At Sen5es we pride ourselves on the amount of PVC capsules we offer our customers. We are also happy to supply them in small and large quantities for any sized business.
One question we always get asked is which size heat shrink capsule is best for a particular bottle. Well we've gone through all of our products and under the 'Closures' section we have included links to all the capsule that will fit that particular product.
However if you are still unsure or want a capsule for a bottle that you haven't purchased from us, this handy guide will help you choose which capsule is best for your glass bottle or jar.
Why add a heat shrink capsule to your product?
There are two main reasons to add a capsule to your closure solution.
The first is a design choice. Adding a capsule will add a touch of class to your product and can even compliment your label. Choosing the right colour is important, which we go in to more detail below. You can also have bespoke capsules produced, which again we go in to more detail below.
The second reason is a health and safety one. Adding a capsule adds a tamper evident layer to your finished product. Customers will easily be able to see your product is new and not tampered with. This is very important when it comes to food safety and making sure your customers trust you and your product.
How do you measure for the right capsule?
The first thing to take in consideration is the closure size. For this example I'm going to be using our 250ml Soft Drink Bottle.
As shown in our description this bottle takes a 28mm Cap. Which means the mouth of the bottle has a 28mm diameter. Now the cap will be slightly wider than this, depending on the material used. For my example I'm choosing the 28mm black plastic cap. Which has an external diameter of 31mm.
You should always be able to get technical drawings of both the bottles and caps from your supplier. These will detail precisely the sizes of both the bottle and closure.
Once your know the diameter of your closure you will need to know the length that will suit your bottle. You want the capsule to sit roughly halfway down the neck of the bottle. You don't want it too short and you don't want it too long.
If you know the fill line of the bottle take this in to consideration. The fill line should be shown on the manufacturer drawing of the bottle. You will want the liquids full line to be hidden by the capsule.
For my bottle I think a capsule which is around 40mm tall will be best. I then head over to our Capsules section and find a capsule that is just bigger than 31mm and around 40mm tall. I have chosen our 31.5x50mm black heat shrink capsule.
The capsule is slightly larger than I had originally hoped. But when applying the capsule using heat it will shrink and therefore sit better on the bottle. So it's always good to take this in to consideration. They are called shrink capsules for a reason. They shrink.
From the images above you can see how I worked out the size of the capsule I required.
Which colour capsule should you choose?
I have chosen a black capsule in my example above but any colour will work. They will all create a tamper evident seal for your bottle.
I find that a black capsule will go with most labels. Think about clothes, when you get dressed it's easier to pair colourful tops with black jeans rather than red jeans. It works the same for bottles and jars.
So think about your finished product and your label. What colour is the product that you have made? What colours have you used on your labels? All of these factors need to be taken in to consideration when choosing the right heat shrink capsule for you.
What's the difference between a horizontal and vertical pull tab?
You may have noticed that some of our capsules have a vertical pull tab and some have a horizontal pull tag. You may also be wondering why? Well it's all about preference.
Horizontal pull tags are usually torn along the seal line of the cap. The top half is then removed and the bottom half remains on the bottle.
Vertical pull tabs will completely remove the capsule from your bottles. So once the bottle is opened the capsule will no longer be on the bottle and it can be thrown away.
Can you get a bespoke capsule?
Yes you can! However this process is not for the faint of heart. Minimum orders can be from 10-30,000 depending on designs and finishes.
The process can also be a lengthy one. Choosing a design, getting it finalised by the manufacturer, receiving samples, confirming and then the actual production can take months to complete.
If this doesn't put you off. Get in touch with us and will be happy to guide you further.
In a future post we will detail the best practices for applying heat shrink capsules to your bottles. So keep your eyes peeled for future blogs.
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All the best
The team at Sen5es
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