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Physical and chemical protection

Cargo Shrink Wrap. How to Retract a Merchandise
Industrial packaging, Physical and chemical protection, Transport and logistics

How to Retract a Merchandise

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The shrink wrapping of goods is a process used to secure and protect products during transport or prolonged storage.

This type of plastic creates a protective film capable of protecting items against adverse atmospheric conditions (UV rays, rain, wind…).

 

Materials needed for shrink wrapping

Below, we provide you with the necessary materials to shrink wrap effectively:

Cargo Shrink Wrap. How to Retract a Merchandise

Steps to follow to shrink-wrap goods

 

Prepare the load: the first step is to place the products in an organized way, making sure that they are well secured and that they do not move.

Cut the shrink wrap: next, cut the necessary amount of shrink wrap to completely cover the load. It is important that the shrink wrap is long enough to seal the bottom of the pallet.

Place the shrink wrap over the load: once the shrink wrap is cut, unfold it over the load and check that it is completely covered. If it is not well covered, adjust its position.

Seal the plastic at the bottom: with the help of the clamp, seal the plastic to the bottom of the load, so that it is taut and tight, to avoid wrinkles or air pockets.

Apply heat: in this step, repeat the same process as in the previous procedure, but this time it is done on the load. Again, it is important to avoid possible wrinkles or air pockets.

Finish shrink-wrapping: the last step is to check that there are no gaps or goods exposed to the elements. In case of an error, this piece should be covered with more plastic or with specific adhesive tape.

Cargo Shrink Wrap. How to Retract a Merchandise

By following these steps, you can confidently and effectively shrink-wrap your merchandise, ensuring its protection and security during transportation or storage.

Shrink-wrapping offers many benefits, such as safeguarding against dust, moisture, and tampering, while also providing a professional and presentable appearance. Remember to carefully select the appropriate shrink plastic and ensure a tight seal using a Shrink-Wrap Gun. With these techniques, you can retract your merchandise with ease and peace of mind.

Whether you’re a business owner looking to streamline your packaging process or an individual seeking to protect valuable items, mastering the art of shrink-wrapping is a valuable skill. With practice and attention to detail, you can ensure that your merchandise arrives in its intended condition, impressing customers and preserving the quality of your products.

So, embrace the advantages of shrink-wrapping and confidently package your merchandise with the knowledge and skills gained from this guide. Efficiently securing your goods will not only save you time and money but also enhance the overall customer experience.

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Aluminium Foil Barrier
Industrial packaging, Physical and chemical protection, Transport and logistics

Aluminium Foil Barrier

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The Heat-Sealable bag, Insulating bag or Aluminium Foil barrier material is a widely used element in packaging to prevent corrosion, especially when it comes to metal packaging and electronic items.

Aluminium Foil Barrier

It is used in conjunction with desiccant salts precisely to prevent moisture from oxidizing the metal on long ship voyages, but is also used for long-term protection of machinery and other products, for example, for storage if long-term storage is planned.

 

 

COMPOSITION

This material is mainly composed of aluminum and polyethylene. Depending on the manufacturer, the proportion of each material and even the type of plastic used may vary. For example, sometimes polyester, PET plastic or polypropylene are added. As for polyethylene, it can be of high or low density.

Some barrier materials have more plastic than aluminum or vice versa. The quality and correct protection of the product will depend to a large extent on the total thickness of the barrier film from which the bags are made and how many grams it weighs per square meter, as well as the proportion of aluminum it contains. The more aluminum the material contains to the detriment of plastic, the lower the vapor transmission inside the container.

This material is waterproof and resistant to external factors such as ultraviolet rays.

 

PRESENTATION

Generally we can find this material in rolls whose measures can vary according to the customer’s needs, although it is also common to find manufacturers and companies that sell ready-made bags with the measures that the customer deems appropriate.

Aluminium Foil Barrier

The aluminium foil barrier bag can also be vacuum sealed if desired, with the help of special machines that absorb oxygen from inside the bag. In this way, the product is better protected against oxidation.

There are several ways of sealing this bag. As its name suggests, the most common way is with heat, although we can also opt for plastic closures that seal the container.

This material can also be printed, so it is common for a company to print its own corporate logo, as well as the specifications of the material and the temperature to which it must be subjected for sealing.

This material must be manufactured in compliance with DIN 55531-1, which is the German and European standard in general.

 

Other world standards equivalent to this norm that can be found are the following:

  • USA: MIL-B-131.
  • France: NF H 00310.
  • Germany (military classification): TL 8135-0003.
  • United Kingdom (military classification): DEF STAN 81-75/1.
Aluminium Foil Barrier

To conclude, it is convenient to point out the main difference between aluminum barrier material and other plastic materials that we will see later, such as shrink film or VCI. For long boat trips, adverse weather conditions or long storage periods, aluminum is the most convenient option for the correct protection of the product against plastic compounds, since it is much more resistant.

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Desiccant Salts
Industrial packaging, Physical and chemical protection, Transport and logistics

Case study, Use of Desiccant Salts

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In the previous post we have seen what a DIN unit is and the degree of absorption per unit, therefore we must remember that a DIN unit is equivalent to an absorption of 6g of water and that to absorb these 6g of water approximately 30g of desiccant salts are necessary (depending on the type of salt and the conditions).

Desiccant Salts

Having recalled the previous post, we consider a practical case for a part of dimensions 1150x750x750mm (length x width x height) to be transported in a box equipped with a thermoweldable bag of inner dimensions 1200x800x800mm.

 

To calculate the volume of air enclosed between the box and the part we must find the differential of volumes, therefore:

 

1,2 x 0,8 x 0,8 – 1,15 x 0,75 x 0,75  = 0,121 m3

 

Once this data has been calculated, we go to the formula:

 

n = 1/a · ( V · b + m · c + A · e · D · t )

And we calculate the number “n” of DIN units replacing each constant by its value, (to know the value of these parameters do not hesitate to visit our previous post).

The result would be n = 2 approximately, so about 60g of desiccant compound would be necessary for this packaging. We must bear in mind that it is always better to distribute these salts proportionally so that the atmosphere always maintains homogeneous humidity levels, so whenever possible we will use several bags distributed homogeneously.

Desiccant Salts

As we have mentioned in previous posts, it is important to define the volume of air that we want to maintain with low humidity levels in order to calculate the number of DIN units that will be necessary. Once we know this information, our supplier will tell us the exact grams of salt that we will need depending on its composition.

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Industrial packaging, Maritime packaging, Physical and chemical protection

Desiccant salts, absorption capacity and normalization

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Dehydrating or Desiccant salts, they are used more and more frequently for the packaging of cargoes, especially in maritime transports, but … are we using the right amount of desiccant salts? what is a DIN unit? do all desiccant salts absorb the same amount of moisture? In this post we will try to answer all these questions.

Dessicant Salts

To calculate the amount of DIN units of salts needed to ensure a “dry” environment, we will base ourselves on the DIN 55474 standard, which empirically defined as:

 

n = 1/a · ( V · b + m · c + A · e · D · t )

Where “n” is the number of DIN units, “a” the amount of water vapor absorbed per unit of salt, for 20 % RH a = 3 g; 40 % RH a = 6 g; 60 % RH a = 8 g, “V” the volume inside the packaging, “b” the humidity per unit volume of interior air, “m” weight in kilograms, “c” grams of humidity per kilogram of weight, “S” packaging surface in square meters, “e” correction factor, for 20 % RH e = 0.9, for 40 % RH e = 0.7 and finally for 60 % RH e = 0.6, “D” permeability in grams per square meter and finally “t” the storage time.

To summarize, in general, one DIN unit is equivalent to an absorption of 6g of water, to absorb these 6g of water approximately 30g of desiccant salts are necessary (depending on the type of salt and the conditions).

 

Thus we can take this table as a reference:

Desiccant salts

As we have already mentioned in this blog, there are many types of desiccant salts depending on their chemical composition, so we must always know their absorption capacity and the amount of DIN units per unit mass.

Dessicant Salts

As a conclusion we must assume to take as reference the DIN units and from this we will be able to calculate the grams of each salt that we need. Starting from these DIN units we will never make a mistake with the amount of salts needed.

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Desiccant/Dehydrating salts
Maritime packaging, Physical and chemical protection, Transport and logistics

Desiccant Salts

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Desiccant salts, also called dehydrating salts, are chemical compounds that absorb moisture and water in very different ratios, depending on the amount of desiccants and their chemical composition, and can regenerate if subjected to a temperature above 150ºC.

There are different types of desiccant, the most common are:

 

  • Silica gel

These are small solid pellets of silicon dioxide obtained from sodium silicate. Despite being a chemical compound, it is not toxic or flammable by itself, although one of its components is highly toxic to humans if ingested or in contact with it for a long time, as it could cause silicosis. This is cobalt chloride, which is used to determine the amount of moisture in the gel. In this way, it causes the gel to change color when wet, varying from blue (dry) to pink.

Desiccant Salts

  • Bentonite

Is a very fine-grained (colloidal) clay of the montmorillonite type containing bases and iron. The name derives from a deposit found at Fort Benton, USA. The particle size is less than 0.03% of the average grain size of kaolinite.

Desiccant Salts

  • Calcium chloride

In addition to its use in pharmaceuticals and food, this compound is used as a desiccant, given its moisture-absorbing qualities. It is less common than silica gel, although it does not contain toxic elements and has a higher degree of moisture absorption. The problem is that it is not advisable to use it in spaces that are not hermetically sealed, since it runs the risk of liquefying, with the consequent elimination of its absorption capacity.

Desiccant Salts

Measures

 

There are four different units for measuring desiccants. The most commonly used due to their standardization are grams, but we also find NFH, DIN units and MIL units.

These would be the equivalences between them, taking as a reference the most used measurements:

Equivalency table

We recommend the use of one half kilo bag (16 DIN units) of desiccant or dehydrating salts per cubic meter. As a guideline, we can indicate that for a 20 feet container it is advisable to use 20 bags of 1 kg. These data are estimates since, depending on the cargo to be transported (sensitivity to oxidation and/or corrosion mainly), the proportion of salts should be adjusted to maintain the relative humidity at the established rates.

 

Packaging

 

The desiccant can be purchased in bulk or packaged in breathable bags for use in containers or inside packaging.

The bags are made of non-woven textile so that moisture passes through them and can be picked up by the compound. Now, certain desiccant manufacturers have begun using another material called Tyvek, which is used primarily in home and building construction to prevent moisture.

This material is made of high-density polyethylene and nonwoven olefin fiber, so it is highly breathable and its uses are very diverse. Although it looks like paper, we must not forget that it is plastic when it comes to recycling.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this section, desiccant bags are frequently used in containers for shipping goods by sea.

Salt compounds and moisture can cause damage to the goods. For this reason, many containers come with special cables or rings for the placement of desiccants.

In this case, a hook or hooks, usually made of plastic or metal, are added to the bags to attach them to the walls of the container. If the container has no means of hanging the bag, many manufacturers incorporate a special adhesive to attach the bag directly to the inner side walls.

 

Other remarks

 

There is a chemical compound called dimethyl fumarate, DMF, which is also used as a desiccant.

Years ago the Finnish doctor Tapio Rantanen discovered that it can cause severe allergic reactions and large skin eczema, even in very small proportions, after the marketing of this product in sofas by a Chinese company, with the aim of preventing the furniture from deteriorating with humidity, resulting in several cases of affected people in several countries around the world, including Spain.

For this reason it is very important to make sure that the desiccant that we are going to use is free of this substance and that it has passed the pertinent controls that indicate it.

It is also common to find in the desiccant packages cards indicating the moisture content of the salts, thus warning if it is necessary to replace the package in case they no longer absorb water vapor.

Indicator cards

These cards work by changing color, in such a way that when their blue color disappears and turns to a light pink, as in the case of silica gel, it means that the desiccant salts have already exhausted their absorption capacity.

 

In conclusion, you will have to choose the type of desiccant that you believe convenient and in the right measure depending on the volume of the load and how it is packed. It is always advisable to use it, since humidity is present everywhere and in certain regions and countries more than in others, but above all it is an indispensable requirement for sea and river transport, combining it with other types of materials for adequate protection.

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360Ecopackaging blog
Congratulations, Ecology, Folding packaging, Industrial packaging, Lashing & Dunnage, Maritime packaging, Physical and chemical protection, Protection-and-padding, Transport and logistics

Declaration of intentions

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360 Eco Packaging emerged as a logical evolution and adaptation of a traditional family company, founded in 1939. Due to these experience and constant evolution, we have learned to adapt to the needs of the sector. Identifying and developing the most efficient packaging systems.

Therefore, we can offer the customer a 360 degree service.

 

For all these reasons, this blog was born with a two-way character and with the real purpose of being a meeting place, where different profiles can find and debate about the multiple types of packaging that the market offers us.

We will analyse from the regulations required for the different types of packaging and transport, to the new technologies and materials that are currently being developed.

With this we will try to put on the table as much information as possible, so that we can clearly define and select the best solution to the different needs that may arise in the world of logistics and transport.

In the next post we will study a litle introduction to ISPM 15.

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