Atlantic Poly Blog

POLY or PVC Shrink Wrap Uses

Darren Kincaid - Sunday, June 06, 2010
PVC SHRINK COLLARS - Commonly used as a security measure on medication bottles. Available in a variety of gauges, colors, and prints. Horizontal or vertical perforations are available for easy open. All sizes are custom.

PVC PREFORMED WINE CAPS
- Commonly used on wine and champagne bottles as a security measure.

POLYETHYLENE SHRINK BUNDLING FILM - Single wound shrink low density polyethylene generally used to shrink wrap bundles of newspaper, cases of bottled water or soda, individual boxes, etc.

POLYETHYLENE SHRINK PALLET COVERS - Clear shrink pallet covers are stock for some standard sized pallets. Custom sizes are available in a variety of sizes, gauges and prints. Shrink pallet covers are used by covering the pallet with the bag and applying heat with a hand held propane powered heat gun.

PVC SHRINK WRAP BAGS - Used for shrink wrapping a variety of small items, generally in small quantity. Bags are stocked in sizes ranging from 6"x6" up to 14"x20" . Bags with a rounded top are also stocked, commonly used for gift baskets. The bags would be sealed with a tabletop heat sealer and shrunk with a hand held 110V electric industrial heat gun.

Why Use Vapor Barriers

Darren Kincaid - Tuesday, May 25, 2010

In cold climates, insulation alone is not enough to keep our costly heat from escaping. Given the slightest opportunity our precious heat will find its way out in an alarming way.

Once we understand the principle that warm air is attracted to cold air, and not the other way around, it should become almost a matter of pride to keep that warm air in!  Although some heat is lost by conduction through the insulation, most of the heat loss in a building is through air movement, or air infiltration, through the walls.

That's where vapor barriers come in. A vapor barrier – also known as vapor retarder – is merely a continuous sheet of impermeable material installed on the inside, i.e. the warm side of the wall, and it's designed to keep the warm air from escaping through or around the insulation and other building components.

There are several reasons for wanting to keep the warm air inside the house through a vapor barrier installation; among them:

  • Energy efficiency
  • Heating costs
  • Preventing the deterioration of the building materials (wood, insulation) by moisture (hence the alternate term moisture barrier). In winter, as the heated air meets the cold air, it creates condensation, which is water of course. The vapor barrier is designed to prevent this phenomenon from taking place.
  • Health problems caused by molds


Plastic Pocket Holders

Darren Kincaid - Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Plastic Pocket Holders are the economical choice to hold your warranties, instruction books, job tickets, and other documents or items for easy viewing and storage. If you don't see one on our site that fits your needs, we can make custom sizes. An example of a holder is below.

Fact Tag Holders - used by retailers to hold fact tags or signs that are attached to a specific item or along a shelf with a description of that item.

Stretch Wrap Basic FAQs

Darren Kincaid - Tuesday, May 11, 2010
What size do I need?
First, you need to answer whether are you applying the stretch wrap by hand or with automated equipment.  If you are stretching the film by machine, you will generally use a film over 20" high and 5000 or 6000 feet long. These rolls are heavy -- about 32 lbs. Since that's a little too much to carry around a pallet, most people use 18" x .80 x 1500' rolls to stretch their pallets by hand. If your skids are not very high or if you just need to wrap the top and bottom of the loads, you could use 15" or 12".

Maybe you have seen stretch wrap used to bundle things like millwork, plastic pipe and small boxes. This is called bundling stretch wrap. It's used like tape, but it won't stick to the product or leave residue. This wrap comes in 2-6" sizes.

Can I use stretch wrap for covering my food?  NO!!! Stretch wrap is not made for food contact and this industrial product should be kept away from children. Like any plastic, it can be dangerous.

Is stretch wrap recyclable?  Yes, stretch wrap can be recycled through many local and state recycling centers.

Recycling Logos for Plastic Bags

Darren Kincaid - Monday, May 03, 2010
RECYCLING LOGOS

20 years ago an American group came up with a numbering system to make it easy to recycle. If you mix them up recycling becomes tricky.   The most useful ones for poly are:

Low density polyethylene
- used in packaging bags, grip seal, carrier bags, bin liners and heavy duty sacks.



High density polyethylene
- some carrier bags and bin liners.



Polypropylene
- used for display bags including flower bags and greetings cards.

Many colors available for poly film and bags

Darren Kincaid - Tuesday, April 27, 2010
FILM OR BAG COLORS

If you need a colored bag or film whether to  see through (tint) or hide what’s inside (opaque), for either special use or to match your corporate colors, we can supply a range of different  colors  to suit your needs. We have a range of different colors including white, black, red, ivory.  In addition we have 5 shades of blue, 5 shades of green, 3 shades of yellow and violet. If you need something we don't have in stock then ask and we will do our best to get as close to the color you need.

POLYPROPYLENE and CELLOPHANE Bags are not the same

Darren Kincaid - Saturday, April 24, 2010
Polypropylene bags are sometimes referred to as cello or cellophane bags despite their major differences. However, polypropylene and cellophane bags are NOT the same.
 
Polypropylene Bags
  • Less expensive than cellophane
  • Stiffer and stronger than other wraps
  • Resistant of tearing and oils
  • No natural dead-fold
  • FDA approved
  • High temperature resistance
  • Eco-friendly and biodegradable
Cellophane Bags
  • More expensive than polypropylene
  • Natural dead-fold
  • FDA approved
  • High gloss transparency
  • High permeability to moisture
  • Increased shelf-life of products
  • Eco-friendly and biodegradable
  • Popular choice for chocolate and candy makers
  • Superior packaging for fresh produce, doughnuts, and microwavable products
COMMON USES FOR POLYPRO BAGS
  • Floral/basket wrap
  • Magazine overwrapping
  • Media packaging (CD, DVD)
  • Greeting card bags
  • Flower sleeves
  • Candy sweet bags
  • Display bags(cookies, portraits, t-shirts, artwork, dress, shirts, calendar)
  • Clear wrapping film
CALL ATLANTIC POLY FOR ALL YOUR CELLO AND POLYPRO NEEDS

Advantages of CAST Stretch Film

Darren Kincaid - Monday, April 19, 2010
Why is some stretch film called CAST and some BLOWN? Is this plastic or gum?

Originally, all stretch wrap was blown, a process much like blowing bubble gum. Resin is heated and passed over an opening through which air is blown. Most state-of-the-art film today is cast. It is extruded through rollers and "laid out" in sheets. This process allows the film to be made in multiple layers. The layers allow the film to be made with cling on only one side. This optional one-sided-cling film is great where you don't want one pallet to stick to the one next to it. Also, these films layers can make the film stronger by adding tough layers to the inside. Cast film is also clearer and quieter coming off the roll.

Do I need Shrink Wrap or Stretch Wrap and what is the difference

Darren Kincaid - Saturday, April 10, 2010
Do I need Shrink Wrap or Stretch Wrap and what's the difference?

Most people who order stretch wrap from us call it shrink wrap ..  but the products are very different. Shrink wrap film is made from polyolefin plastic, while stretch wrap is made from polyethylene plastic. Shrink wrap is generally used to protect a single product, such as the plastic over toys at the toy store or CD's when you first buy them. Shrink wrap gets its tight seal through a heating process. The product is wrapped and heated with a hairdryer-like tool or put through a heat tunnel. Shrink wrap can also be used for bundling products together, such as bottles of soda. We supply both stretch wrap and shrink wrap.

Stretch wrap is generally used to hold boxes on a pallet for transport. Stretch wrap is pulled around the load and stretched. The plastic has a memory and wants to return to its original size. This "elastic band effect" holds the load tight.

Plastic Covers and Liners for many uses

Darren Kincaid - Friday, April 09, 2010
Plastic (Poly) Covers and Liners

Available in standard sizes from 3’ to 40’ wide, 0.002"-0.006" gauge, and 20'-100' lengths. Extra large sizes are available upon request. All panels are accordion folded every 4 to 5 feet and tightly rolled on a heavy-duty core for ease of handing and time-saving installation. Layflat roll configurations are also available. Applications include: Vapor Retarders, Silage Covers, Agricultural Covers, Wood Product Covers, Temporary Walls, Cargo Covers, Insulation Membranes, Fumigation Covers and more.