The purpose of high performance stretch film is to provide unitization, protection and containment properties to your pallet loads. Users are advisable to know how to do it right, or you could end up throwing money away.
Wrapping your loads with stretch film is the last process on the production line, and is often overlooked. This can be an extremely costly mistake.
Keep in mind that just throwing stretch film over a pallet does not make it safe for transport. If you think “Stretch film is just stretch film”, you may not be able to get all the benefits out of your stretch wrap.
For example, a new technology stretch film, Nano 33 layer stretch film, is designed to improve tearing resistance with the possibility to reduce up to 50% on the consumption of plastic, and securing the cargo for transportation with excellent stability to ensure maximum safety. Make sure to discuss with your stretch film provider to learn more about it.
To save and realize the huge potential of stretch film, users must understand the basic fundamentals of pre stretching the film and the terminology.
Banding
Banding is when you apply multiple wraps of high performance stretch film to a certain area. This way your products are completely secure, and they find its destination in good condition.
Blown Stretch Wrap
Beads of resin are fed through a heated machine that has a circular die. As this formed bubble finishes the process of being transformed into rolls of stretch film, it is cooled down by the surrounding air. This type of stretch film costs more, and is tougher than cast films.
Cast Stretch Wrap
Cast film is usually quieter, more transparent, and glossier than blown film because of this process. High performance stretch film is typically tear resistance.
Cling
A bonding agent added to stretch film to increase the stickiness quality of the film. Depending on the desired effect, the bonding agent is applied to one or both sides.
Pre-Stretch
Pre-Stretch film is the process that permits stretch wrap to be stretched before being applied to a load.
Your wrap stretch machine should be pre-stretching the stretch film.
Benefits
- Strength: The stretch film is so much stronger once you pass the point of permanent deformation.
- Memory: The more you stretch the wrap, less memory it has. For example, if the stretch film is applied to a load without pre stretching, you can see that the film has tightened due to the film elastic memory as it tries to return.
- Lower Cost: The cost of stretch film is reduced compared to wrapping a load with no pre-stretch film. For example, it is much cheaper to do it this way instead of hand wrapping.
Post-Stretch
Post stretch is the stretch in the wrap created by the film tension between the film carriage and the load being wrapped.
It maximizes the load retention. In the downside if the tension stretch is concentrated on the corners of a load, it can be damaged if set too high.
In addition, users should be very cautious pulling the layers apart as they use the load to create the tension. Finally, this type of stretching may not be suitable to wrap every type of products, for example P.E.T bottles.
Film Force
Film force, also known as film tension, is the tension created in the film. This tension is due to the the films attempting to return to its original state after been stretched. This is why it’s so important to pre-stretch the high performance stretch film.
Film Feed
It is the ability to provide the film required to wrap a load while keeping the tension of the film constant.
How to Choose Stretch Film
Consider these important criteria before buying high performance stretch films:
- Storage Location: if you need high performance stretch film with UV protection
- Product: value, size
- Load weight
- Tear and puncture resistance
- Pattern: stacking
- Production speed
- Cling
- Optics
- Consistency: thickness
- Noise
- Pallet wrapping machine
- Cost
- Load profile
- Height
- Transport distance: this include which method you will use to transport your load
- Labeling
- Bar Code
- Gloss
- Noise
Make sure any stretch film that you buy meets all other requirements and criteria you may have in order to ensure customer satisfaction.
