Key Questions to Ask When Ordering reel stretch wrapper

The Complete Guide to Stretch Wrap (updated 2023)

Selecting the Best Stretch Wrap for Your Requirements

The right stretch wrap for your business depends on what products you are trying to wrap. When selecting the best stretch film, you should consider the following:

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Performance

Choosing a stretch film with the appropriate yield strength and performance for the loads being wrapped is essential. Yield strength denotes the amount of stress a stretch film can endure without permanent plastic deformation. Before reaching the yield point, a stretch film will deform elastically and return to its original shape once the stress is removed.

Overlapping

Overlapping is a technique for covering the top of your pallet using polythene top sheets, protecting your products, and providing a downward force on the pallet load. For hand-applied films, a 50% overlap is recommended. For machine-applied films, a 50mm overlap should be allowed, regardless of the film width.

Banding

Banding involves applying multiple wraps of stretch film to a specific area of a pallet to reinforce the load or band multiple units together.

Neckdown

Neckdown occurs when a film narrows down while being stretched, reducing the coverage each wrap provides. This makes it likely that more wrap rotations and more film will be needed to wrap a load or pallet.

Products

Consider the products being wrapped and look at the weight load (typically per pallet), the load profile, and the transit process the load will undergo.

Time, Use, and Cost

Hand wrapping is best for smaller or sporadic stretch film wrapping needs. For instance, hand wrapping is adequate for moving a home or office. For a closer look at how to plan your move, here is the ultimate moving guide.

Alternatively, introducing machine wrapping may save time, resources, and packaging materials.

Stretch Wrap Products & Plastic Usage

While the effective use of stretch wrap helps protect shipments worldwide, it's important to consider its plastic materials.

As a widely used packaging product, stretch wrap contributes significantly to plastic waste in the industry, which has led to the introduction of plastic packaging taxes.

Fortunately, businesses can continue using such an essential solution without suffering the consequences of plastic packaging taxes.

Clear Cast Film is an eco-friendly stretch wrap that combines excellent performance with environmental benefits. Made from 30% recycled materials, it helps operations stay cost-efficient without compromising performance.

How to Properly Store Stretch Wrap

To ensure your stretch wrap's longevity and effectiveness, proper storage is crucial. Here are some tips:

• Keep it in a cool, dry place: Stretch wrap is made of plastic and can be sensitive to heat and humidity. Store it in a cool, dry place to prevent material degradation.
• Avoid direct sunlight: Sunlight exposure can make the stretch wrap brittle and lose elasticity. Store it away from direct sunlight.
• Use a stretch wrap dispenser: Using a dispenser helps use the material more efficiently and prevents damage. It also makes storage easier.
• Keep it away from chemicals: Stretch wrap can be damaged by chemicals, so store it away from any chemicals or solvents.

By following these tips, you can ensure your stretch wrap remains in good condition, effectively protecting your items during storage or transport.

To Wrap Things Up

Stretch wrap comes in various widths and thicknesses, making it ideal for protecting products during transit and reducing the chances of damage, tampering, and loss. It also helps prevent worker injuries by securing the items.

Are you using the right stretch wrap for your operations? Take the quiz now to see if you could reduce costs and plastics. Alternatively, book your free stretch wrap trial today with our packaging experts.

How to Avoid Stretch Film Breakage in Pallet Stretch Wrapping

One of the most common issues and causes of stoppages in final packaging is film breakage during pallet stretch wrapping. Though it may seem like a minor error, it can cause unnecessary stops in the automatic line, constant intervention, and potential damage to goods if the breakage occurs afterward.

In this post, we will review tips to avoid film breaks during pallet stretch wrapping and optimize packaging times and consumables savings.

Consequences of Film Breakage

Film breakage can lead to various problems beyond simple line stoppages:

• During stretch wrapping: Packaging stoppages, excess and waste film, imperfect wrapping, and loss of productivity.
• After wrapping: Product losses, primary packaging breakage, labor or transport accidents, and more.

Tips to Prevent Stretch Film Breakage

Film breaks often occur before wrapping due to issues with the goods, the film, or the pallet stretch wrapper's programming and performance. Following these safety steps and wrapping tips can prevent many of these ruptures:

Our checklist to avoid breakages:

1. Prepare the Load: Palletizing and Uniformity

The first key point is to have a good palletizing system that ensures the load is as homogeneous as possible. Manual palletizing often results in unstable loads with irregularities and sharp edges that can cause later stability and safety issues.

It is always important to check for bulges or sharp corners that could tear the film, the main cause of breakage and accidents.

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2. Prepare the Wrapping Cycle: Tension Settings

Correct programming of the wrapping cycle is essential to avoid breaks. For automatic stretch wrappers, it's usually pre-programmed by the manufacturer. For semi-automatic wrappers, consider the optimum wrapping tension and pre-stretching.

If the tension is too high, it can cause constant breakage. Therefore, test different tensions and wrapping forces based on the type of film and product to determine the best setting. The optimum wrapping tension is where the film doesn’t break and the load is not deformed or crushed.

This step is crucial to avoid rips and achieve better pallet containment in all parts of the load.

3. Specialized Technicians: Personnel Training

For both automatic stretch wrappers on a packaging line and semi-automatic wrappers, it's vital that machine operators are trained in basic operation, alarm reporting, and proper film handling.

Even with automated solutions, specialized personnel must know how to correctly handle and place the film on the wrapping machine carriage. Incorrect film positioning is a major cause of film breakage.

Also, if a film reel is dropped or mishandled, dents can form on the reel edge, leading to breaks.

4. Use of Quality Film: Cheap is Expensive

Film quality and gauge are critical factors. Low-quality or “cheap” films are more prone to cracking, tearing, and defects. These films typically have lower tear resistance and stretchability than high-performance films.

Any savings from using cheap film can be negated by one damaged load and product loss.

5. Choosing the Right Film and Machine for Your Product Type

In line with the previous point, the type of film and the pallet wrapping machine are both important. Study the product needs to determine the film gauge, pre-stretching characteristics, and wrapping machine performance. For example:

• For light loads: Such as empty PET containers, use gauge ratings of less than 15 microns (0.60 Mil) to avoid crushing the load with excessive tension.
• For heavy loads: When extra stability is needed, higher gauge ratings provide greater load tension and stability and allow for reinforcement cord application.

Consulting with the stretch wrapper manufacturer can help determine the best film and machine settings.

6. Specialized Stretch Wrapping Accessories

Consider using specialized wrapping machine accessories to improve stretch wrapping and load protection. Some accessories can prevent breakage:

• Reinforcement roping device: It secures and compacts the load without extra tension. It's a compact, almost unbreakable rope strip.
• Edge protector applicator: For protecting edges and preventing corner-induced film breakage. Typically, these protectors are cardboard or steel. Innova automatic ring wrappers often include automatic vertical edge protector applicator systems.

• Vertical top press for added stability during wrapping: For very light loads, the top press provides stability and safety, preventing load movement and film tears.

7. Cargo Handling After Wrapping

Handling the load after wrapping is often overlooked. During factory transport, warehouse loading, pallet stacking, and truck loading, careless handling can lead to film breakage.

Thorough training and quality controls in the factory and warehouse ensure the pallet load leaves in perfect condition. Automated lines and AGVs also enhance safety in internal pallet transport.

As we see, multiple factors contribute to solving this common pallet wrapping problem. It's often attributed to film or wrapper tensioning, but many checkpoints and organizational steps play key roles in pallet wrapping safety.

At Innova, with over 20 years of experience in designing and installing automatic and semi-automatic wrapping machines, we offer free advice on wrapping and film types. Contact our technical sales team for assistance.

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