As the flexible packaging industry expands, the variety and types of heat sealers has increased to meet the demand. While there are many choices of highly specialized sealing machines from which to choose, there are only three common methods for heat sealing: Impulse sealing, direct, or constant heat sealing, and ultrasonic sealing. Understanding the benefits and potential drawbacks of each method can go a long way in helping the purchaser make the most appropriate choice for their particular application.
Impulse heat sealing
Impulse heat sealing is commonly used for joining thermoplastic materials such as Polyethylene and Polyurethane that require a moderate temperature to establish an effective seal. This versatile method may also be used for sealing Mylar, Tyvek® and a wide variety of other bag, pouch and tube materials. Impulse sealing is often used to seal multi-layer, metalized and oxygen barrier bags and pouches. Properly configured, an impulse heat sealer can join two sheets of fairly heavy thermoplastic materials.