A machine for applying tubular film to products includes a film feed path along which a supply of continuous tubular film is fed, and a sleeve eject station at which the film tubing is cut into sleeves that are ejected onto products passing the sleeve eject station. At least one sensor is positioned along the film feed path upstream of the sleeve eject station for detecting a splice in tubular film traveling along the film feed path. A controller is configured for controlling the machine such that, upon detection of a splice in the tubular film, a defective sleeve that includes the splice thereon is ejected into a gap between successive products so as to prevent application of the defective sleeve to any product.

Curved heat shrink tubing and methods of making the same are described herein. An example method includes inserting heat shrink tubing into a tube, curving the tube, and deforming the heat shrink tubing, inside of the tube, to have a curved shape along a length of the heat shrink tubing where a first length of the heat shrink tubing along an outer radius of the curved shape is longer than a second length of the heat shrink tubing along an inner radius of the curved shape.

The present invention relates to thermoforming food packaging methods and to dual ovenable thermoformed food packages suitable for cooking food products directly in the package in microwave, conventional and convection ovens. These packages are characterized by good hermeticity, clean peelability, self-venting, very good optics and, if shrunk, a very appealing appearance.

A multilayer shrink film comprising a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, wherein the second layer is positioned between the first layer and the third layer, and wherein the second layer comprises a second polymer blend, the second polymer blend comprising from 0 to 60 wt. %, based on the total polymer weight in the second polymer blend, of a low density polyethylene, and from 40 to 100 wt. %, based on the total polymer weight in the second polymer blend, of an ethylene/-olefin interpolymer composition having a density in the range of from 0.860 g/cc to 0.910 g/cc, a melt index (I.sub.2) in a range of from 0.1 to 5 g/10 minutes, a molecular weight distribution (M.sub.w/M.sub.n) in the range of from 1.8 to 3.5, and a Comonomer Distribution Constant (CDC) in the range of from 95 to 200.

In one aspect, an article includes a first sleeve formed from a first heat-shrinkable polymer sheet, the first heat-shrinkable polymer sheet having opposed first and second edges, wherein the first sleeve is formed with a first seam proximate the first edge. A portion of the first heat-shrinkable polymer sheet extends between the first sleeve and the second edge. A tag is bonded to the portion of the first heat-shrinkable polymer sheet proximate the second edge at a first overlap zone of the tag and the portion of the first heat-shrinkable polymer sheet. In another aspect, an article includes a heat-shrinkable polymer sheet and a tag bonded to the sheet. The heat-shrinkable polymer sheet has a central area and a plurality of slits disposed through the sheet, at least one of the plurality of slits oriented to partially surround the central area.

An object of the present invention is to provide a heat shrink tube excellent in peelability and transparency, and a method for producing the heat shrink tube. The present invention provides a peelable heat shrink tube comprising a composition containing a melt-processable fluororesin and PTFE, the PTFE lacking a heat history of its melting point or higher after polymerization and having a specific gravity, as measured according to ASTM D4894, of 2.20 or less. The content of the PTFE is 0.05 to 3.0 wt % based on the total weight of the melt-processable fluororesin and the PTFE. The present invention also provides a method for producing the tube which comprises melt-extruding the composition at a temperature lower than the melting point of the PTFE.

A three-dimensional shaping method of shaping a three-dimensional shaped article using a first material including first resin and a second material including second resin having a heat shrinkage rate different from a heat shrinkage rate which the first resin has, the method including stacking, when preparing a first slice layer formed of one of the first material and the second material, and stacking a second slice layer formed of another of the first material and the second material on the first slice layer, a first boundary layer formed of the one of the first material and the second material on the first slice layer, staking a second boundary layer formed of the another of the first material and the second material on the first boundary layer, and stacking the second slice layer on the second boundary layer, wherein the first boundary layer is a layer provided with a plurality of voids formed inside a contour of the first boundary layer when viewing the first boundary layer from a stacking direction of the first slice layer and the second slice layer.

A polyester film includes a polyester (A) composed mainly of polybutylene terephthalate and a polyester (B) composed mainly of polyethylene terephthalate, wherein a mass ratio (A/B) between the polyesters (A) and (B) is 70/30 to 55/45, a dry heat shrinkage rate (B) through heat treatment at 200 C. for 15 minutes is 35% or less in any of four directions (0, 45 90 and 135) on the film surface, a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of these dry heat shrinkage rates is 5% or less, a thickness variation in the four directions is 10% or less, and a crystallization index shown in DSC measurement is 25 to 55 J/g.

The invention relates to providing a method for obtaining a multilayer film for thermally inducible shrink labels, products thereof and use of such products. The invention provides a multilayer film for labelling, the multilayer film comprising a first skin layer, a second skin layer and a core layer between the first skin layer and the second skin layer, wherein at least one of the first skin layer and the second skin layer comprises cyclic olefin copolymer and the core layer comprises copolymer of ethylene and butyl acrylate or propylene terpolymer.

The present invention relates to a polymer blend and to multilayer heat shrinkable films containing at least a layer made of said polymer blend, to flexible containers made of said film, such as bags, pouches and the like, useful for packaging articles, in particular food items. The invention also relates to a process for the manufacturing of such multilayer heat shrinkable films.