Product Category

Hot Water Shrink Machine

A hot water shrink machine tightens shrink film around vacuum-packed food by running each pack through a temperature-controlled water bath — no wrinkles, no scorched edges, just a clean, shelf-ready finish. Most plants run it between 80 and 95°C to get a snug fit on meat, poultry, seafood and cheese. Built in food-grade stainless steel (SUS304) with electric or steam heating, it bolts straight onto a continuous vacuum packaging line. You’ll also hear the same idea sold as a hot water shrink tunnel, a hot water shrink tank, or a dip tank — same job, different plant layout.

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Hot Water Shrink Machines
What it is

What Is a Hot Water Shrink Machine?

A hot water shrink machine is the finishing step on a vacuum packaging line: packs sealed in film run through a heated stainless-steel water bath, and the film pulls tight, wrinkle-free, in seconds. It comes in two basic layouts — a hot water shrink tunnel, where packs ride through on a conveyor, and a hot water dip tank, where packs are lowered into an open bath. Compared with hot-air tunnels, water transfers heat evenly, so vacuum-packed meat and cheese come out glossy and premium-looking.

Also called: water bath shrink machine, hot water shrink tunnel, hot water dip tank, film shrink machine. Preferred over hot-air for even heat and no burnt film.

Hot Water Shrink Machine Internal View
Why DongFeng

Core advantages of a hot water shrink machine

Even heat, glossy finish — built for food lines.

01

Even heat, glossy film

Water bath transfers heat uniformly — no wrinkles or burnt edges on the shrink film.

02

304 stainless steel

Food-grade tank and frame, easy to drain and sanitize on meat lines.

03

Precise temperature

Adjustable 0–300°C (BS-450) / 0–250°C (BS-400) matched to your film and product.

04

PE / PVC / POF film

Supports common shrink films; set temperature to the film spec.

05

Inline & continuous

Packs ride through on a belt for steady line speed, no manual dipping.

06

CE & ISO 9001

Export-ready compliance for food production in US, EU, UK, CA and AU.

Specifications

Hot water shrink machine specifications

Typical parameters for the BS-450 / BS-400 range. Exact values confirmed on your quote.

ParameterBS-450BS-400
Temperature0–300°C0–250°C
Belt speedAdjustableAdjustable
Power380V 9kW380V 7.5kW
Tank304 SS304 SS
FilmPE / PVC / POFPE / PVC / POF

Film width and pack size set the belt and tank dimensions — share your pack dimensions for an exact spec.

How it works

How does a hot water shrink machine work?

Packs through heated water, film shrinks tight.

1

Load packs

Vacuum-packed products enter the belt at the inlet.

2

Heat & shrink

Packs pass through the heated water bath; film shrinks tightly around each pack.

3

Cool & set

Packs exit to a brief cool zone so the film sets glossy and firm.

4

Off to wrap/label

Shrunk packs move on to cling-film wrapping or labeling.

Machine types

Tunnel, tank or dip tank — which type do you need?

Same shrink job, three layouts. Pick by volume and line setup.

Hot water shrink tunnel

Packs ride through on a conveyor — steady bath temperature and dwell time, built for all-day meat, poultry and cheese runs.

Hot water dip tank

An open bath you lower packs into by hand or hoist. Great for low volume, a pre-shrink soak, or lines that batch instead of run. View the ST-6050 dip tank →

Integrated machine line

Sealer and shrink machine matched as one line — belt speed synced so packs never queue between stations. Ask us to size the full run.

Applications

Applications across food production lines

The finishing step for vacuum-packed food and more.

Food

Vacuum-packed meat

 Food

Cheese

 Food

Sausages

 Food

Poultry

 Food

Seafood

 Retail

MAP trays
Compare

Hot water shrink machine vs hot-air shrink tunnel

Water bath wins on even heat and finish for vacuum-packed meat.

FactorHot water bathHot-air tunnel
Heat transferEven, no hot spotsCan scorch film
FinishGlossy, wrinkle-freeMay wrinkle/burn
Best forMeat & cheese filmLight POF only
Price$1,500–$6,000$1,000–$4,000
Best forPremium food packsNon-food / light

Choose a hot water shrink tunnel when you pack meat or cheese and need a clean, glossy retail finish without burnt film.

How to choose

How to choose a hot water shrink machine

Match temperature, belt and tank to your pack.

By product

Meat/cheese need 0–300°C (BS-450); lighter packs use BS-400 at 0–250°C.

By throughput

Belt speed sets line rate — match it to your upstream sealer.

By film

PE/PVC/POF all supported; we set the bath temperature to your film.

Price & configuration

Hot water shrink machine price

Typical range $1,500–$6,000 depending on size, temperature and belt.

BS-400 Compact $1,500–$3,000
  • 0–250°C
  • 380V 7.5kW
  • Small packs
BS-450 Standard $3,000–$5,000
  • 0–300°C
  • 380V 9kW
  • Meat & cheese
BS-450 Custom $5,000–$6,000+
  • Wider belt
  • Custom tank
  • High speed

Prices are indicative ex-works and vary with belt width, tank size and options. Request a quote for your exact configuration.

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Related machines

Complete your packaging line

Single Chamber Vacuum Packaging Machine Factory Photo

Single Chamber Vacuum

Seal first →
Meat Packaging Production Line Factory Photo

Meat Packaging Line

Line station →
Automatic Cling Film Wrapping Machine Factory Photo

Cling Film Wrapping

Wrap after →
Why DongFeng

Built for production lines, not showrooms

CE & ISO 9001

Every unit is built to certified standards and tested before it leaves the floor.

Spare parts

Common serviceable parts stocked and shipped worldwide within 48 hours.

OEM / ODM

Private-label and custom configurations for distributors and integrators.

Get a quote for Hot Water Shrink Machine

Tell us your pack size, voltage and target output — we reply with specs and a quote, usually within 24 hours.

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Answer /

Frequently Asked Questions

01What is a hot water shrink machine?
A hot water shrink machine runs vacuum-sealed packs through a heated stainless-steel water bath — usually around 82–95°C — so the PE, POF or PVC shrink film pulls tight against the product. What comes out is a smooth, glossy pack that looks right on a retail shelf. In most plants it sits right after the vacuum sealer, ahead of labeling or casing.
02What is the difference between a hot water shrink tunnel and a hot water shrink tank?
A dip tank is an open bath you lower packs into by hand or hoist; a shrink tunnel carries them through on a conveyor, so bath temperature and dwell time stay steady and the line never stops. Tanks suit low volume or a pre-shrink soak; tunnels are the call when you’re running meat, cheese or seafood all day.
03Hot water vs hot-air shrink tunnel — which should I use?
Hot air blows heated air across the pack. It’s cheaper and fine for light POF or non-food goods, but it heats unevenly and can scorch thin film. A hot water bath wraps the pack in even heat, so vacuum-packed meat and cheese leave wrinkle-free and glossy. If the pack is headed for a supermarket chiller, water is the safer bet.
04Why shrink the bag after vacuum packing?
Shrinking snugs the film to the product so there are no loose flaps to catch or tear, and it kills the cloudy, baggy look straight off the sealer. On retail meat and cheese that tighter film also shields the seal during handling and makes the pack read as premium.
05What temperature do you run a hot water shrink tunnel at?
Most films sit happy between 82 and 95°C. PE and thicker vacuum bags want the top of that range; thin POF can wrinkle if you overheat it. We set the bath to your film on the quote — the BS-450 holds to 300°C, the BS-400 to about 250°C.
06What films and vacuum bags work in a hot water shrink machine?
Standard hot-water shrink films — PE, POF and PVC — all run on these tunnels, along with the vacuum bags sealed on your chamber machine. The trick is matching bath temperature to film thickness; tell us the bag you seal and we’ll name the grade.
07Can one tunnel handle meat, cheese, poultry and seafood?
Yes. Bath temperature and belt speed are both adjustable, so one tunnel does beef and lamb on one shift and cheese or seafood the next. For seafood we’d spec the tank and conveyor for easier washdown, since salt and brine are harder on the steel.
08How does a hot water shrink tunnel fit into a vacuum packaging line?
Typical flow: chamber vacuum sealer → optional dip tank → hot water shrink tunnel → cool and drip → label or cling-film wrap → case. We match the tunnel’s belt speed to your sealer so packs don’t queue. Ask and we’ll size the whole run as one line.
09Do I need a dip tank before the tunnel?
Not always. The tunnel alone gives a good shrink on most films. A pre-dip tank helps on films that like a gentle warm soak first, or when you want to pre-tighten before the main bath. We’ll say yes or no once we see your film and pack.
10What is the tank and frame made of — is it food grade?
The tank, frame and conveyor are 304 stainless steel (SUS304) — what food plants expect for surfaces that meet pack washdown. It drains and sanitizes easily, and nothing in the bath is painted, so no coating can flake into the water.
11Is the machine CE certified, and what about FDA or USDA?
Standard units are CE and ISO 9001 marked for the EU, UK and most of Asia. For the US we build to FDA and USDA contact rules and can supply the paperwork for BRC or HACCP lines — just flag it on the inquiry.
12Electric or steam heated — which do I pick?
Electric is the easy fit: 380V, 7.5–9kW on the BS range, and it drops into most plants. Steam pays off where you already have a clean steam main and want faster heat-up on a big tank. Tell us your utility and we’ll spec it.
13How much does a hot water shrink machine cost?
On the floor, a compact BS-400 starts around $1,500 and a standard BS-450 runs roughly $3,000–$5,000; wider-belt or custom tanks go past $6,000. That’s ex-works and before options, so the real number comes from your belt width, tank size and heating — send those and we’ll quote.
14Lead time, OEM/ODM and spare parts?
Standard tunnels ship in 2–4 weeks; custom tanks a bit longer. We do OEM and ODM for distributors and integrators, and we stock the wear parts — heaters, belts, seals — for worldwide dispatch, usually within 48 hours.
Still have questions? Talk to our engineers - we typically reply within 24 hours.
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