Steam tunnel for shrink sleeve labels

When it comes to the option of applying sleeves or film on a container without wrinkles or imperfections, steam tunnels provide the right answer. Compared to other shrink tunnels such as infrared tunnels, steam tunnels provide the most uniform heat distribution due to the 360° application of heat around the container at low temperature – steam is also the least aggressive heat compared to the other heat sources. Steam tunnels can handle many products of various shapes and sizes in a short time, thus resulting in cost and time effectiveness.

Shrinking wrappers on a container using steam

The TVPSE is a steam tunnel designed by Scaligera to shrink sleeves uniformly around containers when they are exposed to steam. The shape and size of the container and the sleeve you want to apply are conditions in choosing the right shrink tunnel. Among all different types of the shrink tunnels, the steam tunnel is the most used, as it is suitable for most sleeve-label applications. Specifically, it is great for full sleeve application. Given the flexibility and thus countless varieties in sleeves is it a great solution for all kind of industries, such as for example the cosmetic, food, beverage, pharmaceutical or chemical industry.

After loosely applying a sleeve on a container with a sleeve applicator, the shrinking process begins. Containers are moved down the conveyor into the shrink tunnel that uses steam as the selected source of heat for shrinking the sleeve on the container. The steam tunnel is provided with one to ten chambers according to the production speed and type of products. In each chamber there are regulation and distribution cells which serve to distribute the steam to the exact point where you want to shrink the sleeve. This regulation step makes the steam process very precise. For faster format changes, the TVPSE can be fitted with optional external devices. These devices allow the cells to be adjusted from the outside without having to open the chambers.

Benefits

  • Very precise
  • Suitable for a wide range of sleeve applications
  • Fast and Easy Changeover (15-30 minutes)
  • Possibility to add external adjustments