What is layflat tubing?
Layflat tubing is a tube of polythene film that is widely used in the packaging industry. LFT, as it is often referred to, is manufactured in a long, continuous tube that is wound around a central core or reel and then supplied by the roll to a wide range of industries.
Available in a wide range of sizes from 2” to 48” wide as standard, but manufactured to any size required to suit bespoke orders, layflat tubing is a fantastic product and incredibly versatile.
By unrolling the tubing off the reel, LFT provides a simple solution for wrapping products of varying lengths, shapes and sizes. Just roll on enough layflat tubing to cover your product, cut to size, seal and - hey presto! - your item is packaged.
The ideal tool for sealing layflat tubing is a manual heat sealer. In fact, when layflat tubing is used in combination with a heat sealer, it can be used used it to package almost anything you want.
The perfect packaging combo
The versatility of the tubing means that you can bag or completely seal lots of individual items of awkward shapes or different sizes or, if consistency is what you’re looking for, you can just as easily make yourself a batch of polythene bags, all of the same shape and size.
It’s easier than you’d think to make a mini production line and do-it-yourself - see our simple guide to making bags below.
Whether wrapping or bagging items, the key to doing a good job is getting the right size tubing to cater for the items you have to wrap, along with a good quality heat sealer. Once you have these two things in place, the DIY-packaging world is your oyster!
Ten things heard in conversations about layflat tubing
Here are a few of the first photos I took while in United Kingdom utilising my Kodak Instamatic with B&W film. I developed the film on the roll at the photo laboratory on base and about half were ruined in the process. LOL
Coloured Layflat Tubing Black layflat tubing in thick lightfast 400 gauge thickness - nevertheless we can make polythene suppliers tubing in any colour with a turnaround of only a few days. Please contact us for more details on custom Layflat Tubing. Please contact us for more information on our Coloured Layflat Tubing
1 Roll Clear Layflat polythene suppliers Poly Tubing 336M x 6″ Wide 250 Gauge 6KG Manufactured from a polythene suppliers plastic this transparent layflat tubing is optimal as a fast packaging solution allowing you to create custom sized wrapping to fit and package your products within.
Annie Hill; the guru of the Yahoo JunkRig group had these recommendations; “When the boat is underway, the battens tend to rotate a small. The optimal anti-chafe either goes absolutely around the batten or covers top and bottom, as well as the part that normally lies against the mast. I don’t know if they still do so, nevertheless Sunbird used to use transparent polythene suppliers tubing for their anti-chafe. Plastic-covered fire hose also works quite well as does wrapping the relevant part with (cost-effective) rope, secured with a screw or glue at each stop.”
LFT Acronym / Abbreviation
What does LFT stand for? All Acronyms lists 115 meanings of LFT:
3 Tubing Poly Tubing Sale
CLEAR LAYFLAT polythene suppliers POLY TUBING TUBE 250 & 500 GAUGE ROLLS *ALL SIZESQTY'S
Shrink Gusset polythene suppliers Tubing
Online Catalogue | polythene suppliers Packaging & Pallet Wrap | Shrink Gusset polythene suppliers Tubing | Shrink Gusset polythene suppliers Tubing - Two Sizes
polythene suppliers Layflat Tubing
Layflat Tubing specifications
These manual heat sealers are optimal for use in shipping areas, parts departments, gift packing stores and printing plants.
According to this invention a mechanism for use with a machine for wrapping a package with plastic film provided on a roll the machine including a assist for supporting the package being enclosed, the assist being enclosed with the package, the mechanism being arranged to sever an outer layer of such film from a next prior layer of such film enclosed around the assist and the package, the mechanism comprising: spacing means for spacing a part of the outer film layer from the next prior film layer enclosed around the assist and around the package wherein the spacing means comprises a spacing arm fastened so as to be movable pivotably between a first horizontal position, in which the spacing arm underlies the assist with any prior film layer being confined between the spacing arm and the assist and in which the spacing arm is disposed to be also enclosed by the outer film layer and to space a part of the outer film layer from the next prior film layer, and a second position, in which the spacing arm does not interfere with film being hurt around the assist and around the package; and, severing means for severing the outer film layer at the spaced part along a generally straight line extending across the spaced part, into a first part integral with film enclosed around the assist and around the package and a second part integral with film on the roll, in which the spacing means and severing means are provided beside each other, and the film is severed between the spacing means and the severing means.
What size layflat tubing do you need?
Layflat tubing comes in a range of sizes from 2" to 48" wide. These can be broken down into three categories of layflat tubing: narrow (2-6"), standard (7-15") and wide (18-48").
The size of layflat tubing refers to the width of the polythene as it comes off the roll, i.e. when it is laid flat. Layflat tubing is folded flat so, when the polythene is opened up into a tube, the width of the tubing (when flat) is half of the circumference of the tube (when open).
For example, a layflat tube of size 4" has the following measurements:
- Width (flat): 4"
- Circumference of tube (open): 8"
The diameter of the layflat tube, when opened, is often the important measurement to know, as tubular items (e.g. pipes) are referred to by the size of their diameter.
Note: When choosing your layflat tubing and deciding what size you need for the job in hand, always remember that the width of the layflat tubing refers to the flat width, not the diameter of the tube. So a piece of 4" layflat tubing will not fit a 4" pipe into the tubing when opened.
To calculate what size layflat tubing you need:
- Take the diameter of your pipe (e.g. 4")
- Multiply by Pi (Π), which is rounded to 3.14
- This gives you the circumference of your pipe (4" x 3.14 = 12.56")
- Divide this by 2 (12.56" / 2 = 6.28")
- The minimum size layflat tubing you will need is the next size up
So, in this example, to fit a 4" pipe you would need a minimum layflat tubing size of 7".
The length of layflat tubing you need would depend on how long your pipe is. Layflat tubing can be cut and sealed to the bespoke length required for each individual job and then sealed at one or both ends using a heat sealer.
Make your own bags - a simple guide
Before starting the bag-making process, think about what you want to use the bags for. Do your bags need to be narrow or wide? Do they need to be short or tall/long? The answers to these questions will inform your choice of layflat tubing and heat sealer.
The instructions below explain how to make a batch of small polythene bags. In this example, we are making small bags measuring 6” (152mm) wide x 9” (229mm) tall. However, the same method can be applied to create bags of any width or length, provided you have layflat tubing of the necessary size and strength and the correct size heat sealer.
Items required:
- One roll of narrow layflat tubing, 6” (152mm) wide
- One impulse heat sealer with cutter
Instructions:
- Setup your roll of 6” layflat tubing so that it is upright and the open end of the roll is square to the heat sealer, ready to pull through
- Place a marker 9” from the heat sealer, on the opposite side to the layflat tubing. This will provide your guide on how far to pull the roll of LFT through to make each bag
- Turn on the heat sealer
- Open the heat sealer
- Pull your layflat tubing slowly off the roll so that the open end passes through the jaws of the open heat sealer
- Keep pulling until the open end of the tubing reaches your 9” marker (the tubing should now be laying on the heat sealer, 9” from the end of the tube)
- Close the heat sealer, pressing down for a few seconds until the tubing is sealed and cut to form a 9” tall bag
- Repeat steps 5-7 to make as many bags as you require.
And there you have it - a simple way to manufacture your very own made-to-measure polythene bags. Once you have the right tools in place, you can run off your own DIY batch of plastic bags in no time at all.
This solution not only provides an economical packaging solution, tailored perfectly to your needs, but it is also fun to do. Give it a try today!
Of course, if you need a batch of plastic bags but don’t want to make them yourselves, then just get the experts to do it. Whatever type of plastic bag you require - any style, any size, any colour, plain or personalised with your own design - then Polybags can will be able to cater for your business needs at fantastic wholesale prices.
