Every warehouse in the world uses pallets as they make it easier to stack up items which makes the most out of storage capacity. But to keep the items in place and ready to be shipped the use of stretch film is necessary. This see through solution is most commonly used to wrap boxes but it is also suitable for different applications as it comes in different sizes and it can be applied in various ways.
What is Stretch Film?
This piece of plastic is made of LLDPE (Linear Low Density Polyethylene) which allows it to wrap around items so easily. Wrap stretch film is the most popular option for packaging a large number of items because it’s extremely stretchable and it sticks to itself very well.
Benefits
By grouping multiple items together it’s easier to keep track of the goods and together with wrap stretch film the chance for theft is being reduced by a large percentage. Stretch wrapping items requires less time to move a pallet from one place to the other – rather than moving individual boxes you are able to move the whole shipment at once.
Wrapped items handled by a pallet jack or a forklift are less likely to get damaged than carrying one box at a time. When stretch wrap is used properly you are guaranteed to prevent any shipment damages too as there is less chance that a heavier load will be positioned on top of items placed on pallets. Stretch wrap also discourages load tampering and reduces product loss.
Cast vs Blown Stretch
Cast stretch wrap can be both machine grade and hand grade but in general the manufacturing process includes a cast extrusion method which includes melting and extruding a thermoplastic material through a flat die on a chill roll . There the material is quenched and re-solidified.
The advantages of cast stretch wrap is that it is less expensive than blown stretch wrap due to low manufacturing costs and its clarity allows the end user to see the wrapped items without ripping the stretch wrap. Cast stretch unwinds quietly and it has a double sided cling that secures it in place.
Blown stretch wrap is made with the blown extrusion process which starts off with a melted plastic material being vertically extruded through a die to make a tube with thin walls. Air is pushed through a hole in the centre of the die and on top of the tube an air ring is used to blow on the stretch film to cool it down as it’s coming off the line.
This makes blown stretch wrap tougher than cast stretch wrap and it gives it a higher stretch capacity. The tear resistance of blown stretch wrap is also greater which makes it better when wrapping items with sharp corners.
How to Wrap Pallets
Incorrect wrapped pallets can make shipments dangerous as items can fall from the moving pallet and injure someone. There’s also the loss of items too, so to ensure that this doesn’t happen follow through these steps:
1. Place the wrap stretch film on a stretch film dispenser and tie the end of the stretch wrap around a corner of the pallet like an anchor.
2. Start walking around the pallet with the outer face of the film towards the items and tightly wrap it around the base of the load including the corners too. Do this at least three times – maintain about 30cm of distance from the load when wrapping it.
3. Make your way up, overlapping each layer by at least 25% but if the load is very heavy you can do a 50% overlap. When you’ve reached the top of the pallet put two more layers and place the last layer of wrap stretch film so that it’s pulling down on the load. This will prevent the items from shifting.
4. Then work your way down the load overlapping each layer by 25% to 50% depending on the load. Stretch wrap the pallet and the items on the bottom at least two more times, cut the stretch wrap 30cm from the corner of the pallet and press it firmly to the side of the load.
Tips
Make sure you have the right sized pallet before you start wrapping but don’t put the items on a pallet that will overlap, meaning one that will tear the wrap with its corners. Have the items positioned so they are as flush to the pallet as possible.
Place the products as close together as possible in order to prevent them from moving during transport. Make sure you have enough space to go around the pallet and you don’t want to bend every time you are going around the pallet when the items have been placed. In this case you can elevate the pallet to a level that you find fit.
In this case we showed you how to wrap a pallet using a handheld stretch film dispenser but if your warehouse is able to wrap at least 15 loads a day then it’s recommended that you use a stretch wrapping machine.
Industrial Updating 