Quick Answer: Heat shrink film conforms tightly around a product when heat is applied, providing tamper evidence, bundle packaging, and a clean retail appearance. The two main types are PVC shrink film (lower cost, higher clarity) and polyethylene shrink film (more durable, food-safe, better for irregular shapes). The correct shrink ratio for most applications is 40–50%, meaning the film shrinks to roughly half its original dimensions when heated.
Heat shrink film is one of the most versatile packaging materials in use today, appearing in everything from supermarket shelves to industrial pallet loads. Yet it is also one of the most frequently misspecified — businesses often choose the wrong film type, the wrong thickness, or the wrong shrink ratio for their application, resulting in poor-looking finished packs, packaging machinery jams, or product damage.
This guide covers what heat shrink film is, how it works, the main types available, and the practical steps to get your specification right the first time.
How Heat Shrink Film Works
Heat shrink film is a biaxially oriented plastic film — meaning it has been stretched in both directions during manufacturing, storing elastic tension in the material. When heat is applied (typically through a heat tunnel, heat gun, or shrink oven), the film releases that tension and contracts tightly around whatever is inside it.
The result is a tight, conforming wrap that holds the product securely, provides visual tamper evidence (any interference is immediately visible), and — with the right film — creates a professional retail presentation. The degree to which a film shrinks is expressed as a shrink ratio: a film with a 50% shrink ratio will reduce to half its original flat dimensions when fully heated.
The Main Types of Heat Shrink Film
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) shrink film is the most widely used material for retail product wrapping and multi-pack bundling. It offers excellent clarity, a high-gloss finish, and relatively low cost per square metre. It shrinks evenly and consistently at moderate temperatures, making it compatible with a wide range of heat tunnel equipment. However, PVC is not food-safe in direct contact applications and produces hydrogen chloride gas if incinerated, which has led to increasing regulatory restrictions in some European markets.
Polyethylene shrink film — the type produced by RB Plast — is food-safe, more flexible, and significantly more durable than PVC. It is the correct choice for direct food contact applications, heavy or irregularly shaped products, and outdoor or industrial use. It requires slightly higher heat tunnel temperatures than PVC but provides superior puncture resistance and does not crack in cold storage environments.
POF (polyolefin) shrink film sits between the two: it matches PVC on clarity and gloss, is food-safe like polyethylene, and shrinks at lower temperatures than either. It is the premium option for high-end retail presentation but carries a higher per-unit cost.
Key Applications for Heat Shrink Film
Multi-pack bundling is one of the highest-volume applications: grouping 4, 6, or 12 individual units (bottles, cans, boxes) into a single retail pack. The shrink film provides structural integrity and a surface for branding without the cost and weight of a cardboard outer. This is widely used in beverages, household products, and personal care.
Individual product wrapping creates a clean, sealed presentation for items like books, software boxes, gift sets, and food products. The tight wrap communicates freshness and security to the consumer and provides tamper evidence that consumers have come to expect.
Pallet shrink hooding — applying a large polyethylene shrink hood over a full pallet load — is increasingly used as an alternative or complement to stretch wrapping for outdoor storage and distribution. RB Plast produces pallet shrink hoods as a dedicated product line for this application.
Industrial component bundling: grouping pipes, tubes, profiles, or other long industrial items into manageable bundles for storage and transport.
Choosing the Right Shrink Ratio and Thickness
| Application | Recommended Film | Shrink Ratio | Thickness | Heat Method |
| Retail product wrapping | PVC or POF | 40–50% | 15–25 microns | Heat tunnel |
| Food contact wrapping | Polyethylene or POF | 40–50% | 20–30 microns | Heat tunnel |
| Multi-pack bundling (cans/bottles) | Polyethylene | 30–40% | 40–60 microns | Heat tunnel |
| Irregular / heavy products | Polyethylene | 30–40% | 50–80 microns | Heat tunnel |
| Pallet shrink hooding | Polyethylene (LDPE) | 25–35% | 80–150 microns | Shrink oven / hood |
| Industrial bundle wrapping | Polyethylene | 30–40% | 60–100 microns | Heat gun / tunnel |
Table 7: Heat shrink film specifications by application. Source: RB Plast technical guidelines.
Common Mistakes When Using Shrink Film
Using the wrong temperature setting is the most frequent cause of poor results. Too little heat leaves the film loose and wrinkled. Too much heat causes burn-through, distortion, or white stress marks in the film. Every film type has an optimal tunnel temperature range — always confirm this with your film supplier before running production.
Sealing and shrinking are separate steps, and using a machine designed for one type of film with a different film type is a frequent source of problems. PVC requires a low-temperature seal bar; polyethylene requires a higher seal bar temperature. Mixing film types without adjusting machine settings causes seal failures.
Choosing thickness based on appearance alone: thinner films look neater on retail shelves but provide less physical protection and are more prone to tearing during handling. For products that are shipped and handled multiple times before reaching the consumer, a slightly thicker film is worth the visual trade-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between shrink film and stretch film?
A: Shrink film requires heat to contract — it is applied loosely and then passed through a heat tunnel or exposed to a heat source to tighten around the product. Stretch film is applied under mechanical tension without heat, stretching and clinging by elastic memory. Shrink film is used for individual product wrapping and retail presentation; stretch film is primarily used for pallet unitisation and load stabilisation.
Q: Is polyethylene shrink film food-safe?
A: Yes. Polyethylene shrink film is food-safe and approved for direct food contact applications in the EU. It does not release harmful compounds during normal use. PVC shrink film is not recommended for direct food contact. If in doubt, request a material safety data sheet (MSDS) from your supplier.
Q: What heat tunnel temperature should I use for polyethylene shrink film?
A: Polyethylene shrink film typically requires tunnel temperatures between 150°C and 200°C, depending on film thickness and conveyor speed. Thicker films and faster conveyor speeds require higher temperatures. Always test with sample wraps before committing to a full production run.
Q: Does RB Plast produce heat shrink film?
A: Yes. RB Plast produces polyethylene shrink film and pallet shrink hoods at its facility in Kocherinovo. Contact sales@rbplast.bg or +359 887 584 300 to discuss your specific requirements.
To discuss heat shrink film specifications for your application, contact RB Plast at sales@rbplast.bg or +359 887 584 300.
