Looking for a fast and easy way to check your stretch levels on a pallet?
All you need is a business card and tape measure…
- Once a pallet has been wrapped, separate a layer of the stretch film from the load.
- Take a business card and hold it against the stretch film on the pallet.
- Grab the top edge of the film and place your hands apart, based on the length of the business card so that your hands are on both ends of the card.
- Pull the stretch film slowly. Measure the length of the stretched film using a tape measure before it rips apart.
- Once you have the distance between the film break, use the information below to determine the stretch level*.
5″ = 280% stretch
6″= 250% stretch
7″= 220% stretch
8″= 190% stretch
9″= 160% stretch
10″= 130% stretch
11″= 100% stretch
Why is this important?
- Figuring out how much stretch your films has can mean the difference between spending double for the same amount of film or saving money by consuming less film per pallet. According to your calculations, if you are stretching less than 200%, you should should have us check your machine and film.
- If you don’t know how much your machines are stretching the film or how much you are paying per load, give us a call. We can perform a machine audit and provide a report on your machine performance, film cost, and recommend solutions to bring your costs down. A small investment in testing could save you a lot! (888) 930-BEST
*Disclaimer: All calculations are an estimate and do not guarantee 100% accuracy. It is the responsibility of the customer to establish practical testing based on their applications. Best Packaging Inc. is not responsible for the consequences of any decisions or actions taken in reliance upon or as a result of the information provided by these calculations.
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Did you know 1 oz of extra stretch film per pallet at a facility wrapping 1,500 loads per evening is worth $31,200.00 per year?
Would your operators know if they were using an extra 1 oz of film on a pallet?
An extra 8 oz at the same facility would be $250,000.00 per year!
The costs can add up fast – and that’s just film costs! What about pallet load damage and productivity losses due to film that is not used properly?
Companies are best served when they developed a stretch film procurement solution to understand the properties of the film they use, their distribution channel, and the forces necessary to deliver their loads successfully.
Best Packaging has created stretch film procurement ‘best practices’ to meet these goals and provide a consistent result that can be created, tested, repeated and maintained.
- Best Packaging Inc. can be hired as a consultant to EVALUATE the film. We will perform several tests to determine results such as the ultimate stretch, film puncture resistance and the amount of ‘cling’ in the stretch film.
- We will assess the best way to apply the film based on the different types of products that are wrapped and establish the type of containment necessary.
- Once we UNDERSTAND how to achieve the best results, we will go back to the plant and CREATE the ideal wrapped load by selecting a few films that meet the criteria most important to your operations.
- After the load is recreated, we will perform a TEST for effectiveness. Doing so will allow our techs to set a standard based on how the load wraps on the production floor to ensure the proper containment and the proper amount of film.
Gone are the days where we standardize the film. Instead, standardizing the result will ensure the product arrives to the end user without damage in the most productive and cost-effective method possible.
- The last step in this best practices project would be to train maintenance and operators how to visually MONITOR the standard. Best Packaging can be hired to maintain and upgrade this standard. There should also be supervisor in charge of each shift assigned to monitor the standard at selected intervals.
Because stretch film is usually marketed using only a few specifications, it is easy for procurement departments to believe they are getting a good value at a lower cost. However, Best Packaging has the tools and expertise to ensure your company is getting the most value and production from your stretch film purchases while guaranteeing that your products arrive damage-free. If you’ are currently wrapping products with stretch film and want to ensure you are getting the maximum yield, give us a call at (888) 930 BEST.
What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.
Although the packaging industry is working hard to maximize technology use, I believe there is still more that can be done. After attending the PACK EXPO, here’s are my thoughts…
I noticed the majority of stretch wrap machines were all very similar- following standard practices with a few minor modifications here and there. Many of the demonstrations utilized square uniform loads that are easy to wrap. However, not much was conveyed regarding what could be done for random pallet’s that have sharp points everywhere as these pallets make film selection a critical step in this packaging process.
This got me thinking… what developments should we be looking out for in the near future for odd-shaped loads? What is it going to take for things to change within the industry? What kind of creative thinking needs to happen to break the mold? What needs to happen in the packaging industry to unleash innovation that the industry hasn’t seen in years?
Over the years, I’ve noticed the packaging companies that succeed are the ones constantly testing and monitoring their wrap parameters. When dealing with stretch film, if you’re not occasionally monitoring what you’re doing, damage goes up. But how does one do that? How do we monitor and determine wrap parameters beyond a square load? When it comes to wrapping loads, why work in a flat world if the packaging isn’t?
In an era where computerization and data collection have become the ‘must-have’ elements, the installation of 3D modeling for the purposes of data collection has the potential to revolutionize the quality at which tasks are performed. With live data being fed from their equipment into a computerized system, workers are more capable of selecting the proper film type, gauge, and number of wraps a particular load requires. Rather than having to manually adjust the machine according to the size and product, incorporating 3D pallet sensor technology would enable you to record the shape, weight, and type of product to get a better understanding of what stretch wrap settings to employ. Incorporating a 3D Pallet scanner would provide an immediate overview of all production parameters and data that needs to be done based on the load. Thus, I see the future of stretch wrapping being very data-driven. I envision exploiting sensor technology to obtain data points that enable workers to make better informed decisions for their stretch wrap settings.
As an ASTM member, I plan on utilizing these insights to develop unique solutions in the market. With one patent approved for a pallet parking system and one patent pending for the SPYDR multi-wrapper system, Best Packaging aims to continue to innovate and offer the Best solutions to our customers. For more information, give us a call at (888) 930 BEST.
-Steve Kudia
What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.
