Stretch Wrap

Stretch wrap or stretch film is a highly stretchable plastic film that is wrapped around items. The elastic recovery keeps the items tightly bound. In contrast, shrink wrap is applied loosely around an item and shrinks tightly with heat.

It is frequently used to unitize pallet loads but also may be used for bundling smaller items.

Functions

In pallet unitizing, stretch wrap can have several functions:

  • Improved stability of products or packages, forming a unit load
  • More efficient handling and storage of unit loads
  • Some degree of dust and moisture protection
  • Some degree of tamper resistance and resistance to package pilferage

Application
Stretch wrap can be applied manually with small rolls (perhaps 5 inch wide) of film. Dispensers are also available for larger rolls (perhaps 12 – 15 inch wide).Machinery is available to automate the operation. This controls the amount of material used, controls the stretch, and controls the application pattern.