Not All Bundles Are Created Equal: Evaluating Secondary Package Quality

22 April 2016 //

Packaging Line EfficiencyProject Planning

Not all bundles are created equal, and that simple fact raises many questions: How do you know your packaging design will provide the proper support for your product needs? When is adding more materials only adding cost, rather than value? How can you properly implement a package performance test to ensure you’re producing a consistent, high-performing package? What should you look for in evaluating equipment manufacturers?

In answering these questions, let’s compare the types of wraps used in shrink bundling:

Bull’s Eye Enclosures are the most common type of wrap, and use one single sleeve of film with shrink for tight bundles with openings on each side. The bull’s eye enclosure is good for unitizing multiple products that are rigid by nature, or products that are packaged in trays and pads. Canned and jarred food items, household products and personal care products are commonly wrapped using bull’s eye enclosures.

Total Enclosures are created using oversized sleeves of film with shrink, then either adding side seals to fully surround products with film or using a forming shoe. As the name suggests, a total enclosure will completely surround the product in film, providing dust and moisture protection. Food service consumables, windows, and rolls of building materials all benefit from total enclosure wraps.

Tight Wrap technology is used to bundle products that require more support, or as an alternative to a full enclosure. With tight wrap, the film sleeve is applied under tension for a tighter, more compact bundle that requires 30% less film and less energy to shrink it.

Double Tight Wrap technology wraps products using tension on all sides to create a full enclosure and a tight “brick” pack that is supported in all directions for easy stacking. Bundles that work great with single or double tight wrap technologies include bagged products such as coffee, flour, pet food, and absorbent padding.

Regardless of the package type, the measurement process used to evaluate wrap tightness and the size of a bull’s eye enclosure is often overlooked until the bundled package fails. Just as equipment can be measured by uptime and other performance standards, it’s equally as important to have standards in place for the package.

How does having a performance measurement in place for the package relate to packaging machinery? Simply put, having standards for both the equipment and the package provides consistent quality – a well-designed bundling machine should deliver a sturdy package every time.

Contact EDL Packaging Engineers for help designing the equipment you need to achieve the best quality for your secondary packaging.