Key Takeaways
Jars and small multipacks of cans are shrink wrapped on an L-bar sealer with a shrink tunnel. The jars or cans are grouped into packs of 2, 4, 6 or 12, enclosed in clear shrink film, sealed and trimmed by the L-bar, and passed through the tunnel so the film pulls tight into one tamper-evident pack. Food jars such as sauces, jams, condiments and pickled products, candles, small cosmetic jars and promotional packs of cans are all wrapped this way. Larger volumes of beverage cans run on a sleeve sealer instead. See the L-bar sealer and shrink wrap machine.
The machine used to shrink wrap jar and small can multipacks, in manual, semi-automatic and automatic versions.
Most products sold in jars can be shrink wrapped into a multipack. Food jars are the biggest group: sauces, jams, condiments and pickled products, where a clear wrap keeps a multi-buy together and shows at once if a pack has been opened. Candles and small jars of cosmetics are wrapped the same way. Small packs of cans, such as a promotional 4 or 6-pack of soft drinks or energy drinks, also run on the same machine. Food-contact and labelling rules for food packs are covered in how to shrink wrap food safely.
Jars and small can multipacks run on an L-bar sealer and shrink wrap machine with a shrink tunnel. The L-bar seals and trims the film around the whole pack in one stroke, which suits rigid containers grouped in small numbers and pack sizes that change from product to product. It is supplied as a manual, semi-automatic or automatic machine: at lower volumes the operator loads each pack, and an automatic feeding conveyor raises the output as demand grows. Higher volumes of beverage cans run on a sleeve sealer and shrink tunnel, covered in how beverage cans are shrink wrapped.
A jar multipack is made in four steps. The jars or cans are grouped and placed into centre-folded film, by hand or from a feeding conveyor. The L-bar closes, sealing and cutting the film around the group. The sealed pack passes through the shrink tunnel, where heat makes the film contract tightly around the jars. The finished multipack comes out ready for storage, shipping or the shelf. Because the pack is made from film rather than a printed box, a brand can put together promotional bundles and multi-buys without redesigning its primary packaging; see how multipacks and promotional packs are shrink wrapped.
Clear polyolefin is the usual film for jar and small can multipacks: it is strong, shrinks tightly around rigid containers and leaves every label visible. Where the jars are heavy, as with glass jars of sauce, a thicker film or a card base under the pack keeps the multipack firm. Printed film can carry a promotion across the whole pack.
Jars and small can multipacks are shrink wrapped on an L-bar sealer with a shrink tunnel in clear polyolefin film, from 2 to 12 items to a pack. Send us your jar or can size, the number per pack and your volume, and we will specify the machine. The shrink wrap machine cost guide explains what moves the figure, and all four machines are on the shrink wrap machines page.
No. A tamper-evident band around a jar lid or neck is a small shrink sleeve applied to each jar by a shrink sleeve labelling machine. Shrink wrapping encloses a whole pack of jars in film. Many food brands use both.
Yes. As long as the pack fits inside the sealing frame, the same L-bar sealer wraps jars, cans and mixed packs; the film and settings are adjusted for each pack.
Heavier packs of glass jars are often wrapped on a card base or tray to keep the pack firm and stackable. Light jars and small packs are usually wrapped without one.
Send us your jar or can size, the number per pack and your volume, and we will specify the shrink wrap machine that suits it, with installation by our own technicians, a one-year warranty, CE marking on request and spares held in Johannesburg. You can also send samples and we will trial-wrap them at our Johannesburg showroom before you buy.
