Tunnel’s total length 3 meters, available shrinking area 2.7meters.
This tunnel is used for high speed production line, almost all types sleeve labeling bottles.
1.1 Exhausting blower is on the top of tunnel, and 6 valves.
2345 valves are used to control temperature inside, 1 6 valves to extract steam from two ends,
Normally we full open 1 and 6 to avoid steam leaking from two ends of tunnel
-1- 1.2 steam input and water output
The photo above shows steam input valve, photo below shows water/steam output of steam trap.
2. Adjustment of steam pipes inside of tunnel 3 directions.
-2- The black handle is used to adjust the distance between two pipes to suit different bottles.
There are 4 black handles to adjust 8 steam pipes
3. Temperature -3- There are 2 thermometers to show temperature inside of tunnel.
Normally we can set temperature at 60~90degree.
For low-temperature-shrinkable sleeve film, we set 60~65 degree around by controlling
steam input and the 2345 valves on the top.
for common type sleeve film, shrink temperature 85~90degree.
4.sleeve shrinking with steam
Normally we set boiler’s max pressure at 0.6mpa(6 bars), the max pressure capacity of tunnel is also
0.6mpa.
4.1 pre-heating tunnel
tunnel is cold Before steam arrives, so it needs 3~5 minutes heating in advance before working, then we
can see through From one end to the other end when tunnel becomes hot, then we can put bottles on
conveyor now.
in this photo, steam is inside , but we can see the other end through tunnel.
4.2 steam consumption adjusting.
-4- Please check the photo below, it is Needle valve with round handle, not ball valves.
Steam pressure can not exceed 0.6mpa.
Normal working steam pressure is 0.3~0.6mpa, so we set steam boiler’s pressure at 0.35~0.6Mpa
D D H H B d1 Clockwise Anti-clockwise Ratio
10 65 53 8 35 M6 No Yes 6
There are total 5 circles between opening and close the valve.
We need rotate the round handle at Anti-clockwise direction:
-5- This means closing This means 2/5 opening
This means 3/5 opening This means 5/5 opening(Full opening )
5.steam pipes position.
Normally, sleeve shrinking start bottom/down part to top/up part as below The red color is sleeve label, the blue color is steam pipes position(6pieces/3 sections ) Adjustment .According to different bottles’sizes and labels’ lengths to offer different steam supply；The end of first section steam injection tube should be a little lower than labels’down
end or higher than labels top end.
-6- 6. Common solutions as follows
Problem Causes and solution
Wrinkle on labels Steam offer is small, Increase steam pressure and adjust the valve.
Labels change shapes Too much steam, reduce pressure/small opening the valves.
Shrink is not symmetrical Bottles did not locates at middle of conveyor, or position of steam tube are not
good.
Bad shrink of Label’s two The ends of steam injection tube are not put on good position.
