Are you working for a packaging company and you’ve been asked to source a new heat sealer? If you’re a newcomer to the world of heat sealers, you may need to learn a bit more about this appliance. You know this machine is used to seal packaging materials. But did you know there are different types for different applications?
So, before you head out to buy a heat sealer, read this article to learn more about this useful piece of machinery.
What You Need to Ask Before Buying a Heat Sealer
It’s always a good idea to ask some questions before you buy a product you’re not familiar with. These questions could give you the answers you need to steer you in the right direction. And save you from making a mistake by purchasing the wrong appliance.
Some of the questions you can ask yourself when looking for a heat sealer could be:
- What do I want to seal?
- What are the materials of the packaging I want to seal?
- Will the heat sealer be able to seal multiple layers of material? Or do I only need to seal single layer material?
- Am I sealing foil bags, gusset pouches or other similar type packaging? Or do I only need to seal single plastic bags?
Having a better sense of the task you want the sealer to carry out will help you in deciding which design to pick and whether you should go with a hand-held heat sealer or an automatic sealer. You can even opt for a bench-top heat sealer or one operated with a foot pedal. The list goes on for the types of heat sealing machines you can pick from to do a sealing job.
Let’s find out what types of heat sealers you may find available and what applications they’re best suited for.
Handheld Heat Sealers
The beauty of handheld sealers is they give you the freedom of movement when you’re sealing certain types of packaging. If not well designed though, the operator could end up dealing with fatigue, especially when doing high volume sealing work. So, always go for a high quality, lightweight machine if you opt for this type of sealer.
Depending on the type of handheld sealer you pick, you can seal the following materials:
- Polythene and polypropylene bags and tubing
- Cellophanes
- Laminates
- Coated foils
- Wax coated paper
Constant Heat Sealers
The constant heat sealer is a good option for heavy duty bag sealing applications. This is because it uses high temperatures to seal the packaging. The method entails applying constant heated sealing jaws to fuse and seal bags. These machines are manually operated either by hand or with a foot pedal. They’re ideal for when you want to tamper proof packaging containing medicines or food items.
A constant heat sealer is best used for multilayer materials which include the following:
- Coated aluminium foils
- Polypropylene
- Cellophane
- Laminate bags and tubing
Impulse Heat Sealers
These types of heat sealers operate by using low voltage to deliver short impulses of heat to seal. This is one of the most power-efficient heat sealing methods to use. They’re best used on materials such as polythene or polyurethane.
These types of materials only need moderate temperature to create a good seal. The impulse heat sealer is often used for sealing multi-layer metallised barrier bags. And, if the right configuration is used, they can seal a double layer of heavy thermoplastic packaging comfortably.
Other Types of Heat Sealers
While we have mentioned the most common types of heat sealers, you can also find other types available. Specialty heat sealers are designed to handle both large-scale industry packaging sealing requirements and smaller, more delicate applications.
A mail bagger type heat sealing machine is specifically designed to package printed paper. Either polyethene or PVC tubing is used to wrap up the paper and it is heat sealed to enclose the papers securely.
A band sealer works well for sealing stand up bags in a packaging line for fast and efficient sealing. Materials include LDPE, PP, PVC and cello bags and pouches.
Automatic heat sealing machines are perfect for sealing bags that require being held such as those containing liquids or powder. It uses the impulse heating principle and is best suited for polypropylene and polythene materials.
Final Thoughts
The packaging industry would be lost without the use of efficient heat sealing machines. By looking around you, you’ll notice how many items are being stored in sealed packaging. From your ground coffee to screws and nails and even pharmaceutical drugs, they’re all sealed in bags or pouches. Heat sealing bags helps to maintain freshness in food and prevent tampering of bags.
For the next time you’re shopping for this type of machine, you now know what types are available. And, for which applications they’re designed. A heat sealer’s main job is to seal packaging, but their range of capacities and applications is what counts. That’s what leads to value for money.
