Pallet Wrap | Packaging Solutions | Pioneer Packaging | Heritage Paper

Pallet Wrap Options for Every Unitization Requirement

Pallet wrap is the most popular method for unitizing or palletizing loads for rail or truck shipment. Available in a wide variety of sizes and formulations, stretch films can be adapted to almost any application imaginable. Compared to other popular methods of unitization such as plastic and steel strapping, stretch wrap offers a lower per-shipping unit cost, speedier and easier application, and moisture protection. While most films are transparent, they are available tinted and in opaque colors to prevent product identification and provide UV protection. Like many packaging materials, stretch films continue to improve. For that reason we recommend a complete review of film requirements at least once a year, to ensure that the best performing, highest value product is being used at all times.

Industries and Applications

Virtually all industries use pallet wrap for rail and truck shipment of palletized loads, but film is also widely used for shipment of non-palletized loads. For example in the food processing sector, corrugated containers are commonly stacked on corrugated or chipboard slip sheets and then wrapped for shipment. Bagged products, such as pet food and soil, are ideal for stretch wrapping because non-cling films allow tightly packed palletized loads to be easily handled. Pallet wrap also performs well in applications where neither shipping containers nor bags are used, including the wrapping of carpet, furniture, fabricated metal parts, and building and construction materials. This versatile material is also commonly used for parcel shipment, through the use of stretch bundling films.

Types of Pallet Wrap and Equipment

Stretch film is manufactured in hand held and machine length put-ups. Hand films are usually 12" – 18" wide, and contain 1500’ – 2000’ linear feet of unstretched film. They can be used with or without hand dispensing equipment, or purchased with extended cores for easy non-dispenser use. Machine films come in widths of 20" to over 96", and footage varies widely depending on film thickness and the manufacturer’s own specifications. Film thickness run from as low as 40 gauge to over 1.0 mil, in relatively low cost general purpose grades as well as high performance, specialized grades designed for high speed equipment and / or particularly demanding loads.

Platform and low profile stretch wrappers are either spiral or the much less common full web style. Most spiral wrappers use 20" wide film, but 30" film has grown in popularity over the last several years. Spiral and full web stretch equipment are designed for operations where loads are delivered to the machine with a forklift or hand jack. For in-line, conveyorized applications, or where space is at a premium, overhead wrappers are frequently used. Semi automatic and fully automatic horizontal wrappers are available for extremely long products such as aluminum channel and carpet rolls. Rely on our expertise and experience -let us help you select the right stretch film system for your application. Link back to the top of this Pallet Wrap page.

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