Stretch Film 101

Stretch film, or pallet wrap, is that wonderful product that keeps your stuff intact on pallets from point A to point B. Although this is not the most sustainable product, it is used extensively in the manufacturing and distribution industry.
It can be confusing when deciding on what kind of Stretchfilm to use. There are plenty of smoke and mirrors out there! Decisions need to be made regarding width, gauge or mil, blown or cast, or down gauging with metallocene multi layered film. Hopefully I can clear a few things up!
To keep things simple I like to recommend 17.5” width film for hand grade, and 20” width film for machine grade. There are plenty of other widths out there for those special applications, but that is for another story.
The gauge or micron used can get a little tricky and can be defined by:
• Shape of the palletized load, nice and square or irregular with sharp edges.
• Weight and value of the load.
• The type of transportation used and far the product is to be shipped.
There are also three film properties to choose from.
Cast Film
• Unwinds quietly.
• Clear for ease of reading load tags and scanning.
• Consistency with film thickness and cling.
Blown Film
• Loud unwind.
• Poor clarity.
• Good puncture resistance.
Metallocene Film
• Newer film properties allows for down grading film thickness while increasing yield.
• Good puncture resistance.
• Increased stretch capabilities allowing for higher force when wrapping.
Overall, stretch film can help reduce your production costs by unitizing loose product providing labor, transportation and security savings as well as improved inventory control.