People can often mix shrink wrapping with vacuum packaging, and vice versa, solely because one is closely resembling to the other. It is very easy to confuse shrink wrapping for vacuum packaging, but they are used for somewhat different purposes.
Both shrink wrapping and vacuum packing commonly use clear, plastic film. The plastic film is very inexpensive and serves a multitude of purposes from keeping products protected to even serving as a part of the package design itself. There are other materials that can be used for wrapping and sealing, but plastic film is by far the most popular.
Shrink wrapping and vacuum packaging are also sealed from heat from shrink wrapping machines and vacuum heat sealers respectively. These two ways seal packages and objects inside of plastic in ways that man power cannot.
Shrink wrapping and vacuum packaging also involve their plastic film to be tightened around packages and objects in question. The plastic film does not assume a specific form the way a box or traditional bag does, but rather takes the shape of the object that it seals itself around. The finished product results in an extra outer layer of packaging to protect the product from spills and liquids.
Shrink wrapping and vacuum packing are lastly used both to package food products. When handling fruits, veggies, and meat, plastic film is very reliable for merchants and distributors to protect food from bacteria when going through various phases of the shipping process and extend their shelf life when on the market.
There are several key differences between vacuum packaging and shrink wrapping, and one key difference is the thickness of plastic that is used. Most of the time, plastic that is used from a vacuum heat sealer is 3 to 4 times thicker than plastic that is used by a shrink wrap machine. While shrink wrap and vacuum packaged plastic can both protect from containments and hazardous materials, vacuum packaged plastic will be stronger and more resistant to regular wear and tear.
While both methods seal plastic using heat, different machinery is involved with producing their plastic film. Shrink wrapping machines comes in various different sizes and can shrink a varying number of products in a given period of time. Shrink wrapping machines are primarily for adding seals to products such as DVDs, supplies, electronics, and foods such as candies and sweets. Vacuum heat sealers are for wrapping more delicate food items like steaks, chicken, hot dogs, vegetables, fish, and cereal. Shrink wrapping machines are not capable of vacuum sealing, and vice versa.
One final difference between vacuum packaging and shrink wrapping is the lack of oxygen in vacuum packaging. This is the most noticeable difference to the human eye; if the plastic looks to be shriveled up like a raisin, odds are that it is vacuum sealed. Vacuum heat sealers do not just wrap a product in a plastic, but also removes all the air from the plastic so that no organisms are inside, except for the product. Merchants and distributors ultimately rely on vacuum packaging to protect food products more, mainly because they preserve the food’s value longer and protect it better than shrink wrap can.
The look of a shrink wrapped product appears to be lacking oxygen, but this is not true. After a product is sealed with shrink wrap, there is a little bit of air and oxygen that remains in the package. To allow oxygen to enter and leave the plastic film, small holes are punched in the shrink wrap to allow the exposure of oxygen to a product, if need be.
