When it comes to shipping, one of the most common elements is stretch wrap. This film is used to wrap items on pallets, securing them to themselves and the pallet during the shipping process or for storage purposes, reducing product damage and loss, as well as discouraging pallet tampering and pilferage.

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THE ULTIMATE STRETCH WRAP GUIDE

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KNOWING WHAT WORKS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Achieving dramatic annual savings with seemingly small changes in materials or
application isn’t something that typically happens overnight. But with over 40
years experience partnering with a wide variety of businesses to identify and
implement strategic programs, we’ve seen such high impact success achieved.
We believe it’s our responsibility to ensure existing and
potential clients have easy access to core strapping data
and concepts, we’ve compiled a detailed guide as a
foundation. It's more than enough to get started and,
honestly, that's the most important part of the journey.
› Stretch Wrap Fundamentals
› Advantages of Stretch Wrap
› Pallet Configurations Matter
› The Size & Type of Wrap Matter, Too
› Comparing Hand & Machine Stretch

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OVERVIEW
› Cast Stretch Wrap
› Generally less expensive than blown stretch wrap, due to reduced
manufacturing costs. Increased clarity allows users to see wrapped
products. Cast stretch wrap unwinds quietly compared to blown
stretch wrap. This type of stretch film offers two sided cling that allows
the wrap to stay securely wrapped.
› Blown Stretch Wrap
› Offers higher load and stretch capacity. Blown stretch wrap is a
higher quality and has a higher degree of memory once stretched
allowing loads to be better secured. A higher tear resistance is an
advantage when securing loads with sharp edges.
When it comes to shipping, one of the most common elements is stretch wrap. This film is used to
wrap items on pallets, securing them to themselves and the pallet during the shipping process or for
storage purposes, reducing product damage and loss, as well as discouraging pallet tampering and
pilferage.
The two most commonly used types of stretch wrap are cast stretch wrap and blown stretch wrap.

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ADVANTAGES OF USING STRETCH WRAP
Cost Reductions
› By unitizing products with stretch film, you can greatly decrease handling costs.
› Handling of individual boxes is more time consuming than handling a unitized load;
unitization helps save countless man hours in movement and shipment of pallets of
products.
› Because unitizing packaged goods increases the speed at which they are moved, carrier
vehicles spend less time sitting idle at docks waiting to be loaded.
Added Protection
› Enclosing products in stretch film greatly reduces the risk of theft. The loss of packaged
goods is much easier to keep track of if they are shipped out in unit loads rather than
individually, reducing the likely occurrences of lost or stolen items.
› Minimize product damage inside your facility by using stretch wrap, as wrapped goods
moved by a forklift or pallet jack are less likely to sustain damage than loose boxes carried by
hand.
› Minimize shipment damages with the proper use of stretch wrap because it is less likely that
heavy items will be packed on top of palletized unit loads wrapped by stretch wrap.

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HOW YOUR CONFIGURE YOUR PALLET MATTERS
Knowing what type of load you’re wrapping can help you make the right decision about what size
wrap to get. Choosing the right wrap for each type is imperative to maintaining stability.
TYPE A LOAD TYPE B LOAD TYPE C LOAD

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT WRAP
Choosing the right size of stretch wrap is critical because different size films are gauged to
handle different size loads. The force of the load containment is critical to the integrity of
the load.
The most common options on the market today include:
› Standard or True Gauged Stretch Wrap
› Eco or Micron Stretch Wrap
› Hybrid or Multilayer Stretch Wrap
› Pre-Stretched Stretch Wrap

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COMPARING HAND VS. MACHINE STRETCH
You’ll find advantages and disadvantages to both hand wrapping and
machine wrapping your pallets. Determining what is right for your
business starts with a basic evaluation.
› How many loads are you currently wrapping and how many
loads do you foresee wrapping?
› How are you currently wrapping and how many people
does it take?
› What types of loads will you wrap? Will the loads all be
boxes, irregular shapes, fragile, etc.? Are the loads heavy,
light, stable, unstable, etc.?
› Are you experiencing shipping damages? If so, do you
know what is causing the damage?
› Are you operating multiple shifts?
If you are wrapping 15 or more loads per day, it’s more cost-effective
to use a stretch wrap machine than to wrap manually. At that level,
machines justify their costs by reducing labor expenses, lowering
material usage, decrease damages, and lowering the potential of injuries.