Packaging equipment for print and production shops
Mid-State Litho sells and services the machines that close out a printed job. L-bar sealers and shrink tunnels wrap a stack, a kit, or a finished book. Banders hold a bundle together without tape, and strapping machines secure cartons and skids. We are an authorized Heat Seal dealer and carry Graphic Whizard banding, Felins CE Series heat-seal banders, BPX Solutions wrappers, and Strapack strapping.
Three questions settle most of these quotes.
What are you wrapping? A flat bundle of printed sheets, a boxed kit, and a book block each want a different seal. Flat work runs on an L-bar sealer plus a tunnel. Bundles that only need to hold together for shipping are cheaper and faster on a bander. A bander has no film cost and puts no heat cycle on the product.
How many per shift? A semi-automatic L-bar sealer covers intermittent work where an operator is already standing there. Once wrapping becomes a full-time job for one person, the automatic machines pay back in labor, not in film.
Does the operator load every piece by hand? That is the real cost line. Ask it before you compare sticker prices.
Pick the category below and the models, sizes, and prices are on those pages. If you are not sure which one, tell us the piece size, the stock, and the daily count. We will match the machine and quote it the same day.
Benefits
- Manual, semi-automatic, or fully automatic equipment to fit your workflow and budget.
- Automation of repetitive tasks raises throughput and reduces downtime and labor cost.
- Secure packaging protects the product in storage and in shipping.
- Our team assesses your needs and installs a cost-effective packaging system.
Our packaging equipment
- Shrink wrappers: a secure, professional finish for single items or bundles.
- Banding machines: paper and film bands that hold a bundle together.
- Strapping machines: strapping that secures cartons, pallets, and bundles for transport.
Contact us to plan a packaging system for your requirements.
Choose a category
- Shrink wrap sealers: L-bar sealers for intermittent wrapping where an operator is already at the station
- Shrink tunnels: tunnels that finish the shrink after the seal, sized by piece height and belt width
- Shrink wrapping equipment: full sealer-plus-tunnel systems and combo machines
- Banding machines: paper and film banding for bundles that need to hold, not seal
- Strapping machines: carton and skid strapping
- Heat Seal packaging equipment: the full Heat Seal brand line
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between shrink wrapping and banding?
Shrink wrapping seals film around the whole piece and heats it so the film draws tight, which protects the product and holds a kit together. Banding wraps a paper or film band around the middle of a bundle and welds it. Banding is faster per bundle, costs less per unit, and puts no heat near the product. Wrap when the piece has to be protected or sealed. Band when it only has to stay together to ship.
Do I need both an L-bar sealer and a shrink tunnel?
For separate machines, yes. The sealer cuts and seals the film, the tunnel shrinks it. Combo machines such as the Heat Seal HSE 100 and HDX 350 put both in one frame, which saves floor space and one operator handoff. Separates give you a larger tunnel and more control over dwell and temperature.
What size machine do I need?
Measure the largest piece you will run, in all three dimensions. Count how many pieces you run in each shift of work. Seal bar length has to clear the longest side plus film allowance, and tunnel opening has to clear the tallest piece. Send us those numbers and we will size it.
Does Mid-State Litho install and service packaging equipment?
Yes. We install and service what we sell, with our own factory-trained technicians, from Michigan across the Great Lakes region. We have done this work since 1984.
Can packaging equipment be financed?
Yes. Most of these machines are financed as a monthly payment rather than a capital purchase. See the financing and leasing page or ask when you request the quote.