Understanding the different types of food packaging films and their applications can be confusing. With names like Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Cast Polypropylene (CPP), Metallized Oriented Polypropylene (MET-OPP) or Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), one might think you need to be a chemistry major.

Plastic film for packaging offers several advantages over their rigid counterparts. Here are some reasons as to why. First, films are lightweight. Next, they are easy to print on. Third, they have excellent barrier properties to help it stay fresh. Finally, certain kinds are recyclable or reusable.

We create value by helping our customers select the best film for their packaging needs. Pyramid Packaging also provides resources like the slide share presentation below to help you get a head start on deciding on what type of film is best for your application, no matter what section of the grocery store or weekend farmer’s market it can be found in.

Read our “Understanding Food Films” to better understand the types of films /properties and the types of food they package.

Reach out to Pyramid Packaging today to inquire about our different film offerings by filling out this form, or by emailing us at [email protected].

Fresh produce packaging films, specifically shrink wrapping, have become popular among retailers. Flexible packaging films like shrink wrap is used to individually package fruits and vegetables.

Initially, one may think it’s a waste of packaging material. Individually wrapping fresh produce items provides a number of benefits. By using fresh produce packaging films, items will have a prolonged shelf life, and be protected from the elements.

Some types of shrink wraps are microwavable making it easier to prepare the food like these potatoes. Most community recycling programs have expanded their recycling items to included shrink films. As a result, there’s little reason to worry about polluting the environment if you recycle.

Polyolefin shrink film sports ultra-high clarity for applications that can benefit from its visual appeal. Polyolefin retains its clarity for up to a year after purchase. It can be counted on to sustain the visual impact, and glossy sheen people have come to expect for foods packaged in this material. In other words, it has amazing shelf appeal.

Benefits of using shrink wrap include: high quality, high clarity, recyclable, fast and easy to use, durability, versatility, low cost, and perfect for unitizing individual items such as fruits, vegetables, to FDA-approved meat and dairy products.

If you package fresh produce, call Pyramid Packaging at 847-272-3400. Click here to contact us for more information on the latest advances in food packaging films & equipment. You can also email us at [email protected].

Autobag’s new 850S mail order fulfillment debut at the Promat 2015 show. Able to run up to 22 in. wide mail bags, Autobag 850S Mail Order Fulfillment Bagger features AutoTouch control screen, thermal transfer imprinter, and modular bag storage shelf. Bag opening technology grabs and securely grips bag in load-ready position, creating up to 11 x 11 in. pass through.

Open loading area features pressure sensors that instantly pause closing and sealing process if anything touches bag loading mechanism, promoting productivity and safety.

The Autobag 850S can be used to bag mail order items such as prescription drugs, apparel, fashion accessories, and footwear.

Next-bag-out printing is achieved with an advanced thermal transfer imprinter positioned directly over the next bag to be loaded. This ensures accuracy and efficiency in fulfillment applications that require frequent product and label changeovers and prevents product queuing.

State-of-the-art engineering has resulted in a system that is inherently safe. The Autobag 850S eliminates the need for bulky guarding or devices required for safe operation. This unobstructed access makes loading ergonomic and improves operator throughput.

When used with genuine Autobag brand pre-opened Bags-On-A-Roll, the Autobag 850S ushers in the next evolution of high-quality, reliable, and flexible mail order fulfillment and e-commerce packaging, backed by the industry’s most comprehensive engineering and field service network at Automated Packaging Systems.

For more information, watch the video below or click here to contact Pyramid Packaging.

Shrink wrap is a cost effective way to package products so they stand out when displayed. If you are considering this as a packaging solution, be sure to view our presentation to learn more about the different types and their applications.

It is flexible, strong, recyclable, and can also be customized. As a result, there are three main types of film for this material: polyvinyl chloride (PV), polyolefin, and polyethylene. Each material has its own capabilities and characteristics that make it suited for specific applications. It can be formed into bags, as well as overwrap, banding, and tubing.

Other benefits include its strong use of banding for protection, its clear presentation, its sustainable usage and cost reduction over time.

Shrink Polyolefin SYTEC 701 film is a new polyolefin shrink film for a wide range of packaging applications. The innovative crosslink process provides strong, durable seals, excellent shrinkage, and superior optical properties. This film exhibits outstanding abuse resistance and is easy to use. 701 is designed to seal on “L” bar sealers along with high-speed side seal equipment.

You can visit our section on our website where we list multiple types of wrap. Or, you can contact us using the Contact Us form. You can also email us at [email protected], or, by phone at (847)-272-3400.

Every year the Oscars take place to honor the best in film.

In the packaging industry, films are used to wrap food related items like, candy, snacks, nutritional bars & powders. Plastic films start off as small plastic pellets which are melted and blown or casted into films. This presentation explains the different types of packaging films and the equipment used to wrap the films.

Shrink Films, or shrink wrap, are versatile polymer plastic films which shrinks tightly over products when heat is applied, either by a heat gun or a heat tunnel on a conveyor. This is because it stabilizes items, keeps them free of debris, and provides a tamper-resistant barrier. This flexible, strong, and recyclable material can also be customized.

The three main types of shrink wrap films are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyolefin, and polyethylene, each suited for specific applications. Therefore, it can be formed into bags, overwrap, banding, and tubing.

Shrink film is formulated to wrap a wide variety of products. As a result, shrink film is designed with enhanced characteristics to handle the toughest products to wrap. No matter what you are wrapping, it is a contender for the best film today.

Reach out to Pyramid Packaging today for any inquiries you may have. You can also email us at [email protected], or, call us at (847)-272-3400.

Using proper skid wrapping techniques can prevent claim returns, product damage and eliminate lost items during shipping from the jump. Try to find a pallet that fits the amount of boxes you are palletizing. This prevents the stretch wrap ripping on corners of the pallet. These boxes on the skid were first secured with stretch wrap.

Corner blocks and a stretch roping technique were added for further support. Additional stretch wrap was applied to connect the boxes to the skid thus providing a tight and secured wrap. You know the skid is secured my giving the upper boxes a slight push if the boxes shift, you’ll need to add more shrink wrap shift.

Once the skid is secured, rip the film apart from the dispenser and tuck it under the edge of one of the shrink wrap layers. This will prevent your wrap from undoing. Sometimes packages are damaged when skids are double stacked in transit. In order to avoid this, add do not stack stickers and even a pallet cone to the skids to serve as reminders.

Often people do not put enough thought into preparing skids for transit. Sure, all of this takes a little extra time in the shipping department, however, it’s time well spent.

Pyramid Packaging is a supplier of flexible packaging supplies. To learn more, contact us today. Visit us at www.pyramidpackaging.com or call 847-272-3400.

Shrink wrap films, rolls, and bags are a polymer plastic film and are a cost effective way to package products so they can stand out when displayed. Shrink wrap is applied over or around package products. Depending on the application, the film may or may not entirely cover the packaged item. As a result, shrink film is used to stabilize items or group products.

It’s used to package gift baskets, dry goods, frozen foods, toys, literature, and soaps.  For heavy duty bundling it’s used for beverages such as bottled water.

Shrink film keeps products free of debris, and provides a tamper-resistance barrier. Sometimes, it’s even the primary covering for foods such as meats, and vegetables.

For high volume packaging, shrink wrapping machine are used to automate this process. When heat is applied to the shrink film via a shrink tunnel, the film shrinks and tightly conforms to the shape that it’s covering. Shrink wrappers will also wrap, cut and seal the shrink film automatically.

Polyolefin is the most popular type shrink wrap film but PVC, polyethylene and polypropylene films are also used for shrink wrapping. Shrink films come in rolls and bags and in a variety of thicknesses, colors, and strengths.

Pyramid Packaging is a stocking supplier of shrink wrap films and bags. Call us at 847-272-3400 for more information or click here for a quote on shrink wrap film needs.

Not sealing corrugated boxes and folding cartons properly can create an array of problems. An unsecure seal can make the box open unexpectedly resulting in product damage, contamination and returned packages. Weak sealing tape can make it easy for thieves to open the boxes and steal its contents.

Selecting the right combination of packaging tape and dispensing device delivers a quality secure seal and maximizes packaging line efficiency while eliminating the above issues. ShureTape’s new ShureSEAL tape applicator and HP Series tape ensures a consistent highly secure seal.

The HP Series tape provides tight seals even on unfilled boxes and does not require a knife to remove/open the received box.

For more information watch Pat Reynolds, Editor-in-Chief of Packaging World, discusses how the ShurSEAL Solution can help overcome common case sealing issues with Bill DeWitt, Shurtape Packaging Market Manager.

Pyramid Packaging is a Chicagoland as well as nationwide supplier of Shurtape. We sell and carry inventory carton sealing tape from Shurtape.

Shurtape packaging tape provides quality carton sealing for both hand and machine applications. The packaging tape comes in clear and a variety of colors, widths, thicknesses and are available in paper, polypropylene, polyester, acrylic, printable, reinforced, pressure sensitive and hot melt.

For a quote on ShurSEAL or packaging tape, click here or contact our packaging engineers at 847-272-3400. You can also email us at [email protected].

Flexible packaging supplies and void fill are plastic-based films are used to package, protect and ship products for an array of industries.

Remember when grocery store items mainly consisted of rigid packaging such as paperboard boxes, glass and plastics?

Have you ever received a box filled with messy polystyrene filled peanuts? Today, many of these rigid packaging products have been repackaged with innovative designs such as flexible plastic pouches.

Items like meats or poultry, snacks, drinks, dry foods condiments, detergents and even alcohol are packaged in flexible pouches. Because of their advantages, flexible plastic supplies are the fastest-growing type of packaging.

Flexible packaging supplies and void fill packaging provide several advantages over rigid packaging. Some of these benefits include:

• light weight resulting in lower shipping cost
• less solid waste
• requires less storage space
• environmentally friendly because it is recyclable and also takes up less space in a land fill.

Our flexible packaging include bags on a roll, specialty poly bags, stand up flexible pouches, packaging films, stretch films, and shrink films. We also offer custom items if you are interested in inquiring about that.

For more information on our flexible packaging supplies, click here or call Pyramid Packaging at 847-272-3400.

Autobag’s DATA Count U-162 Counter integrated with the Autobag 500 bagger is specifically engineered to fully automate the high-speed counting and packaging of bulk small products. It is a compact, flexible and cost effective system designed with advanced counting technology from DATA Technologies and innovative product engineering from Automated Packaging Systems.

Capable of counting up to 25,000 objects per minute, this hopper and vibratory feed track system uses an advanced mathematical algorithm to ensure high levels of accuracy. Utilizing the very latest technology, the Autobag DATA Count U-162 Counter is capable of detecting variable shaped products from 0.5 – 25mm in size.

Complex shaped objects, including open-shaped items, can be easily counted, making the U-162 small parts counting machine an ideal system for the Aerospace, Defense, Medical, Electronic, Hardware, and other industries.

For more information on our flexible packaging supplies, click here or call Pyramid Packaging at 847-272-3400.

Pyramid Packaging Inc will be attending the 2014 Pack Expo International Show. PackExpo is the packaging and processing premier event showcasing the latest packaging machinery and supplies.

The show takes place November 2-5 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Lakeside, North and South Halls. Pyramid Packaging has been attending these shows for many years. It is always one of our favorite ways to network with vendors and meet potential new clients. We value these connections at shows such as these and look forward to meeting many of new or familiar faces.

Many of our product lines that Pyramid Packaging represents will be exhibiting at the show. Our experienced packaging sales executives will be working the ARPAC, Automated Packaging Systems and Loveshaw Pack Expo exhibits.

Contact us ahead of time at 847-272-3400 or e-mail us at  [email protected] to schedule an appointment at any of the following exhibits. Our sales experience sales reps will be eager to meet with you to discuss your packaging needs.

ARPAC Exhibit: booth #2948 South Hall
Automated Packaging Systems (AutoBag) Exhibit: #2442 South Hall
LoveShaw – Little David Case Sealers and Case Erectors Exhibit: #3100 South Hall

Pyramid Packaging is a Chicagoland and national supplier of business to business flexible packaging supplies and machinery.

If you plan on attending #PackExpo 2014, be sure to stop by Automated Packaging System’s exhibit #2442. The show takes place in Chicago and runs from November 2-5 at McCormick Place’s South Hall. Since Pyramid Packaging is a Chicagoland APS dealer, our sales engineers will be at their exhibit during the show. APS will be displaying all their latest bagging, mail order fulfillment and void fill equipment.

While visiting APS, be sure to take a break and relax in their hospitality area and enjoy complimentary refreshments. They’ll feature cappuccinos on Sunday, baked cookies on Monday, roasted almonds on Tuesday and breakfast items on Wednesday. Also be sure to ask one their sales associate how you enter for a chance to win an Apple iPad mini. Click here for FREE registration to Pack Expo International 2014 and use code 28G52.

Void fill packaging, specifically air pillows, are a cleaner, greener and cost effective option than stuffing a box with paper or polystyrene peanuts.

The air pillows are inflated with a portable system and take up much less storage space than other supplies. They are available in biodegradable form, recyclable, and also reduce shipping cost. With EZ-Tear perforations, these pillows are ready-made to increase efficiency reduce damage for products in shipping.

These pillows have excellent yield, up to 12% higher than the competition and we offer numerous sizes available. The machines used to blow them up can produce them upwards of 55 pillows per minute. As a result, these pillows can be used to fill any kind of package and will make shipping a breeze. These pillows are strong and durable.

We offer a few different types of packaging machines, including the Air Pouch Express and Air Pouch FastWrap. Both are designed for void fill, as the Express handles the air pillows, while the FastWrap expertly produces the bubble wrap.

Read our Void Fill presentation to learn more about the types an advantages of void fill packaging.

Use this Contact Us link, or email us at [email protected]. You can also give us a call at (847)-272-3400 to learn more.

This funny video from Automated Packaging Systems compares the Autobag PaceSetter PS125 One Step Tabletop Bagger to manual bagging operations.

The characters include Print who represents the PS125 OneStep bagger and Pack the manual bagger are dressed as racecar drivers.

Autobag’s PaceSetter PS125 Tabletop Baggers bring simplicity and value to hand load packaging applications.

The video does a great job comparing the advantages of bagging machines over manual bagging operations. The best line in the video is when Pack says to Print “Do you even do anything? The bagger does all the work!”

These machines offer innovative engineering in a straightforward, tabletop design. The PS 125 features a small footprint of 22 x 19 inches and weighs just 82 pounds. The quiet, all-electric design does not require compressed air to run. The PaceSetter PS 125 OneStep includes the same conveniences as the standard PS 125, except with a built-in PI 412 Imprinter.

To inquire about the PaceSetter PS125 One Step, you can contact Pyramid Packaging in a number of ways. First, you can fill out this contact us form. Next, you can email us at [email protected]. Thirdly, you can give us a call today and our customer service team will pick up. Our phone number is (847)-272-3400.