In the past twenty years shrink labels have become a widely accepted alternative to traditional stick labels, with numerous advantages that justify their fast growing applications in almost all packaging areas.

Shrink labels made from PVC do not suffer oil or water, are attractively glossy, offer a 360° area for colorful printing and above all can be applied easily and securely to bottles, glasses, cans batteries and other containers with almost all imaginable contours and shapes, to the extent that the sleeve becomes an integral part of the recipient. Printing is usually rotogravure or high quality flexo and on the reverse side of the film so that even rough handling does not hurt the appearance of the product. Further important features offered by shrink labels is that they contribute to render the product pilfer proof and tamper evident.

The line works according to the double bubble process. The PVC is extruded with a circular head die in order to form a first bubble. After the primary bubble is obtained, the lay-flat tubular film is conveyed by a nip roller system to an orienting unit with hot water bath where it is heated up to a temperature suitable for subsequent re-inflation.

The so obtained secondary bubble is conveyed by the nip rollers into the winding unit. The edges of the lay-flat tubular film are cut and the two single films so obtained are wound into reels on two rewinding units placed one facing the other. The standard line can reach an output of 100 Kg/h on the maximum lay-flat width, depending on the thickness of the film which generally ranges between 20-80 microns.