Stretch Films & Palletizing

Stabilize your items to prevent moving around and damage during transport

Stretch Films and Palletizing

What is stretch film?

Stretch film is a highly elastic plastic film used to cover and bind items. Most commonly, it is made from linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) resin, which is artificially made from petrochemical products.

Stretch wrap is widely used in packaging due to its convenience, non-toxicity and stability. The elastic recovery or elasticity of the film secures the product and ensures a firm bond.

Often used when bundling various products, but can also be used to pack bundles of small items. Stretch wrap clings firmly to itself and is used by millions of companies around the world.

Is stretch film the same as shrink wrap?

Shrink wrap and stretch wrap are often confused by buyers new to packaging. The easiest way to tell the two apart is to remember that shrink wrap uses heat to shrink and conform to the packaged product(s). The stretch wrap uses snapping to stick to itself when wrapped.

Types of Stretch Film

 There are many different types of stretch film available to buyers today. 

1- Application Differences: How do you apply stretch film?

Machine Pallet Wrap

Machine pallet wrap is designed for use on stretch wrapping machines. It is superior to film in many respects, including but not limited to faster and more efficient packaging, reduced material usage, better security, and better cargo fixation. There are various types of this product, such as cast machine pallet wrap, blown machine stretch film, and pre-stretch film.

It is a great low cost solution for the customers who have large volume operations with irregular, large and heavy loads daily. No matter your good’s weight, dimensions, stability or loading type, machine pallet wrap film provides high speed and security for each pallet you applied on. It also eliminates the labour cost and increases the efficiency of business while reducing your total cost.

You can be sure that every one of your pallets will be securely wrapped and delivered. It has excellent puncture resistance, tear resistance, strength, and superior cling and stretch performance. Machine stretch wrap is durable and strong for long term usage, creates high load containment value and also creates excellent load stability. They are used with semi auto or automatic machines. Using pallet wrap is one of the most efficient and cost effective ways of stabilising your pallets.

Hand Pallet Wrap

Hand pallet wrap is an elastic film that is wrapped around your items to bound them together tightly and provide pallet stability during shipment, storage, transport, internal factory movements, etc. Hand pallet wrap is for manual packaging by human hands only. It is commonly used by companies that pack small quantities of product. Usually these are companies that package less than 50 pallets a day. 

Hand pallet wrap’s double sided clingy material provides protection against external and environmental factors while stabilising your goods on the pallet. Even sharp and large products can be wrapped perfectly by its excellent tear and puncture resistant form. Its superior clingy form gives the chance of easy and quick application to users. Clean and self clingy material leaves no sticky residues on your products. Excellent clarity speeds up the barcode scanning and product identification processes so that makes the storage and stock control very easy. 

The manual stretch wrapping feature needs to be continually evaluated for the various improvement opportunities that accompany the conversion to a stretch wrapping machine. Choosing the right stretch application for your packaging line guarantees higher efficiency and more cost-effective production.

2- Extrusion Differences: Which is better, cast or blown stretch wrap?

Cast Stretch Film

Cast stretch films are manufactured using an extensive manufacturing process called cast extrusion. This process requires the thermoplastic substrate to be continuously pushed into a flat mould and chilled roller. Film thickness is resolved by the speed with which the casting roll pulls the plastic away from the mould. This process increases the transparency of the cast film and allows the end user to view the packaged objects. This film stretches more easily because it aligns as the molecules are extruded. The cast stretch film is very quiet when unrolled and stretches relatively easily. Cast stretch film also provides double-sided adhesion, giving the packaged product the ability to remain tightly wrapped in transit. 

It is cheaper than blown film and does not retain water. Cast films are generally easy to stretch, but no stretch memory is as sturdy as other films.

Blown Stretch Film

Blown stretch film is created by a feature called blow extrusion. During this process, the molten plastic is pushed into a circular slot die to create a finished hose. The air is then pushed into the hose and the amount of trapped air expands the hose to its optimum width. An air ring is attached to the top of the tube and air blows through the ring onto the board to cool it. This process of cooling the material makes the blown film stronger and more flexible than other films.

Blown film is generally stronger than most other pallet wraps, so it also has higher tear resistance. This is advantageous during transit of loads with sharp edges that are prone to collapse. Blown film provides a high level of shape memory when stretched. This keeps the package safe.

Unfortunately, blown film is more expensive and less transparent than other films. It also produces an unpleasant noise level when compared to other similar substrates.

Pre Stretch Film: What does pre stretch mean / What is pre stretch pallet wrap?

The pre-stretched film is stretched near its breakpoint before being rolled into a roll. This film does not require as much energy as other stretch films to achieve the same wrapping force. The consumption of pre-stretched film is often about 50% less than other stretched films, resulting in potentially extreme cost savings.

3- Core Differences

Extended Core Stretch Wrap

An extended core hand wrap acts as a handle when rolled, which ensures your shipments will be properly bundled every time. 

A roll of extended core pallet wrap can be used directly out of the box without the need for separate dispensers, handles, or machines. Each roll contains a ready-to-use handle that is made of an elongated or extended cardboard core. Designed for portable packaging needs, our extended core films come with a two-sided sturdy core extension.

For crowded or tight workspaces, extended core stretch film is ideal. Since each roll has a handle built in, packagers don't have to wait for a dispensing accessory to be available when binding simultaneously.

Flush Core Stretch Wrap / Standard Core Wrap

Flush core stretch wrap rolls have a standard core and it oftenly should be used with handheld dispensers. Dispensers help the user maximise the stretch of the film when the user turns around the pallet. It is typically used in lower volume packaging operations.

Standard core wrap does not require machinery and provides safe and secure wrapping during transport

Mini Stretch Wrap

Also referred to as mini stretch film rolls, it strongly binds your goods together. Using it with a dispenser provides a quick and easy application option. It is great for bundling of small products.

4- Colour Differences

Clear / Transparent Pallet Wrap

Transparent stretch wrap are made possible to identify the content of the pallet and help to scan barcodes easily. Clear pallet wrap helps you to save time and energy during transportation or warehouse operations.

Coloured Pallet Wrap

It is common to use coloured hand stretch film for organising and identifying pallets and products. Colored pallet wrap can be used to colour-code pallet loads according to date, product type, shipping location, or to simply differentiate products. 

Especially black pallet wraps prevent fading and provide privacy. It is not only a perfect choice to protect your goods from UV lights but also colored hand stretch wrap prevents the temptation of theft during storage or transportation.

Printed Pallet Wrap

Bespoke printed pallet wrap is a type of stretch film which includes custom printing on the pallet wrap and provides benefits in terms such as brand awareness, advertising and security. It is a custom bespoke stretch film made to order and displays your message or brand logo during all transport and storage processes. Branded pallet wrap is an essential part of your transport packaging  as it increases your brand visibility while your shipments are on the way, strengthens your brand by making your pallets more noticeable when they are delivered, and offers the opportunity to advertise your products without any additional expenditure during transit time. 

It provides a visual appeal and comparing the other advertising options is the best cost effective way to reach prospective customers. If your goods are outdoor stored goods logo printed stretch film is a super fit for your company.

Using customised printed pallet wraps increases the brand awareness and product value for your business. Printed pallet wrap offers the same amount of load stability and security as unprinted pallet wraps. It has high tear and puncture resistance to provide a high protected pallet relocation process.

Functions of Pallet Wrap

Pallet wraps provide lots of advantages in different aspects of your business. Some of them can be listed as follows:

  • Improve product stability
  • More efficient unit load storage and handling
  • Protection against moisture and dust
  • Invulnerability and deterrence against package theft
  • Sun protection (UVI stretch film)
  • Extend the shelf life of some foods

Why should I use stretch wrap?

Even if you have a small business or a corporation, pallet wrap is a must for running a business:

  • To protect the product from dust, dirt and moisture
  • To protect products from ultraviolet rays
  • To extend the shelf life of perishables
  • To stabilise the stack of packages
  • To protect against tampering and package theft

Advantages of  Using Stretch Wrap

Between most of the packaging supplies, pallet wrap is a superior product to use when all things considered. Its main advantages are listed below, let’s check them out together.

  • Protection level of palletised products: Stretch films are more reliable due to their wide coverage, elasticity, toughness and tamper-proof properties.

  • Efficiency: Stretch wraps are easy to use by hand or machine and save time. The transparent variant facilitates optical scanning and identification, enabling rapid cargo movement.
  • Neatness: Elastic pallet wrap wrap is clingy, but leaves no annoying adhesive residue when peeled off.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Stretch plastic can be used manually or on energy efficient machines, saving costs.
  • Recyclability: Stretch film is recyclable and reusable, so it can be used for environmentally friendly transportation around the world.

Which pallet wrap is best? / How do I choose a stretch film?

The choice should be based on many factors, but first and foremost, each should be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  1. Package characteristics

Would you like to ship small or large packages at once? For small items such as foods and cosmetics where appearance is important, we recommend that you consider a transparent and glossy wrapping film. Durability, on the other hand, is important when transporting multiple large boxes.

  1. Product value

For expensive items such as luxury goods and electronic equipment, consider using opaque blakc stretch film. Coloured clear plastic film can be applied to low-priced products where fraud prevention is still important.

  1. Destination and mode of transport

The distance the package travels is a very important consideration when deciding which stretch film to use. When transporting large volumes over long distances, the speed of travel and the mode of transport that determines the bumps are increasingly important. Strong materials are needed for distant targets, especially rough trips.

  1. Production speed and need to use machines

Startups initially produce small quantities and can progress as the business grows. This also means that their transportation needs are low in the first place.

For less than 100 pallets daily, small business owners should use hand pallet wraps. Large volumes of cargo are packed more efficiently with semi-automatic and automatic stretch film machines. Hand pallet wraps are generally thinner than machine-made ones. The stickiness of the film package also improves logistics efficiency. Clinging improves load stability and allows you to stick different areas of the same film together without the use of tape. Thickness, on the other hand, determines resistance to tearing and puncturing. It is directly related to fracture strength.

  1. Load weight, profile, and height

In general, heavier loads require thicker pallet wrap or multiple layers thereof. Box stacking also needs to be optimised and linked.

  1. Optical characteristics

Optical properties describe how stretch film interacts with light. Most of them are visually understandable. Technically, there are many optical properties measured with stretch plastic. However, for practical reasons, all you need to worry about is transparency, colour, lustre, and UV light removal.

Transparency refers to the ability of a material to transmit light. Stretch film is either opaque or transparent. As mentioned earlier, transparency is important for packet security.

Transparency refers to how well an item looks when covered with a transparent stretch film. Without stepping into physics, clarity depends on how the material affects the behaviour of light waves after they pass (such as bending and scattering). The transparent pallet wrap does more than just make customers understand the freshness of food and the colour of cologne. It also facilitates barcode scanning for efficiency. The colour stretch wrap has two main functions in logistics. First, it can be used to organise and identify different palettes. Second, it allows for tamper protection.

  1. Cost considerations

The amount of pallet wrap used, the presence of special properties, and the need for machinery all directly affect packaging costs.