Shrink tunnels for bottles

The short answer

A bottle shrink tunnel heats a band or sleeve that is already on the container, and the film shrinks to grip it. Three heat types do this: hot air, steam, and radiant.

PDC sums up which one fits which job. For tamper evident bands, “a standard Hot Air Convection tunnel will typically produce high quality results.” For some very dark neckbands, “Radiant Infrared is the best choice.” And “Steam tunnels are best suited for full body shrink labels.”

This is different equipment from the shrink wrap tunnels that follow an L-bar sealer. Those shrink a sealed bag of film around a whole product.

Bands and sleeves

All of these are tubes of shrink film that slide over a container.

Axon names the first three as “tamper-evident bands, partial-body sleeves, full-body sleeves, and full-body over-the-cap sleeves.” Its multipack applicators handle 2, 3, 4, and 6-pack formats.

A band only shows tampering if it holds both parts of the closure. Uline’s band instructions say bands “must grip BOTH the bottle cap and the bottle neck to be considered tamper evident.” PDC notes that when a sleeve extends over the cap with a horizontal perforation, “product tamper evidence is added at minimal additional cost.”

Bands can be made easier to remove. AFM offers “vertical and horizontal perforations or pull tabs.”

Band and sleeve film

Band applicators such as the Tripack TE-150 list “PET, PETG, OPS, PLA, PVC” as material types. PDC says “PVC is the most common and least expensive,” with PETG and OPS well behind.

PDC groups sleeve films into “standard” materials that shrink up to about 55% across the tube and high shrink materials “up to about 70%.” Film also shrinks 3 to 7% along its height, “which can cause sleeves to shorten.” Makers test in different ways, so compare shrink figures within one source.

Ask the sleeve supplier which film fits your container before you choose a tunnel.

Hot air, steam, or radiant

Hot air. Axon says convection tunnels are ideal when “tamper-evident bands or partial sleeves are primary applications.” Its EZ-SRB runs “entirely on electricity and does not require a boiler, steam generator, condensate return system, or vapor management.” AFM says non-steam tunnels are “particularly effective for sleeving powdered products, empty containers, or products sensitive to moisture exposure.”

Steam. PDC explains why steam suits full-body labels: “Because steam systems provide more uniform heat transfer than hot air systems, steam tunnels provide more precise label registration and shape conformance.” Axon says steam tunnels “generally provide superior shrink performance on highly contoured or high-shrink materials.” PDC adds that steam is also used “with containers under pressure, or when low flash point or flammability is a factor.”

Radiant. PDC: “Radiant Elements emit infrared radiation that is absorbed by the sleeves.” Axon says radiant heat is often chosen for “lower shrink percentage materials, smaller containers, limited-utility facilities,” and jobs that don’t need steam for complex contours.

Combined. PDC says convection and radiant tunnels “are frequently combined to produce better results in some applications.”

Whatever the heat type, two things set the result. Tripack puts it this way: “Shrinking of film is a function of time and temperature. So, there is a correlation between tunnel length and conveyor speed based on product size and throughput.”

What a steam tunnel needs

A steam tunnel needs a steam source and a way to carry off water. There are two ways to get the steam.

• Plant steam. The Tripack ST-1 lists a minimum steam supply pressure of 80 psi and a maximum consumption of 550 lb per hour. It has a “water collection tray with drain system.” Axon’s ThermoPoint “uses external plant steam rather than a self-contained steam generator.”
• A built-in generator. AFM’s WSN-GEN S has a “fully integrated 30KW boiler” that “generates its own steam where in-plant steam isn’t readily available.” Axon says its low-pressure ThermoFlow “is not subject to the same regulatory requirements as high-pressure boiler systems.”

Steam figures differ by machine and are not comparable across makers. Ask each supplier for the steam pressure, steam consumption, water supply, and drain their tunnel needs.

Three more points to raise:

• Steam quality. Axon recommends culinary steam for food and pharma. PDC says its steam filters “clean steam to .1 micron and produce culinary grade steam”.
• Drying. Accutek lists “air blow-off systems to remove moisture” for its steam tunnels.
• Hard water. PDC warns that “minerals in the water can calcify on your internal steam pipes, blocking the steam holes over time.”

Low volume: a heat gun

For small batches, a heat gun shrinks bands one container at a time. O.Berk says bands “will shrink to the container contour in seconds with either a heat gun or heat tunnel.”

Uline’s band instructions give the method:

1. Place the band so it covers the cap and the neck.
2. “Start approximately 12” away, moving closer as needed.”
3. “Apply heat equally around the entire circumference of the shrink band. Start and finish at the perforation.”
4. “Do not keep the heat too long on one spot.”

Uline says the band “will shrink to fit within a few seconds.” See shrink wrap heat guns for gun types and prices.

Small band tunnels

A small tunnel sits over a conveyor and shrinks bands as containers pass. Specs and prices were checked October 7, 2026. Blank cells mean the maker’s page does not state the figure.

Points to check on any of them:

• It may not include a conveyor. AFM says the GS Series “can be easily mounted to an existing conveyor frame.” The CE-HEAT-IT02 page says “Conveyor not included.”
• It does not apply the band. The CE-415 page says the tunnel “applies heat to shrink film already placed on the container; it does not apply bands or labels.”
• Most need 220 V or more. The one 115 V tunnel we found is the Accutek G3, listed at 10 A and 115 VAC. Its page gives no opening size or price. PDC says its standard tunnel voltages are 208/240 or 480 VAC, three-phase.
• The opening is not a container size. Ask the maker for the largest and smallest container the tunnel will run with your band.

These models were picked because their pages are public. This is not a ranking or a full market survey.

Production lines: applicator plus tunnel

At production speed, a machine cuts each band or sleeve from a roll and drops it over the container. The tunnel is a separate machine after it. Axon says of its neck bander: it “applies the band, but a heat tunnel (steam, convection, or infrared) is required downstream to shrink the band securely to the container closure.”

Speeds are maker ratings, not output we measured. These machines also need compressed air in some cases. The TE-150 lists 5 CFM at 80 psi, and the CH-100 lists 3 CFM at 80 psi.

Between the hand method and a full line, AFM’s Manual Bandit is “a compact, all-in-one applicator and shrink tunnel designed to apply tamper-evident bands in a single pass.”

Size a shrink band

A band is sold by its layflat width and its height. Layflat is “the measurement, in millimeters, across the flattened tube”.

Layflat. TricorBraun gives this method: measure “the circumference of your neck finish in millimeters, then dividing that number by two, and adding 2 mm.”

Here is an example. A cap measures 120 mm around. Half of that is 60 mm. Add 2 mm for a 62 mm layflat. This is an illustration of the formula. Confirm the size with samples.

Height. TricorBraun: “Ideally, you want the seal to overhang the top and bottom of the closure by about 5 mm.”

Where to measure. Uline says to measure “at the widest part of jar,” and that the diameter “includes flanges, curves or flares.” If your measurement is near the top of a band’s range, Uline says to “use the next largest size.”

Ask for samples before you order. TricorBraun offers to mail a few to test.

FDA tamper-evident rules for OTC drugs

Over-the-counter drugs sold at retail must use tamper-evident packaging under 21 CFR 211.132. The rule excepts dermatological, dentifrice, insulin, and lozenge products. Its definition:

A tamper-evident package is one having one or more indicators or barriers to entry which, if breached or missing, can reasonably be expected to provide visible evidence to consumers that tampering has occurred.

The package must be “distinctive by design” or use an indicator with “an identifying characteristic (e.g., a pattern, name, registered trademark, logo, or picture).” The label must also tell the buyer about the feature. The rule’s own example is a bottle with a shrink band that says “For your protection, this bottle has an imprinted seal around the neck.”

FDA’s Compliance Policy Guide 450.500 adds detail on bands. It is guidance, not regulation.

• “The band or wrapper must be cut or torn to open the container and remove the product and cannot be worked off and reapplied without visible damage.”
• “The band or wrapper must employ an identifying characteristic that cannot be readily duplicated.”
• “Tinted bands or wrappers are no longer acceptable as an identifying characteristic.”
• “The use of a perforated tear strip can enhance tamper-resistance.”

This section quotes the rule and the guide. It is not legal advice. Have your regulatory contact confirm what applies to your product.

Common problems

Questions for the supplier

• Which heat type do you recommend for my container shape, film, and product, and why?
• Can I send filled containers and my bands or sleeves for a trial?
• What are the smallest and largest containers this tunnel will run?
• Does the price include a conveyor, or does the tunnel mount on mine?
• What electrical service does it need? For steam, what steam pressure, water, and drain?
• Does my product limit the heat type? Ask about powders, cold-filled product, and flammable contents.
• How do containers get dried after a steam tunnel?
• What speed will the tunnel hold with my band applied by hand or by an applicator?

For multipacks of bottles in heavy film, see sleeve wrappers and bundlers. For boxes and retail products in sealed film, start with how shrink wrap machines work.

Common questions

What kind of heat tunnel do I need for bottle shrink bands?

A hot air tunnel is usually enough. PDC says that for tamper evident applications, a standard hot air convection tunnel will typically produce high quality results. Steam tunnels are best suited for full body shrink labels.

Can I shrink bottle bands with a heat gun?

Yes, at low volume. Uline's band instructions say to start about 12 inches away, move closer as needed, and apply heat equally around the band. The band shrinks to fit within a few seconds.

What is a steam shrink tunnel?

A tunnel that shrinks sleeve labels with steam instead of hot air. PDC says steam gives more uniform heat transfer than hot air, so labels register and conform to the container shape more precisely. It needs plant steam or a steam generator, and a drain.

How much does a shrink tunnel for bottles cost?

Few makers publish prices. On October 7, 2026, Cleveland Equipment listed a hot air band tunnel at $3,488, a steam tunnel with a generator at $6,875, and a portable hot air tunnel at $10,835.

Is a bottle shrink tunnel the same as a shrink wrap tunnel?

No. A shrink wrap tunnel shrinks a sealed film bag around a whole product. A bottle tunnel shrinks a tube of film, a band or a sleeve, onto the neck or body of a container.