Product transportation involves moving and delivering products safely from one place to another and is an important aspect in the running of any manufacturing, distributing, and other companies handling physical products. Another element that plays a critical role in fastening products particularly palletized loads throughout transportation and warehousing is the stretch film or stretch wrap or pallet wrap . The type of stretch film to use in wrapping particular pallets and the thickness it should have determine the load stability with regard of the amount of material used. Below are the most relevant details any business needs to know before purchasing a pallet stretch wrap film.
Ways in Which Pallet Stretch Film is Used
Pallet stretch film, commonly of polyethylene, remains wrapped around a standard pallet with merchandise to consolidate the products by holding them steadily on the pallet top. Stretch wrapping with pallet bands:
- Helps to stop product movement during transport hence reducing instances of falling.
- Gives some protection against dust and moisture
- Consolidates several smaller boxes or items together into one unit load to be managed with forklifts
- Enables the balanced accumulation of several loaded pallets for transportation and warehousing purposes.
- Enhances transit efficiency since it can enhance conveying, discharge and put-away operations.
Some key uses for pallet stretch wrap in different industries include:
- Consumer goods distributors – Lock boxes of appliances, electric products, processed foods & beverages, households etc. during transportation.
- To the Manufacturers – Pack the final product pallets before they are taken to distributors and stores.
- eCommerce fulfilment houses – Aggregator and dispatch shipments from individual clients.
- Warehouses and Third Party Logistics (3PLs) – Wrap pallets of received and shipped inventory for storage and movement between different locations.
- Grocery manufacturers and processors – Consolidate pallets of fruits/vegetables, dairy products, etc. transported to a store’s break-bulk warehouse.
Option to Choose When Selecting a Pallet Wrap
With a wide variety of pallet stretch wrap films on the market, selecting the optimal product for your application requires comparing some key characteristics and requirements:
- Gauge or Thickness
- Strengthening and Puncture Proof Housing.
- Stretchability
- Adhesion and Holding Force
- Durability
- Cost Factor
Let’s look at each of these factors in detail:
1. Tensile (thickness) of stretch film
In the following part, the term ‘gauge’ is used to mean the thickness of the stretch film in microns (μm) or mils where 1 mil = 25.4 μm. The thickness normally sits between 8 and 35 micro-meters. Thicker films offer stronger support for any load that is to be supported and thinner gauges are cheaper and more rolls of thin film can be accommodated. Consider factors like:
- Pallet loads’ density – when pallet loads are heavier, the thickness of films are also increased i.e. 1500+ lb pallets should use 35 μm film.
- Environmental protection required – Higher thickness increases puncture, moisture resistance etc.
- Number of pallets to be wrapped from each roll- this tells us that thin films offer much footage as compared to the other films.
Finding the right level of thickness with which to counterbalance the loads without using a lot of plastic is the challenge.
2. Tensile and tear strength
Where the palletised products are heavier; the stretch wrap becomes more vulnerable to snags, punctures and tears when stretching as well as during transportation movement. Checking key strength properties is vital:
- Puncture resistance – the amount of weight in grams or pounds that an attempt to puncture the film is made at.
- Tensile strength – Given in Psi figure, shows the level of force required to rupture a film when stretched.
- As the name suggests, elongation at break determines the extent to which this particular film can stretch before it drawings. Usually varies from 200-500%.
Greater puncture resistance of more than 300 grams and tensile strength more than 1500 PSI is preferable for carrying heavy items.
3. Stretchability
Some of the carcass characteristics include; The percentage stretchability or pre-stretch of the film affects how closely it can wrap itself around products and how well it could contain them. Common pre-stretches are:
– 150% – The absolute maximum stretch for lighter types of load.
, 2S- 200% – Designed for normal pallet freight.
300% – This is used in cases where more provision is required in that the loads have to be wrapped more closely in a crate.
They also allow for higher pre-stretched films which increases footage per roll and can decrease total wrapping material consumption.
4. Adhesion and Holding Force
Cohesiveness and tack characteristics of the stretch wrap to conform to itself in multiple layers are specifically required to create vertical walls around the loads. Based on the resin chemistry, pallet films can grip better through:
Static cling – When layer overcharges attract the charges of the other layer
Slip additives – Interaction between, at least, two different parts of the film.
Tackifiers – better to adhere to the smooth surface of pallets.
Before removal, it is advised that the adhesion should be tested using sample films so that there is assurance of a good grip that does not stick to the surface.
5. Durability
Via shipping and/or storage of these films, cheaper quality films are liable to be damaged by exposure to unfavourable conditions. Durability features include:
UV light resistance – significantly reduces exposure to sun damage for rolls that are stored outside.
– This type of mounting system exhibits stable clinging in temperatures – it is capable of operation during seasonal changing weather conditions.
Anti corrosive additives Avoids crop lost from chemical pallet residues
Cohesive films optimise the utilisation of use cycles and wrapping area.
6. Cost Factor
Since pallet stretch film is a product intended for reuse on a disposable basis, it is not produced or sold for high price and ranges between $10 and $25 for a standard 1500 feet roll. Factors impacting pricing include:
- Gauge/thickness – Thicker films, therefore make use of more resin and they are costlier.
- For sandy ground conditions advanced clinging technologies and additives can be used.
- Film width- wider films encase loads quicker
- Price discounts from distributors
Find a compromise between such significant requirements as load security and price constraints. For contact and non-contact applications you may look at TCPPW (Total Cost per Pallet Wrapped) or overall/anticipated annual spend figure.
Additional Considerations
Some other considerations when evaluating pallet stretch films:
- Tint color if any – Clear, matte or colored tints for security purpose, company identity etc.
- Pallet configuration with relation to the film’s ability to envelope constituted pallets in stretch-wrapping machinery
- Operating characteristic- Possible to have dispenser boxes to fit into wrapping equipments.
- Roll width – They come in standard sizes and include; 5”, 8”, 12” and 20” in width
- Weather changes – Function at regional across humidity, seasons etc.
- Vendor credibility, guarantees and after-sale services
It is highly advisable to conduct a test with the product samples placed on sample pallets for procurement on large scale.
Ways of Ensuring High Performance of Stretch Film
To improve stretch wrapping performance, be sure to follow best practices around:
How to have the right cling and tension in the film as it is being wrapped sessuali.visitMethod 2:
They found that independent passes to the same layer have 50% overlap consistent.
; rotating the pallet during wrap to enclose all the sides
Making sure there are no gaps between the edges of the top layer and the electrics around it
A sharp cutting blade to avoid film tears as it dispenses.
Self-covering dispenser cases to shield unused rolls from the mess
Training machine operators helps to detect and eliminate the identified wrapping faults that can threaten load integrity.
Using the same approach where all the above stretch wrap characteristics have been observed, samples taken and evenly evaluated, it will be possible to establish the right one to fit specific pallet loads or processes all at the same time cutting down on the amount of material used. Every time the load sizes, the routes for the shipments, or environmental factors change, it’s time to re-evaluate the needs. To enhance the stability, efficiency and safety of your transport and warehousing, the right stretch film comes from the right testing and employee training.