What sleeving materials are available?

Zhongda Wincome offers PVC Shrink Film and PET Shrink Film. The two material have different shrink characteristics and are therefore suited to different applications.

PVC Shrink Films- This material is easiest to control in the shrink process; it is also generally the most cost effective. PVC is available in pasteurisable and steam grades and offers good scuff resistance.

PETG Shrink Film- This material offers the best scuff resistance and also the highest percentage of shrink. It is pasturisable and is also easily recycled.

What heat shrink sleeve print processes can I chose from on your material?

Mostly by gravure, CI Flexo or UV Flexos.

Gravure printing is a proven technology and high quality printing method using solvent based inks. The graphics for each color is etched onto individual metal cylinders.

The benefits of gravure printing include:

High quality photographic reproduction

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High quality origination gives consistency of reproduction over a long time period.

CI Flexo is also a solvent based process, based on a raised areas, i.e. dots/lines or blocks on a photopolymer plate, which transfer ink rotated around the drum, each color unit being laid down in sequence with inter unit heat and airflow for drying prior to the next color printing. Ink is transferred onto the plate and then the film, each color unit prints in sequence.

UV Flexo utilizes the same printing plates as C.I. flexo, but is a solvent free ink process. Each color is printed onto the film on a separate station and is cured by the use of UV lamps. This gives greater depth of color and reproduction than C.I. flexo

The benefits of Flexo and UV Flexo include:

Low cost, high quality reproduction

Rapid response due to shorter origination process

Suited to promotional and labeling requirements

Multi variant possibility

What type of Shrink Method do you recommend - Hot air or Steam?

A quick rule of thumb is that hot air tunnels are predominantly used with empty containers while steam is becoming the industry standard method of shrinking sleeves onto filled containers. However for many applications it is quite normal to use both application methods to optimize the effectiveness of the shrinking process.