Heat Sealers and Impulse Bag Sealers

How to choose a heat sealer

Seal length

The seal bar has to cross the whole bag opening in one press, so pick a bar longer than the bag is wide. A 10 in wide bag fits the 12 in models. A 17 in wide bag needs the 18 in foot-operated model or one of the 20 in and 24 in models. For bags cut from poly tubing, use the layflat width of the tubing.

Sealing thickness

Each listing gives one sealing thickness: 12 mil for the hand and cutter models and 24 mil for the wide seal and foot-operated models. The jaws press every layer of film at once, so a flat bag puts 2 layers between them and a gusseted bag puts 4 at each fold. For thick, gusseted or multi-layer bags, the 24 mil models list twice the sealing thickness of the 12 mil models. The mil thickness chart converts mil to inches and millimeters.

Material

Every impulse model lists polyethylene and polypropylene. The foot-operated models also list metallic bags. The 6 in hand crimper lists polypropylene, cellophane and metallized film and has an adjustable temperature control.

How each type works

An impulse sealer heats its element only while current flows during the press, then holds the film while the seal cools. The 8, 12, 16 and 20 in hand models need no warm-up and use an adjustable timer. Cutter models seal and trim off the excess film in one stroke, which suits bags cut from poly tubing. Foot-operated models leave both hands free to hold the bag, have variable timer controls and run on standard 110 volt power.

Models at a glance

PE is polyethylene. PP is polypropylene.

Service kits

Each kit fits one sealer size and type, so order the kit with the same seal length and type as the sealer. The 12 in hand, wide seal, cutter and foot-operated models each take their own kit. Hand, wide seal and foot-operated kits hold 2 heating elements, 1 PTFE tape strip and 1 PTFE cover. Cutter kits add a replacement blade. The PTFE tape covers the heating element so melted film does not stick to it.

Buying for several packing stations

Each row is sold as one unit. Volume pricing applies automatically at checkout: 3% off when the cart holds 3 or more items and 5% off at 6 or more, counted across the whole cart. A sealer and two service kits count as 3 items.

Orders of one or two items with a product subtotal of $500 or more ship free when the checkout freight rate is $120 or less. Orders of three or more items get the volume discount instead of free shipping. Orders of one or two items get free ground shipping in the US at $99 or more when the checkout shipping charge is $29.95 or less. Checkout shows the freight to your address before you pay.

To set up several stations, or to add sealers to an order of bags by the case, send the models and quantities for a bulk quote with freight priced for the whole order.

Questions buyers ask

Related

• Flat poly bags by the case
• Poly tubing rolls to seal into bags of any length
• Gusseted poly bags
• Reclosable poly bags
• Shrink film, shrink bags and shrink film sealer systems
• Reference: What is a mil, the poly bag thickness chart