Executive summary
A panel shrinking machine seals a panel, or a stack of boards, in PE film and passes it through a hot-air tunnel so the film shrinks into a tight, clean cover. It suits insulation and foam boards, wood-based panels, doors and cabinet parts. Our motion-sealer shrink line takes packs up to 1,250 mm wide and 2,500 mm long and 10–90 kg, with 30–45 micron PE film, through a 2,600 mm tunnel at up to 12 m/min. Below: how a panel line works, stacking and handling, the data and a cycle example.
Table of Contents
- Why shrink pack panels
- How the panel shrink line works
- Stacking and handling before sealing
- Machine data
- Worked example: a stack of foam boards
- Selection checklist
- Safety: EN 415-10 and ISO 12100
- Engineering FAQ
- Next step
- Related reading
- Sources
Why shrink pack panels
Panels and boards are flat, often light, and damaged mostly at the edges and corners. Loose boards slide in a stack, foam boards crumble at the edges, and dust settles on faces that must stay clean for gluing or finishing. A shrunk film cover locks a stack into one tight unit, protects edges and faces, keeps out moisture and shows the product and label through clear film.
Compared with stretch wrapping, shrink packing closes all six sides and leaves no film tails.
How the panel shrink line works
- Infeed. The panel or stack runs onto the conveyor, fed automatically or by hand.
- Film. Film is laid over and under the pack.
- Seal. A long sealer seals the sides, and two motion sealers make the cross seals while the pack keeps moving. A photoelectric sensor times each seal to the pack length; sealing height adjusts to pack thickness.
- Shrink. The pack passes through the insulated recirculating hot-air tunnel at 100–220°C, then is cooled rapidly so the film sets tight.
- Outfeed. Packs leave on a roller conveyor for stacking.
The PLC stores the times for each stage, with fault detection, and safety guardrails surround the line.
Stacking and handling before sealing
For boards, the pack is usually a stack, not a single panel. Upstream, a gantry handling unit inside a mesh fence lifts stacks and moves them across to the sealing conveyor, so no one carries boards by hand. Best practice:
- Square the stack before it enters the sealer, so the seals run straight.
- Keep the stack height inside the sealing height range.
- For foam boards with grooved edges, stack them so the grooves interlock; the stack stays stable on the conveyor.
Machine data
| Item | Motion-sealer shrink line |
|---|---|
| Max pack width | 1,250 mm |
| Max pack length | 2,500 mm |
| Pack weight | 10–90 kg |
| Max pack height | set by the sealing height range and tunnel opening; confirmed at quote |
| Film | PE, 30–45 micron |
| Conveyor | 0–12 m/min |
| Sealing power | approx. 6.5 kW |
| Tunnel | L2,600 × W1,600 × H1,300 mm; 100–220°C |
| Supply | 380 V, 50 Hz, 3-phase |
For thinner panels of 20–60 mm, our economic shrink line uses 30–80 µm film with two vertical press rollers to smooth the edges.
Worked example: a stack of foam boards
Illustrative: foam boards 1,200 × 600 × 50 mm, eight to a stack, conveyor at 6 m/min with a 0.5 m gap.
| Check | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Stack height | 8 × 50 | 400 mm |
| Fits the sealer? | 1,200 ≤ 2,500; 600 ≤ 1,250 | yes |
| Time in tunnel | 2.6 m ÷ 6 m/min | 26 s |
| Pitch time | (1.2 + 0.5) ÷ 6 × 60 | 17 s |
| Conveyor limit | 3,600 ÷ 17 | ≈ 211 stacks per hour |
| Real rate | 3,600 ÷ max(17 s, sealer cycle) | sealer cycle measured at factory test |
Result. The conveyor allows about 211 stacks an hour. The motion sealers travel with the pack, so they only slow the line if their cycle, including the return stroke, is longer than the 17 s pitch; in practice the speed at which stacks arrive sets the rate. Check the stack weight against the 10–90 kg limit.
Selection checklist
- Panel or stack length, width, height and weight.
- Single panels or stacks; manual or automatic feed.
- Packs per hour.
- Film type and gauge.
- Handling before and after: gantry, stacker, palletiser.
Safety: EN 415-10 and ISO 12100
Shrink packing lines are built to EN 415-10, with the risk assessment done to ISO 12100. The hazards are the sealing bars, the hot tunnel, the moving gantry and the conveyors. The gantry works inside a mesh fence with locked doors and an emergency stop, guardrails surround the sealer, and the tunnel is insulated.
Engineering FAQ
Q: Can it pack a stack of boards, not just one panel? A: Yes, within the sealing height and 10–90 kg weight range.
Q: What size panels fit? A: Up to 1,250 mm wide and 2,500 mm long on the motion-sealer line.
Q: Which film? A: PE film of 30–45 micron on this line.
Q: Does the pack stop to seal? A: No, the motion sealers make the cross seals while the pack moves.
Next step
- Send panel sizes, stack heights, weights and output to info@fhopepack.com.
- We design the sealing, shrinking and handling line.
- We reply within 24 hours with a proposal and quotation.
Related reading
- Door shrinking machine with motion sealer (product)
- Economic type door shrink packing machine (product)
- Automatic panel sealing and shrinking machine
- Door and panel shrink packaging machine
- Orbital wrapping for extra-long panels
- Horizontal wrapping machine for glass door
Sources
- FHOPE product pages: shrinking machine with motion sealer; economic shrink packing machine
- Our panel shrinking line shown above
- Worked example: illustrative figures
- Standards: EN 415-10; ISO 12100:2010
Last reviewed: 2026-10-19
