{"id":70555,"date":"2016-06-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-28T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lantechweb.wpengine.com\/blog\/how-much-does-stretch-wrap-stretch-is-more-better\/"},"modified":"2021-05-05T15:38:05","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T19:38:05","slug":"how-much-does-stretch-wrap-stretch-is-more-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lantech.com\/how-much-does-stretch-wrap-stretch-is-more-better\/","title":{"rendered":"How much does stretch wrap stretch? Is more better?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The simple answer is that quality machine stretch film typically stretches 3x or more.<\/p>\n

The right answer is….it depends on the stretch film, the machine and most importantly, your product, loads and goals.<\/p>\n

Here’s the full answer<\/p>\n

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Confusing stretch with tight & secure<\/h2>\n

Sometimes you’ll hear people refer to the plastic that they wrap around pallets as shrink film. You know what they mean of course, but the proper name is stretch film for a reason.<\/p>\n

Modern stretch film formulations are made to stretch – but maybe not for the reason, or to the extent that you imagine.<\/p>\n\"q-semi-automatic-stretch-wrappers.png\"When Pat Lancaster invented the first stretch wrapper in 1972 he used a 60\u201d roll of plastic film designed for use in dry cleaning facilities. The idea was to lay the film against the rotating pallet and rely on a core brake to slow the film enough that it stretch a bit and compressed the load as a result. T<\/span>hat invention rapidly evolved to the spiral wrap so popular today. The polyethylene stretch film we rely on now rapidly followed.<\/span>\n

That’s essentially the same process repeated thousands of times each day as workers hand wrap loads with 12 & 18″ wide rolls of hand stretch film.<\/p>\n

And most importantly, load security is determined by containment force – or wrap force X film layers. It turns out that stretching isn’t a factor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dollars & cents<\/h2>\n

Stretching the film (or, more precisely, <\/span>pre-stretching <\/i>the film before it leaves the film delivery system) is an economy measure. Pre-stretching film is what made stretch wrapping affordable and opened up the stretch wrapping and stretch film industries that we know today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pre-stretching film saves money.<\/span><\/p>\n

Common pre-stretch percentages (which are typically determined by a set of gears in a wrappers pre-stretch carriage) range from 150-300%. That means that every linear foot of film coming off a roll represents 2.5 to 4 feet of film on the load. <\/p>\n\"how\n

That’s some pretty compelling savings! In fact, most companies buy their first pallet wrapper with a simple film savings calculation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More is better, right?<\/h2>\n

To a point. There are more factors to consider here. <\/p>\n

Film attributes include:<\/p>\n