You’ve likely witnessed the explosion of shrink sleeve packaging on the marketplace in the last decade. From craft beer cans to tamper-evident pharmaceuticals to personal care products, shrink sleeve packaging is hot – and all indicators point to continued growth.
If you’re interested in expanding your services to include shrink sleeve application or would like to incorporate shrink sleeve labels into your existing production lines, we’ll cover everything you need to know. Learn about the benefits of shrink sleeve packaging, types of shrink sleeves, how the application process works, and what machinery you’ll need.
With competitive price and timely delivery, HYF sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
Benefits of Shrink Sleeve Packaging
According to Flexible Packaging, “the heat shrink sleeve format in North America is clipping along at a seven percent growth rate, as it branches beyond food and beverage, nutraceuticals and household chemicals, and makes inroads into new categories like health and beauty.” Here are a few of the reasons why.
Branding – Shrink sleeves offer full-color images that completely wrap around the container, providing more real estate for messaging. Companies can deliver their products in unique shaped containers to stand out from the competition. Colors and shape matter – they have a major influence on consumer behavior.
Flexibility – Companies can save money by purchasing “blank” bottles or cans and applying shrink sleeves for short runs like promotions, seasonal offerings or new products. By stocking rolls of shrink sleeves, they can respond more quickly to market shifts, reducing waste when a product isn’t selling.
Tamper Evident – By adding a tamper-evident band on the outside of the cap or container, consumers don’t have to open the package to confirm the contents are safe prior to purchase. Food and drug safety is a high priority for consumers today.
Durability – Shrink sleeve labels are reverse printed, sealing the inks safely behind a clear film. The graphics won’t be scuffed or torn during transport with their tight shrinkage to the container.
Sustainability – Shrink sleeves can be removed for recycling. The sleeves also provide support to the container, allowing processors to reduce the weight of the container itself. Plus, engineers have been creating thinner sleeves to reduce the amount of plastic and new biodegradable films are now coming on the market.
Types of Shrink Sleeves
Depending on your project, there are several types of shrink sleeves.
Standard Shrink Sleeve – A portion or most of the container is covered but the sleeve doesn’t cover the neck and cap/lid.
Full-Body Shrink Sleeve – The entire container is covered with the sleeve from top to bottom, creating 360-degree coverage. The portion of the sleeve covering the cap or lid acts as a tamper-evident seal and can be perforated for easier removal.
Shrink Bands – Often used as a tamper evident band or safety seal, shrink bands are small strips of film that are shrunk around the container’s cap. They can be clear, colored, or custom printed with a design like a logo or symbol.
Combination Packaging – Combines multiple containers together to offer as one product unit.
Shrink Sleeve Conversion Process
Before we get into the application process, let’s talk about shrink sleeve conversion. For an in-depth look at the conversion process, check out our last blog Everything You Need to Know About Shrink Sleeve Conversion. Here’s a brief summary of the steps (and shrink sleeve machines) involved in the printing, seaming, inspection, and cutting processes.
Printing Shrink Sleeves – Flexography, gravure, offset or digital printing processes all work for printing shrink sleeves. Printers can use solvent, water-based, UV or digital inks.
Seaming the Sleeves – Once printed, the seaming machine applies a solvent to one edge of the roll. The seam is where the edges of the shrink material are glued together to make sleeves. There are several machines available depending on your needs. Karlville offers seven types of seaming machines ranging from entry-level to high production
Inspecting the Sleeves – After seaming, you can use an inspection machine to analyze the sleeving construction and search for imperfections. After detecting defective material, it can also doctor issues before shipping. Karlville’s three seaming inspection machines come standard with ACCUWEB EPC systems on the Rewind, oscillation on Rewind tied to EPC, automatic tension control via load cells on Unwind & Rewind as well as additional taper tension control module via PLC.
Cutting the Sleeves – If you plan to use an automatic applicator machine, cutting the sleeves isn’t necessary. However, a cutting machine can cut the rolls into individual pieces, if your customer would like to apply them manually. Karlville’s C1 series, for example, allows converters to offer end users cut sleeves for manual sleeve application.
Shrink Sleeve Application Process
Once the shrink sleeves have been produced, you have two options for applying them to your product – using an automatic machine or manually placing them over the product. Naturally, the option you choose will depend on the size of your production and whether it’s a prototype.
Automatic Shrink Sleeve Applicators
The Karlville Automatic Shrink Sleeve Applicator SLEEVEPRO line applies shrink sleeves on most container shapes, materials (glass, plastic, metal), conditions (filled or empty) at speeds that range from 50 to 800 bpm. You can configure each model to apply full body shrink sleeves, partial labels or combined shrink sleeve labels. There are five models to accommodate small to large volume.
Automatic Tamper Evident Applicators
If you want to offer your customers a tamper-evident cap, Karlville’s Tamper Evident Line is the most reliable application in the market. The tamper-evident line can be used as an integrated system on your existing label application or as a stand-alone system. This line includes the COMBITEC, which includes both the tamper applicator and an infrared electric tunnel. It’s a servo motorized machine that’s compact with an easy and accurate set-up.
Heat Shrink Tunnels
Shrink tunnels are the final critical element of the shrink sleeve process. After passing through the heat tunnel, the sleeve will shrink and affix to the container for a tight seal. Each kind of tunnel is suited for certain applications and materials. Karlville offers the widest range of shrink sleeve tunnels found on the market today.
Steam Tunnels
For full body, high-quality applications with distortion-free graphics, steam tunnels are best. Steam is also good for pressurized containers or products with high flammability. Karlville steam tunnels offer a 360-degree uniform shrink. Machine nozzles and steam pressure can be adjusted to meet container size and shape. They’re ideal for after-fill application.
Want more information on Craft Beer Shrink Film? Feel free to contact us.
Electric Shrink Tunnels
Karlville also offers a complete line of high-quality electric shrink tunnels for different applications. Our four main lines offer different benefits to adjust to our customer’s needs: HEATPRO (ideal for pre-heating section), TORNADO (sophisticated technology offering 360-degree uniform shrink), TAMPERHEAT (ideal for tamper applications), and RADIANTEC (ideal for pre-heating section in full line of conical and empty containers).
Prototypes
The Steambox is Karlville’s prototype for sample making. It’s the first complete shrinking system that fits in a portable case. This prototype can help you evaluate new material and print distortion, make small productions to test your material and improve reactivity. The Steambox is designed to ensure the feasibility of shrink-sleeve projects by simulating the shrinkage process of full-size steam tunnels.
Whether you're getting production started or you're exploring new label options, the labels you choose will influence and impact customers.
Choosing a beer label is like deciding the right outfit for a given activity or occasion. Heading to the beach? Swim trunks and sandals. Going for a run? A t-shirt and running shorts. Formal event? You'd better be in a suit and tie or evening gown. Before you determine how your beer will be "dressed," picture it sitting in a mix-and-match beer store cooler or the hand of a customer — what would make it appropriate for the occasion and visually appealing to the right audience?
Craft beer isn't one singular beverage, despite movie characters asking the bartender for "a beer" and never getting asked in return, "uh… what kind?" Craft beer recipes are just as diverse as brewery branding and label designs. Beer labels should be just as unique and compelling as the beer itself. Labels should represent your beer in graphic form, giving the customer an immediate and intuitive sense of what to expect at a glance.
For example, if you're brewing a barrel-aged stout, you need to be careful that your container doesn't suggest that the beer is an IPA. If the can or bottle is emblazoned in greens and golds with images of hops, these visual clues will cause any beer snob to form question marks over their heads as they pour a liquid the exact color of crude oil into their glass.
Once you know how your beer should be dressed for the occasion, you're ready to decide on a label type for your bottles and cans. Ultimately, your decision will impact which labeling machine works best with those labels and your packaging line.
Paper Labels
It’s not uncommon for microbrewers to start with paper labels. The problem with paper is that it’s unreliable in the face of moisture and has a tendency to peel off or get soggy and tear. Ice buckets, condensation, and sweaty or wet hands can turn nicely designed paper labels into mush. There are methods for extending the life of paper labels with sprays and overlays. However, they are only temporary measures, and the labels will still be damaged far quicker than other label types made of waterproof materials.
If your brewery wants to create vintage-inspired labels for classic styles or aesthetic reasons, perhaps the downsides of paper are just a hazard you’re willing to accept. Paper does have a tactile experience not found with other label types, thanks to its rough texture and handmade appearance. But if you’re going to apply an overlaminate to protect the paper anyway, then you’re losing the paper’s uniqueness and adding cost.
Paper labels are your cheapest option in terms of purchasing and application processes. You can run them through a front/back labeler or wraparound labeler for the best results, but they can also be applied by hand. However, hand application is a painstaking process with mixed to poor results compared to machine application. If it’s your only option, it is preferable to labelless bottles or cans, which will get you in trouble, anyway. Your best results will be with a dedicated machine that will apply labels evenly with no tearing. Label machines seem like an expensive option, but small tabletop machines are far more economical than continuing to pay a dedicated labeling employee. Paper labels are an economical starting point for breweries in their early phases. They can even appeal to environmentally conscious consumers if using recycled paper. However, if you’re looking for a label that will withstand harsh conditions, there are better options.
Pressure-Sensitive Film Labels
Pressure-sensitive labels are usually made of polyester and polypropylene films and resist moisture far better than paper. They're made from films that stay fresh-looking even in harsh environments like coolers and pools. They are more flexible and will resist tearing or ripping on assembly lines and store shelves, too. When made with a UV varnish, they are resistant to fading from sunlight and offer a choice between a glossy finish or matte finish depending on your design. UV varnishes can even be applied to create a rough texture to mimic the feeling of paper.
In terms of design, pressure-sensitive labels have another advantage over paper labels that will give more options when creating your brand image on your bottles or cans: they can be transparent. This means you can either show off your beer's rich appearance in a clear bottle or incorporate the color of the bottle into your design. On cans, this means you can reveal the aluminum behind the label. This gives any clear space on the label a shiny, metallic effect.
Pressure-sensitive labels can be applied by hand, just like paper labels, but if you're already upgrading over paper, it makes no sense to do it manually. Film/laminate labels will be pricier than paper labels, but the professional look and resistance to damage (as long as they're properly applied) can win you over new customers. Front/back labelers and wraparound labelers can apply labels faster and more accurately than any human hand. The upfront cost may look daunting, but if long-term profits are your goal, pressure-sensitive labels applied by an automatic labeling machine will offer professional-looking results consistently.
Shrink Sleeve Labels
For ultimate protection against moisture and complete coverage of the container, shrink sleeve labels leave others in the dust. Adhesive-free shrink sleeves are placed over a bottle or can, then placed in a heat tunnel that causes the label to shrink and grip the container. This coverage gives far more space for label designs featuring stunning graphics. They can be opaque or transparent, just like pressure-sensitive labels if you want to use the color of your cans or bottles in the design. Care must be taken so that the graphics don’t warp as the sleeves shrink, but modern printing software has largely eliminated this problem.
The cost of shrink sleeve labels is about 25% more than that of paper or pressure-sensitive labels; however, hand labeling isn’t a possibility. But shrink sleeve labeled products more than make up for this once they hit the market. Studies continue to show that consumers respond more positively to shrink sleeves than to smaller labels and assume that the beverage is more valuable than it really is. With a 150% increase in surface area for branding for such a slight price increase, shrink sleeves have become a highly popular option.
Other Label Types
Other methods of labeling bottles and cans include direct object printing, which applies images directly to the container, and non-adhesive clings, which are vinyl materials that use static to adhere to bottles or cans. Direct object printing can create a unique tactile sensation with its raised ink, but the cost of equipment and the fact that it’s more difficult to achieve bright, eye-catching graphics have convinced breweries such as Stone to transition away from direct printing and over to pressure-sensitive labels. Non-Adhesive clings offer the ultimate reusability but have to be applied by hand and are far more expensive than the options mentioned above.
Conclusion
Starting out with the right labels and label machines will keep you from making costly errors. Read our article 3 Common Beer Labeling Mistakes to get the tips you need to achieve the best results. After you’ve chosen your label type (material and application method), explore our craft beer labelers to find one that will make labeling a breeze, saving you time, money, and unwanted downtime.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Environmentally Friendly Shrink Film.
Resources