Question 1

What is a shrink sleeve heat tunnel and what does it do?

Accepted Answer

A shrink sleeve heat tunnel is a machine that uses heat to shrink loose plastic labels and bands tight around bottles, jars and cans. You've seen the result at the store: the printed plastic label that wraps all the way around an energy drink, sports drink or juice bottle, or the clear plastic seal around the cap of a vitamin bottle or salad dressing. Here's how the CE-425 Shrink Heat Tunnel works: (1) a loose plastic sleeve or band is slipped over the container, (2) the container is set on the CE-425's built-in mesh conveyor, (3) the conveyor carries it through a heated tunnel, (4) the heat shrinks the plastic tight to the container's shape in seconds, and (5) the container comes out the other end with a smooth, snug label or tamper-evident seal.

Question 2

Is there a machine that shrinks plastic labels and sleeves onto bottles for you instead of using a heat gun?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The CE-425 from Cleveland Equipment is built to replace the handheld heat gun. Shrinking a full-body sleeve by hand means turning each bottle and chasing wrinkles with a heat gun, which is slow and rarely looks the same twice. With the CE-425, you set bottles on the conveyor and they come out the other side with the sleeve shrunk evenly from top to bottom. Every container gets the same temperature and the same time in the tunnel, so labels come out smooth and consistent instead of wrinkled, scorched or crooked, and your operator is freed up for other work.

Question 3

What size bottles and containers can the CE-425 heat shrink tunnel handle?

Accepted Answer

The CE-425 handles bottles, jars, cans, cups and other round or barrel-shaped containers up to 6.29 inches (160 mm) in diameter and 13.78 inches (350 mm) tall, weighing up to 33 lb (15 kg). It works with glass bottles, plastic bottles and paper cups. Its tall 15.75-inch tunnel opening fits larger containers than a tamper-band-only tunnel. The CE-425 is widely used in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and agricultural chemical packaging.

Question 4

Can the CE-425 shrink full-body sleeves and tamper bands?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The CE-425 shrinks labels and bands anywhere on the container: at the top, in the middle, at the bottom or wrapped around the whole bottle. It has separate upper and lower heating controls, so you can aim the heat where the label is. For a tamper band near the cap, turn the lower heat down or off. For a label near the bottom, turn the upper heat down or off. For a full-body sleeve, run both. Aiming the heat this way saves energy and keeps unnecessary heat off the product inside.

Question 5

What is the difference between the CE-425 and the CE-415 shrink tunnel?

Accepted Answer

Both are compact, stand-alone shrink tunnels from Cleveland Equipment with built-in conveyors, but they are made for different jobs. The CE-415 is designed for tamper-evident neck bands on the top of the bottle: it has a 6 x 6 inch tunnel that adjusts in height to your bottle, a stainless steel plate conveyor, one heating control and fits containers up to 4.14 inches wide. The CE-425 is designed for full-body shrink sleeves as well as bands: it has a taller 7.87 x 15.75 inch tunnel, a mesh conveyor, separate upper and lower heating controls and fits containers up to 6.29 inches wide. If you only need tamper bands, the CE-415 is the simpler choice. If you need full or partial sleeve labels, choose the CE-425.

Question 6

What shrink films work with the CE-425, and what temperature should I use?

Accepted Answer

The CE-425 shrinks POF, PVC and PP shrink sleeves and bands. Most jobs run between 150 and 170°C (302 to 338°F). As a starting point, PVC film 0.02 to 0.06 mm thick shrinks in about 5 to 10 seconds at 110 to 130°C (230 to 266°F), and PP film 0.02 to 0.04 mm thick shrinks in about 6 to 12 seconds at 130 to 170°C (266 to 338°F). The digital controller can be set as high as 300°C, but keep it at or below 200°C (392°F) for everyday use to protect the heating elements. Run a few test bottles whenever you change film or containers.

Question 7

Why does the CE-425 use a mesh conveyor?

Accepted Answer

The CE-425 carries containers on an open mesh conveyor rather than a solid plate. The open surface lets heat move around the base of the container, which helps when a sleeve runs all the way to the bottom of the bottle. The conveyor carries up to 33 lb (15 kg), its speed is infinitely adjustable from 0 to 10 meters per minute (about 0 to 32.8 feet per minute) with a dial on the control panel, and the floor-to-conveyor height adjusts from 23 to 28 inches to line up with your production line.

Question 8

Why are my shrink sleeves wrinkled or tearing in the CE-425?

Accepted Answer

Wrinkled sleeves usually mean the tunnel is too cool or the conveyor is moving too fast, so raise the temperature or slow the conveyor. Sleeves that split, tear or break usually mean the tunnel is too hot or the conveyor is too slow, so lower the temperature or speed the conveyor up. On the CE-425 you balance four settings: tunnel temperature, conveyor speed and the upper and lower heating knobs. If only the top or bottom of the sleeve is wrinkled, adjust the heating knob for that area. Change one setting at a time and run test bottles until the sleeves shrink smooth and tight.

Question 9

What are the power requirements and size of the CE-425?

Accepted Answer

The CE-425 runs on 220 V power and is rated at 8 kW. It must be properly grounded and connected to the power source listed on the machine's tag. The overall machine measures about 59.06 x 15.75 x 59.84 inches (1500 x 400 x 1520 mm) and weighs about 146 lb (66 kg). The heat tunnel is about 31.49 inches long, 7.87 inches wide and 15.75 inches tall (800 x 200 x 400 mm). At under 16 inches wide, it fits easily into a small packaging room or at the end of an existing line.

Question 10

What maintenance does the CE-425 need, and what is the warranty?

Accepted Answer

The CE-425 needs very little maintenance. Every three months, check the wiring and heating elements inside the tunnel and replace any that show heat damage or aging. Every six months, check the carbon brushes in the conveyor motor and replace them when worn, cleaning out the brush dust as you do. Check the fan motor brushes if the fan starts to slow down. Keep the machine level, keep the temperature at or below 200°C for daily use, and at shutdown turn the heat off first and let the fan and conveyor run for a while to cool the tunnel. Turn off the power before any service. The CE-425 comes with a 1-year limited parts warranty and technical support from Cleveland Equipment.

CE-425 Heat Shrink Tunnel with Mesh Conveyor*

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CE-425 Heat Shrink Tunnel with Wire Mesh Conveyor

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