The Right Type Of Shrink Tunnel Conveyor For Your Products

When buying shrink-packaging machinery or upgrading your older equipment, you may be thinking of one of two elements: shrink tunnels or sealers. However, there is another element to consider as well: conveyor.

Which type of shrink tunnel conveyor is right depends on the shape, weight, and size of your product. In this article, we will discuss how to choose the right conveyor for your shrink packaging applications.

Plastic belt conveyors

The conveyors move your products through a packaging line. They can move your products from one type of machinery to another.

This conveyor utilizes different belts along the track. The entire track gets power from a motor. Turning this conveyor on will move your products from one piece of machinery to another.

Conveyors that utilize plastic belts have small interlocked portions, usually made of plastic. Their flexibility allows them to bend when moving on a loop around a track.

The shape of the conveyor depends on the packaging applications being run on that conveyor. Due to their flexibility, plastic conveyors can be moved in various directions.

Stainless steel belt conveyors

If your applications need regular wash downs, you can choose from stainless steel belt conveyors. The reason these are stainless steel conveyors is that they comprise several features made of steel. These features include gears, wash-down motors, rollers, and frames.

The conveyors are used for the packaging of food products. They also help the packaging process of liquids and drugs.

Due to their durability, stainless steel conveyors last much longer than plastic conveyors. Nonetheless, they are more expensive.

Roller conveyors

Roller conveyors consist of rollers instead of belts. These rollers sit on a collection of shafts on a frame. The movement of the product across the conveyor makes the roller spin. It results in the product moving from one end of the conveyor to another.

These conveyors solve the problem of moving products with uneven surfaces. These conveyors are most suitable for packaging and distribution.

Live roller conveyors

Live roller conveyors are a step up from conventional roller conveyors. They consist of powered rollers that push the product across a segment of the packaging line. These conveyors are using several types of packaging processes. These conveyors are most suitable for the distribution of beverage products.

Solid belt conveyors

These are the most common types of conveyor belts. They are usually made of materials such as polyester, rubber, and fabric. Mining operations generally use rubber belts on their conveyors. This way, people at the coal extraction site can manage coal and ore quite easily. Departmental stores also use solid belt conveyors.

Shrink film considerations for conveyors

Regardless of what conveyor type you need, make sure to discuss your requirements with a packaging vendor. The type of conveyor you can use will depend on the type of product you have to package. The formulation of shrink film you employ has a huge say in this regard.

If you are using polyethylene films, you will have to dry it first before it comes in contact with a live roller. Failing to meet this fundamental requirement can result in downtime.

 

Bad Packaging and How it Affects the Business

Did you know that packaging experience can affect the business.  There are a lot of people who don’t realize this. but let’s look at examples.  Let’s look at Ea-Nasir, who was a man who built the copper business four millennia ago.  His customer got so frustrated with the wrong copper ore and the delays with shipping that he actually threw the complaint into stone.  He was able to use his right to reject because of the contempt he dealt with.

Did you know that almost four millennia later, this has not changed, especially when it comes to shipping and customer satisfaction.  The right protective packaging makes an amazing first impression, one customers will remember. The bad packaging will not, and it’ll cause complaints. While they won't be directly engraved in stone, you can see the negative reviews directly online, which is actually far worse in this day and age. Over two thirds of customers are swayed by the reviews online, so keep that in mind. 

Protective packaging looks for the correct packaging that fits the needs, so let’s look at just how negative packaging will kill your business. 

It’s not Professional 

Brand loyalty is super important. Customers will return to the brands that they see are giving them what they want. 

That means that if the packaging is bad or not consistent, you’re essentially denying the customers that experience that they want, especially if they know, trust and like you. The too generic packaging is something that’ll do nothing to set you apart from the mind of a customer. 

You want to make sure that you have consistent packaging in order to create the ideal unboxing experience that leaves lasting impressions on customers. You see this with businesses all the time. Take apple for example.  They have a consistent packaging that makes them look very professional. 

Remember that the experience begins not when the person first interacts with the product, but with the packaging. 

You also want to make sure that the packaging shows off the brand and is aesthetic enough to really make the brand shine. Amazon for instance, has shipping boxes that, no matter what fragility or size that’s there, always arrive in a distinctive box that’s branded, or even similar envelopes. They also have some protective packaging within each.

You want protective packaging that’s good for keeping everything uniform, so that consistency happens, and you have customers that are loyal to your needs. 

Ill Fitting Packaging Causes Damage 

Another thing people don’t tell you is that packaging that’s ill fitting will cause damage. 

If it doesn’t fit, the packaging won’t work. This leaves everything perfectly vulnerable to the damage that’s there 

Even items that are durable will suffer from scratches during the items are shipped.  You want to make sure that you have the right items, in order to mitigate complaints that are there.  if they’re not properly protected, you’re going to have a problem.

Make sure that you have them in secure packaging, and use protective items such as bubble bags, bubble wrap, and packing foam in order to protect these items. 

Also pay mind to the bubble wrap size that you use. Some sizes are meant for product wrapping and protection, while others are used specifically to fill in the voids. Make sure that you have the right types of packaging, and you can determine all of this through talking with a manufacturer in order for them to meet the needs that you have, and help you improve your packaging as well. n