Aluminum extrusion packaging.

Executive summary

Anodised and powder-coated extrusions are scratched by each other, by forks and by dust in the container. A film sleeve shrunk tight around each bundle stops the profiles moving against each other and seals out dirt and moisture. Our sealing and shrinking line runs the bundle through a film sleeve, seals and cuts it, then shrinks it in a heated tunnel.

Flat bundles of dark aluminium profiles run on a roller conveyor into a white sealing station. The station has a red-button control panel and a warning label over the cutter, and the bundle passes through film formed into a sleeve. It then goes through a white heating box. At the end an operator stacks the sealed bundles in layers on a wooden pallet.

Table of Contents

Why shrink-sleeve extrusions

Stretch film wound round a bundle leaves the ends open and relies on tension to hold the profiles. A shrink sleeve closes the whole bundle and shrinks onto it, so the profiles are locked and the surface is sealed from dust. The bundles stack flat on a pallet, as the end of the line shows, and the film is clear so the profile code can be read without opening it.

Line sequence

  1. Profiles are grouped into a flat bundle on the in-feed conveyor.
  2. The bundle runs into the film; a photoelectric sensor tracks its position.
  3. The long sealer closes the film along the bundle length.
  4. The end sealers close and cut the film between bundles.
  5. The sealed bundle runs through the shrink tunnel.
  6. Cooled bundles run out for stacking on pallets.

Machine data

The line uses the same long sealer, end sealer and recirculating tunnel design as our door shrink packing machine:

Item Value
Film PE, 30–45 micron
Conveyor speed 0–12 m/min
Tunnel temperature 100–220°C
Tunnel size (door machine) L 2,600 × W 1,600 × H 1,300 mm
Sealing power about 6.5 kW
Sealers long sealer plus end sealers
Bundle length and width confirmed at quote

Film size

Film perimeter needed ≈ 2 × (bundle width + bundle height) + seal allowance

Example only: a bundle 300 mm wide and 100 mm high needs 2 × (300 + 100) = 800 mm of film round it, plus the seal. Shrink film reduces by a set percentage in the tunnel, so the sleeve starts slightly loose and is pulled tight by heat.

Tunnel time

Time through tunnel ≈ (bundle length + tunnel length) ÷ conveyor speed

Example only: a 6,000 mm bundle through a 2,600 mm tunnel at 6 m/min takes (6,000 + 2,600) ÷ 6,000 ≈ 1.43 min, about 86 s. Each part of the film sees the heat only for tunnel length ÷ speed, here about 26 s, so the temperature is set for that dwell.

Selection checklist

  1. Profile length range.
  2. Bundle width and height.
  3. Surface finish: mill, anodised or powder-coated.
  4. Bundles per hour.
  5. Film type and thickness.
  6. Stacking by hand or automatic.

Safety

We design to EN ISO 12100:2010 for risk assessment, EN 415-10 for packaging machine safety and EN 60204-1 for the electrical equipment. The cutter is guarded and labelled, the tunnel is insulated, and safety guardrails and fault detection stop the line.

Engineering FAQ

Q: Will the heat mark anodised profiles? A: The tunnel runs at film shrink temperature with a short dwell. The setting is tested on your profile finish before shipment.

Q: What film is used? A: PE shrink film, 30–45 micron.

Q: Can long profiles be packed? A: Yes, with conveyors sized for the length, confirmed at quote.

Q: Can stacking be automated? A: Yes, with an aluminium profile stacker after the tunnel.

Next step

  1. Send your profile lengths, bundle sizes and output to info@fhopepack.com.
  2. We set the sealer, tunnel and conveyor layout.
  3. We reply within 24 hours with a proposal and quotation.

Sources

  • FHOPE product pages: door shrinking machine with motion sealer; aluminium profile stacker
  • EN ISO 12100:2010; EN 415-10; EN 60204-1

Last reviewed: 2026-10-20

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