Pallet wrap, also known as stretch wrap or stretch film, is a highly stretchable plastic film that is wrapped around items to secure them tightly together. The elastic recovery of the material keeps items tightly bound, making it fundamentally different from shrink wrap, which requires heat application to tighten around products. This packaging solution is specifically designed to maintain its elastic tension, ensuring that goods remain securely fastened throughout transportation and storage.
The most common material used to manufacture pallet wrap is linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), which is produced through copolymerization of ethylene with alpha-olefins such as butene, hexene, or octene. The molecular structure of LLDPE provides superior flexibility, puncture resistance, and stretching capabilities compared to traditional polyethylene. This material can stretch up to 500% at its breaking point, though in practical applications it is typically stretched only to 100-300% of its original length. The transparency and glossiness of LLDPE also make it advantageous in packaging scenarios where product visibility is desired.
Two primary manufacturing processes are used to produce pallet wrap: blown extrusion and cast extrusion. The blown method involves melting resin and extruding it through an annular die with air cooling, which is slower but produces film with superior cling properties. The cast method extrudes film through a slot die and passes it over cooling rollers for rapid cooling, resulting in higher production efficiency, lower costs, and more consistent film quality. Each manufacturing process offers distinct advantages suited to different application requirements and cost considerations.
What are the Main Uses of Pallet Wrap
Pallet wrap plays an indispensable role in modern logistics and warehousing industries, with its primary function being to safely secure and contain products on pallets for transportation and storage. This packaging material tightly wraps cargo to ensure proper load containment on pallets, preventing goods from shifting or collapsing during handling. Beyond basic stabilization, pallet wrap provides multiple layers of protection including dust prevention, moisture resistance, and tamper-evidence features, all of which are crucial for maintaining product integrity.
In terms of operational efficiency enhancement, pallet wrap serves a critical function. By securely bundling multiple products together, forklifts and operators can move multiple items simultaneously, significantly reducing the time required to handle individual pieces and thereby improving overall throughput. Additionally, pallet wrap enables vertical stacking of pallets, maximizing warehouse storage capacity. The stable support provided by stretch film allows pallets to be safely stacked to greater heights, which is particularly important in areas where land costs are high.
Pallet wrap has diverse applications across various industries. In logistics and transportation, it is used to stabilize pallets for domestic and international shipping, reducing product damage risk. In the food and beverage industry, pallet wrap protects fresh, frozen, and packaged products from contamination and spoilage during storage and distribution. In pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors, it ensures safe packaging of medicines, health supplements, and cosmetic products, protecting them from external factors. Specialized types of pallet wrap, such as VCI (Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor) film, are specifically designed to protect metal parts, machinery, and electronic products from corrosion during long-term storage in humid environments.
Which Thickness (Gauge) of Stretch Wrap Should I Choose
A crucial choice for guaranteeing cargo safety and economy is choosing the right pallet wrap thickness (gauge). Higher numbers indicate thicker film, which often offers superior strength and load stability. Film thickness is commonly measured in gauges, mils, or microns. Because it achieves a great balance between strength and flexibility, is appropriate for a variety of application scenarios, and can withstand loads up to 4,000 pounds, 80-gauge stretch film is widely acknowledged as an industry standard.
Film thicknesses must be adjusted to account for variations in cargo weights and characteristics. 37–47 gauge film can be utilized for conventional packing and bundling applications for light-weight cargo (less than 1,500 pounds). The most popular thickness for ordinary boxed pallets, 60-63 gauge film, provides good resistance to punctures and is recommended for medium-weight cargo (1,500-2,500 pounds). 70-80 gauge film is needed for heavy cargo (2,500-4,000 pounds), since it offers more strength for a variety of applications. To offer the best protection for extremely heavy loads or harsh environments (above 5,000 pounds), a gauge thickness of 90 to 150 is required.
In addition to load weight, cargo shape and sharp edges need to be taken into account. Even if the weight is not heavy, thicker film is required for goods with irregular shapes or products with protruding portions to avoid punctures or tears. For instance, because of its exceptional resistance to punctures, 63-gauge film is especially well-suited for packaging large items with certain rough edges. Additionally, the application technique affects the choice of thickness: machine wrapping can use thinner film (12–17 microns) since pre-stretching technology preserves strength even with reduced thickness, but manual wrapping usually utilizes 15-20 micron (around 60–80 gauge) film.
Why Does My Stretch Wrap Continue to Break While I’m Wrapping It?
Excessive tension is one of the main causes of stretch wrap breaking, which is a frequent issue in logistics packaging. The tension adjustment mechanisms used in most stretch wrapping machines must be correctly adjusted based on the type of film, load characteristics, and application needs. While too little tension leads to insufficient load containment, too much tension causes the film to overstretch and tear. Only the right amount of stress prolongs the life of the film and keeps it from breaking. Based on particular packaging requirements, operators should conduct testing to determine the ideal tension setting point.
Another frequent cause of breaking is using the wrong kind of film. The material composition, stretch ratio, and film thickness must all be appropriate for the wrapping machine and the load being wrapped. Fragile or oddly shaped objects might not be a good fit for film with greater gauge or stretch ratios. Stretch wrap breaks too soon if the wrong kinds of film are used. Instead of deciding only on price, businesses can speak with suppliers to choose the best film parameters for their unique requirements.
Film performance is also greatly impacted by storage conditions. Plastic film is vulnerable to punctures because it becomes brittle in extremely cold conditions and overly soft in extremely hot ones. Stretch wrap needs to be kept out of direct sunlight and in a cool, dry location. Raw materials deteriorate due to improper storage, which lowers their performance. Film breakage problems can also be caused by improper equipment maintenance. In addition to extending the lifespan of the gear, routine inspection and maintenance of wrapping equipment guarantees peak performance and minimizes film damage from equipment issues.