How to Shrink Wrap Industrial Equipment

Shrink wrapping industrial machinery and equipment is one of the most effective ways to protect high-value assets during storage and transport. Heat-shrunk sheeting moulds tightly around almost any shape, creates a weatherproof seal, and produces a professional finish that traditional tarpaulins and polythene sheeting simply cannot match.

This guide covers everything you need to know before you start — from choosing the right film and gathering your materials, to understanding the two main installation methods and what a correctly completed job should look like. Detailed installation technique is covered in our professional training course for installers.

Why Shrink Wrap Industrial Products?

Shrink wrapping provides reliable weather protection for machinery and equipment that is being stored outdoors or shipped by road or sea. Once heat shrunk, the cover is drum tight — it does not flap, sag or detach in high winds the way conventional sheeting can. That tight fit is not just about appearance; it is what gives shrink wrap its tensile strength and durability.

There are three practical advantages that make shrink wrap well suited to industrial applications.

It is low maintenance. A properly installed shrink wrap cover requires no ongoing adjustment. There are no ropes to retension, no eyelets to fail, no edges working loose. Once the job is done, the cover looks after itself.

It is versatile. Shrink wrap can be cut and joined on site to cover items of almost any size or shape, including machinery with complex protrusions, flanges and pipework. Multiple sheets can be heat welded together to achieve a 100% seal across any surface area, and the cover can be re-sealed after access if needed.

It is recyclable. Shrink wrap sheeting is manufactured from LDPE, low density polythene, which belongs to the #4 plastic resin group. After use, it can be collected and sent for recycling into products such as plastic furniture, pipes and decking. It cannot be re-shrunk once removed, so it must be collected rather than reused, but it is not landfill waste.

The main practical limitation is the installation process itself. Welding and shrinking sheeting in wet and windy conditions is difficult and, above certain wind speeds, not possible. Planning around weather windows is part of professional industrial shrink wrapping.

What You Need — Materials and Equipment

Before starting any industrial shrink wrap project, the correct materials and equipment must be assembled. Using the wrong film specification or undersized equipment is one of the most common causes of a poor-quality result.

Shrink Wrap Film

Shrink wrap film is manufactured from LDPE and is available in a range of widths and thicknesses. The thickness of the film is measured in microns.

For industrial shrink wrapping, the relevant thicknesses are:

• 200 micron (8 mil) — suitable for wrapping smaller industrial items being covered for storage.
• 250 micron (10 mil) — the standard choice for large items being transported by road or sea. This is the most commonly used gauge for industrial work.
• 300 micron (12 mil) — heavy duty applications, including scaffolding structures and large-scale industrial covers where maximum durability is required.

When calculating the quantity of film needed, always allow approximately 10% per roll for wastage from overlaps and folds.

Flame Retardant or Standard Grade?

Most standard grade shrink wrap is suitable for industrial and marine applications. Flame retardant (FR) film is typically required where the wrapped product is being delivered to a construction site, or where the customer or principal contractor specifies it. FR film meets flammability standards including EN13501, LPS1207 and LPS1215 in Europe and NFPA 701 in the USA.

For further detail on film grades, specifications and which products to choose, see our Shrink Wrap Film Buying Guide.

Shop Industrial Shrink Wrap Film

Film Colour

White is the standard colour for industrial shrink wrapping worldwide and is used on over 90% of projects. It looks professional and allows daylight into the covered area. Black film is available where total light blocking is required. Clear film is possible but accentuates heat and moisture buildup and makes welded joints highly visible, so it is rarely the right choice for industrial work.

Patch Tape

Patch tape, also called shrink wrap repair tape, is used to seal joints, repair small holes, and finish welded edges. It is supplied as a 100mm wide roll. The tape must have a high-tack synthetic rubber adhesive and a UV inhibitor, as it will be exposed to outdoor conditions for the life of the project.

Shop Shrink Wrap Tape

For more detail, read our Shrink Wrap Tape Buying Guide.

Strapping

Woven strapping is used to create the perimeter band that anchors the shrink wrap cover around the base of the item. For most industrial work, 19mm woven cord strap is used, typically supplied on 600m rolls with a break strain of approximately 550kg. For very large or heavy products, a heavier 40mm lashing strap is used instead. Strapping is tensioned using metal buckles and a strap tensioning tool.

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Access Doors

Where access through the shrink wrap cover is required, zipped access doors are fitted after installation. There are two main types: the step-through U-shaped zipper door, which is best for occasional access, and the roll-up door with straight zippers, which allows a custom-width opening and has no threshold to step over. Inspection hatches are also available for smaller access points such as lifting eyes.

Air Vents

For products that will remain shrink wrapped for an extended period, air vents can be installed to allow a cross-flow of air beneath the cover, reducing the risk of condensation and moisture buildup. Vents are self-adhesive and are fitted after the cover has been fully heat shrunk. As a general guide, one vent every 2-4 metres is adequate for most applications.

The Heat Tool

The propane gas heat tool, sometimes called a shrink wrap gun or hot air gun, is the essential piece of equipment for all shrink wrapping work. It is used for both welding sheets together and heat shrinking the cover drum tight. The heat tool must only be operated by trained installers.

Shop Shrink Wrap Heat Guns

For more detail, read our Heat Gun Buying Guide.

Supporting Equipment

A shrink wrap roll stand makes unrolling large, heavy rolls of film significantly easier and keeps the film clean and off the ground during installation. A gas cylinder trolley allows safe movement of propane cylinders between work areas and provides a safe resting place for the heat tool when not in use. A robust safety knife with a secure lanyard point is required for cutting and trimming.

The Two Methods — Choosing the Right Approach

Before installation begins, the most important decision is which wrapping method to use. There are two approaches for industrial shrink wrapping, and the choice depends primarily on whether the item can be lifted.

Full Encapsulation

With full encapsulation, the item is completely wrapped on all six sides, including underneath. A base sheet of shrink wrap is placed on the ground slightly larger than the footprint of the item, the item is lifted and set down onto the base sheet, and the top cover is then pulled over and heat welded to the base sheet all the way around. The result is a completely sealed, drum-tight cover with no exposed underside.

Full encapsulation gives the most complete protection and is the preferred method where the item can be lifted — even a few centimetres is enough to slide the base sheet underneath. If the item is raised on stands or blocks but cannot be lifted, it may still be possible to slide the base sheet beneath it and cut around the supports.

The Perimeter Band Method

Where the item cannot be lifted and a base sheet is not possible, the perimeter band method is used instead. A tensioned strap is fitted around the base of the item, the shrink wrap cover is pulled over and wrapped around this band, and the sheeting is heat welded back on itself so that the band is captured inside the cover. The perimeter band is the anchor point that holds the entire cover in position when it is heat shrunk tight.

This method is widely used for large machinery, equipment on skids, and anything too heavy or fixed to be lifted. It requires more planning — the band must be correctly positioned and secured so it cannot ride up when the cover is shrunk — but it is a proven approach for large-scale industrial wrapping.

Which Method to Use

If the item can be lifted, even by a few centimetres: full encapsulation.

If the item cannot be lifted: perimeter band method.

Preparing the Item for Wrapping

Regardless of which method is used, preparation of the item before wrapping begins will significantly affect the quality of the finished result.

Padding Sharp Edges

Any sharp edges, corners or protrusions that will be in contact with the shrink wrap must be padded before installation begins. L-shaped foam edge protection, the type commonly used in general packaging, is effective and easy to cut to length. Foam blocks, bubble wrap, and folded offcuts of shrink wrap can all be used. Secure padding with small pieces of patch tape.

When the cover is heat shrunk drum tight, it will exert significant pressure against everything it covers. Unpadded sharp edges will eventually work through the film.

Handling Protrusions

Protrusions — pipes, valves, flanges, lifting eyes and other items that stick out from the main body of the product — need to be handled carefully.

For small protrusions, less than approximately 20-30cm: pad the protrusion and wrap over it as part of the main cover. The shrink wrap will conform to the shape when heat shrunk. Make sure the protrusion is robust enough to handle the pressure.

For large protrusions, more than approximately 30cm: treat them as separate elements. Cut an X in the main cover at the protrusion location, feed the protrusion through, and then wrap it separately with a 30-40cm overlap back to the main cover. Always tape these welded joints.

Polished and High-Gloss Surfaces

For machinery with polished or high-gloss finished surfaces, shrink wrap micro-movement during road or sea transport can cause fine abrasions over time. Apply non-woven padding to at-risk surface areas before the cover goes on.

Ensuring the Item is Dry

Where the product will be shrink wrapped for an extended period, ensure the item is dry before wrapping begins. Moisture trapped inside the cover at the time of installation will remain trapped and can, over time, contribute to corrosion or mould growth.

Welding and Shrinking — What Happens During Installation

The core technical skills of industrial shrink wrapping are welding, joining sheets of film together with heat and pressure to create a strong, weathertight seam, and shrinking, using the heat tool to cause the film to contract and pull drum tight around whatever it covers.

Detailed welding and shrinking technique — distances, timings, the heat-pat sequence, how to manage corners and darts, and how to read the film as it approaches its melt point — is covered in the Rhino industrial equipment training course. What follows is an overview of what the process involves.

Welding

Where two sheets of film need to be joined, they are overlapped by approximately 30cm. Heat is applied to bring the film close to its melt point, then the two layers are pressed firmly together. The weld is then taped along its edge while the film is still warm, which both reinforces the joint and gives a neater finish.

A correctly executed weld should be smooth and free of air bubbles or flapping edges. It should not be possible to pull the joint apart by hand.

Shrinking

Once the cover has been welded into position, the heat tool is used to shrink the entire sheeted area. The film is heated progressively — starting from the bottom and working upward — causing it to contract and pull tight against the surface beneath. A correctly shrunk cover will be completely smooth with no visible wrinkles or fold lines, and will produce a drum-like sound when tapped.

Weather conditions directly affect shrinking quality. Wind above approximately 20mph makes shrinking difficult or impossible, and wet horizontal surfaces cause uneven shrinking. Installations should be planned around appropriate weather conditions.

Folds and Darts

At the ends and corners of wrapped items, excess material must be folded neatly and heat welded. For smaller products using lighter film, 200 micron, a simple fold-and-weld approach works well. For larger products or heavier film, 250 micron and above, the excess material is cut out before folding to avoid bulky, difficult-to-weld joints. Where the item varies in height or has an irregular profile, welded darts are used to remove excess material and maintain a drum-tight finish.

For a full breakdown of welding and shrinking technique, see our training course:

Industrial Equipment Training Course

Checking the Finished Installation

At the end of every shrink wrap project, a quality inspection must be carried out before the installation is signed off.

Work through the following checks:

• All overlaps and joints are properly heat welded. There should be no unwelded sections or gaps in any joint.
• All welded joints have been taped. The tape edge should be smooth and firmly adhered, with no lifting edges.
• Any holes created during installation have been taped. Small holes from overheating or snagging are repaired with patch tape. Larger holes require a welded patch.
• The sheeting is properly heat shrunk. There should be no creases, wrinkles or visible fold lines. When you tap the cover firmly with your hand, it should sound tight and resonant — like a drum skin.
• Where access doors have been fitted, check that the zippers operate smoothly and that the door is fully taped in position with no lifting edges.

A handover certificate should be completed and signed by both the installer and the customer. This records the work carried out and formally transfers responsibility for the installation.