Winter:
If you are storing your stretch films during the winter or in a place where the temperature is always cold, you will need to think about how you store your films and make some adjustments to the process.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from SMART WASP.
Extreme cold can cause your stretch films to become brittle or crack. This may result in stretch films becoming unusable or even producing a safety hazard in relation to unstable loads.
If you are storing you films in a warehouse or area exposed to extreme cold, you will want to move your films to a warmer area that will not produce brittle films.
Suppose you do not have a warm enough space to prevent the adverse effects of cold temperatures on your films. In that case, you will want to consider implementing climate controls such as heating systems to control the temperature of your stretch film storage area.
Can You Get Paid To Recycle Stretch Film?
Today, countless consumers demand that companies producing their favorite products "go green." Many companies are trying to source sustainable packaging to meet customer needs.
Additionally, many businesses are trying to source recyclable packaging materials in an attempt to meet consumer's sustainability demands.
One question we often get from customers is, "can you recycle stretch film?"
And the short answer is yes! However, while stretch film is recyclable, you cannot just throw the used film into a single-stream recycling bin.
Most single-stream and municipal recycling centers do not have the proper infrastructure to recycle stretch films.
But, specialized third-party stretch film recycling companies have the required infrastructure to recycle these materials.
And, some of these stretch film recycling companies will actually pay you for larger volumes of properly baled and sorted LLDPE used and waste film.
If you want to learn more about recycling stretch film and getting paid to do it, please reach out to one of our packaging specialists.
They will be able to help you find out if you can recycle your used stretch film and if you qualify to make a profit from doing so.
Should You Automate Your Stretch Wrapping?
Many companies choose to wrap their pallets manually with hand stretch film. And this is a totally acceptable way to wrap pallets.
But, with an ongoing labor shortage, finding good laborers to work in your warehouse is not always easy. And even if you find the labor you need, you could be saving a lot of money by switching to automated stretch wrapping.
With an automated stretch wrapper, you can partially or fully automate your stretch wrapping.
With automated stretch wrapping, you can reduce the number of laborers in your warehouse, increase production speeds, improve safety, reduce film waste and save some serious coin.
But is automated stretch wrapping right for your business?
Depending on the number of laborers you can replace in conjunction with the volume of products you are wrapping, automated stretch wrapping may be able to save you a ton of money.
But how do you know if automated stretch wrapping is proper for you?
If you want to know if an automated stretch wrapper makes sense for your product palletizing and securing requirements, you will want to speak with a packaging expert.
They will help you understand how much a stretch wrapper costs, whether buying or leasing is the right choice, and how much cost savings you can reap from automating your stretch wrapping.
Stretch Wrapper Safety
It should go without saying that when you choose to automate your stretch wrapping, that safety comes first.
Stretch wrappers are a form of industrial equipment that, if operated wrong, can lead to safety hazards. As such, it is imperative to educate yourself about stretch wrapper safety before purchasing, installing, and using an automated stretch wrapper.
Safety concerns that should be studied before implementation include the following items:
- Preventing trip hazards
- Avoiding pinch points
- Avoiding poor load containment
- Reducing the probability of injury
In an effort to provide you with the proper safety advice for automated stretch wrapping, we have compiled this guide to stretch wrapper safety that covers each of the bullet points above.
Problems With Stretch Film
While stretch film is an excellent packaging material for palletizing and securing your loads, it may or may not be the suitable material for your needs.
Depending on what you are attempting to palletize, other materials may be better suited to your requirements (such as strapping).
To ensure transparency about using stretch film, as we suggest here, we need to note the most common problems with stretch film.
Reviewing these items will help you decide if stretch film is the correct packaging material for your business or if you should be using an alternative material such as strapping.
The most common problems with stretch film include:
- Stretch film tearing
- Improper load containment
- Using the wrong type of stretch film
- Using the wrong size of stretch film
- Using the wrong thickness of stretch film
In order to help you negate all of these issues, we have put together a guide to understanding each of these items.
This guide will help you understand if you can avoid these problems when palletizing your products and will also clarify whether stretch film is the right material for your needs.
Where Can You Buy Stretch Film?
After reading this guide, you should have everything you need to identify the proper type of stretch film for your stretch wrapping needs. But, you are probably wondering, where can you buy stretch film?
When it comes to purchasing stretch films, you have a few different options to choose from. Below, we will review the places where you can buy stretch film.
Online Retailers For Stretch Film
Online retailers are one option for buying stretch films. You can purchase stretch film from online retailers such as Uline, Amazon, or Ali Baba.
Shopping around for stretch film on online retailer's websites such as these may allow you to find the lowest price possible.
But, sellers on these sites often do not provide in-depth information on the materials, nor do they give access to packaging experts who can consult on whether or not you are purchasing the best film for your needs.
For more information, please visit High-Quality Super Stretch Film Wholesaler.
Brick And Mortar Retailers For Stretch Film
Your next option for buying stretch film would be brick-and-mortar retailers. You can purchase stretch film from department stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, and similar brick-and-mortar locations.
When buying from a store like this, you can physically and visually inspect the stretch film before you buy it.
And while these stores will have sales associates to help you in your buying process, they often do not have the expertise on stretch film to help you buy the proper material.
Stretch Film Manufacturers
Your next option for purchasing stretch film is to buy direct from a stretch film manufacturer.
This is a popular choice for consumers as stretch film manufacturers are the premier experts on the brands of film that they manufacture.
Sales reps from stretch film manufacturers are some of the top thought leaders and experts on the stretch films that they sell.
The reps can answer any questions you may have about the films they offer and assist you in making a purchase.
With that being said, stretch film manufacturers only sell the brands of film that they make. As such, in many instances, they may try to sell you their brand of film regardless of whether or not it is the best film for your needs.
It is also essential to understand that not all stretch film manufacturing companies will sell directly to consumers. Some manufacturers only sell their films through packaging distributors.
Stretch Film Distributors
Finally, we come to stretch film distributors. This is another popular option for many consumers when looking to buy stretch film for their company.
Stretch film distributors are brand agnostic. This means they source and sell multiple brands of stretch film under one roof.
Because stretch film distributors sell multiple brands of stretch film, their sales professionals will help you buy the correct film for your needs.
Stretch film distributors feature knowledgeable packaging experts who can review several brands of film with you to help identify the perfect film choice for your product, budget, and logistics requirements.
We should point out that Industrial packaging is a stretch film distributor. We offer some of the best brands of stretch film on the market today.
Stretch film is the most common packaging material on earth. Used by millions of businesses the world over, it is used to palletize products for shipping everywhere. Whether you use manual labor or a fully automatic stretch wrapper, chances are, you go through a lot of stretch wrap yourself.
As you read this, you are probably on a quest to find the best stretch film for your packaging line and have been researching your different options.
Having done your due diligence, you have found your way here to the Industrial Packaging blog. Luckily for you, this may be the last post you will need to read today in order to pick the best stretch film for your needs.
We have been selling and running stretch film and the related machinery for decades. Industrial Packaging is a packaging distributor offering the very best materials and equipment for stretch wrapping. We have many years of expertise working with companies to find the best packaging materials for their operation and optimizing packaging lines.
In this article, we will be exploring the top 7 best types of stretch film. You’ll get some background information about each brand and the manufacturer who produces these high quality stretch films. The order that these film brands are presented is not meant to suggest best to worst. Rather, this is simply a list of the top brands currently available.
1. Alliance Plastics Stretch Film
Alliance is a producer of many world class hand stretch films and are well known throughout the industry as a leader in this product space. Their many offerings include but are not limited to:
Hand Films From Alliance:
- SteelFlex Blown hand film is a great choice for the toughest load in very extreme conditions.
- SteelFlex Cast hand film is your everyday choice to handle your traditional loads. With a quiet release and high puncture resistance, end-users enjoy the ease of application.
- SteelFlex Secure utilizes ultra thin film technology, reduces material consumption, and worker fatigue.
- SteelFlex Xtreme is the most advanced down gauge hand film on the market, according to their website.
- Steelflex Airforce is an open film that offers breathable load containment with power bands for incredible strength and stabilization.
- AirForce Bandflex is a film that combines the qualities of vented films and traditional stretch films.
2. Intertape Stretch Film
IPG (Intertape Polymer Group) produces blown stretch film and cast stretch film in their modern stretch production facilities. This assures that they will have the right type of product to offer their customers, regardless of the application.
Intertape manufactures machine applied and hand applied lengths (in both cast and blown stretch wrap versions). Their stretch film manufacturing facilities are ISO certified and utilize techniques such as Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing to ensure that they produce the highest quality products consistently and cost-effectively.
- SuperFLEX® brand high performance stretch wrap products are light gauge stretch films used to effectively replace traditional heavier gauge stretch film.
- StretchFLEX® brand standard duty stretch wrap products have a reputation for reliability and consistency. StretchFLEX products are the right choice for applications where heavier gauge films make sense.
3. Sigma Stretch Film
Sigma offers a wide variety of world class stretch films including:
- Performance Blown Hand Film. Sigma Classic blown hand film is their best selling, general purpose hand film. This versatile film’s unparalleled puncture and tear resistance makes it easy to use and reduces film breaks. The outstanding cling package keeps the wrap intact with no tails. Classic has a wide range of sizes and gauges to handle all applications. The stretch, load retention and toughness of blown film ensures protection for regular loads and extra protection for those difficult to contain pallets.
- Lightweight, Premium Blown Hand Film. Sigma Supreme is a premium grade film extruded with special orientation for a stronger film at thinner gauges. Rolls are lightweight and easy to use, minimizing fatigue during application. As with all of their blown film products, Supreme has incredible load holding force to get your products to their destination safely.
Sigma’s ECOSUPREME family of pre-stretched hand films lead the industry in overall performance and has been widely accepted as the premium film in this category. Their engineered blown master rolls, combined with a proprietary conversion process is simply the best way to manufacture thin, pre-stretched films. This innovative engineering creates Dynamic Tension within the film, causing it to contract after applying to increase containment and get more products to their destination in as-made condition.
- Sigma Stretched is pre-stretched for extra strength, higher yield and lighter weight rolls. Sigma Stretched is another unique pre-stretch product engineered to outperform all competitive pre-stretch products in the industry, Regardless of thickness. It’s their proprietary blown extrusion process coupled with a conversion process developed in-house, that makes this product unique. Sigma Stretched has unrivaled load holding force, puncture resistance, clarity and an aggressive cling package that is well suited for any application.
- Sigma Steel Almost as strong as steel, Sigma's latest hand film will take on your toughest applications.
- Premium Cast Film Hand Application System EXTENDED CORE is a cast co-extruded, premium hand film wound on 1-1/4” cores with 5”extended application handles. No dispensers are required. The X-Core design and light-weight rolls make it easy to use in tight spaces & low places. The wider film web saves time and energy. Loads get wrapped quicker with fewer trips around the pallet.
4. Berry Stretch Film
Berry manufactures a full line of hand stretch wrap products that are designed to meet all applications. Below, you will find a list of each type of film that this manufacturer offers and a description of each product.
Hand Films from Berry:
- Fortitude: Ultra Performance, hybrid hand wrap, lightweight rolls with reinforced edges and oscillating wind.
- WinLock: Ultra Performance, pre-stretch hand film has a balance of film stiffness and tear resistance. Available with and without cores.
- X-Series: Ultra Performance, pre-stretch hand film, ideal for high volume applications.
- XH: High Performance, cast hand film, quietly and easily unwinds from the roll.
- XB: High Performance, blown hand film, aggressive two-sided.
- ADW: Performance, cast, hand film, high load containment.
- HWX: Performance, blown, hand film, economical and versatile.
How Much Money Could You Save With A Stretch Wrapper?
5. Malpack Stretch Film
Malpack is a producer of ultra-high quality hand and machine stretch films according to their website.
Some of Malpack's stretch products include:
- Vmax Wrapplicator
- No bending or stretching required
- Walk forward and not backwards
- Reduce the likelihood off pallets collapsing during transit or on an operator
- Reduce stress through the back by 50%
- V-Max Pre-stretch Hand Film
- Pre-Stretch Film
- High Puncture Resistance
- Damage resistance edges for drop resistance
- Excellent cling properties
- Less physical strain on labor force due to film already being oriented
- Faster application speed – increasing output
- Platinum Max Hand Film
- Ultra- High Performance Hand Film
- Thinner/ Stronger Films
- Less Neck Down – Stiff Cast Film
- Greater Coverage
- Higher Holding Force – Lowest Gauge
- Less Worker Fatigue (higher force less wraps)
- Quiet Cast Release
- Very High Clarity
- Max Wrap Hand Film
- 5 Layer Cast Film
- Excellent Puncture Resistance
- Exceptional cling
- Excellent cling properties
- Superior strength & Load retention
- Consistent film quality
- Standard Performance Machine Film
- Available in 55 to 200 Gauge
- Standard Performance Machine Film
- Available in 1 or 2 sided cling
- Designed for a variety of applications
- Clear Optics and Quiet Unwind
- High Performance Machine Film
- Available in 42 to 70 Gauge
- High Performance machine Film
- Improved Force-to-Load
- Excellent puncture in lower gauges
- Convenient 50 roll pallets
- Lowest Roll Cost in Industry
- Ultra High Performance Machine Film
- Available in 39 to 110 Gauge
- Ultra-High Performance Machine Film
- Very High Clarity
- Exceptional Pre-Stretch levels
- High Load containment in light gauges
- Proven Performance on all machines
- Ultra High Performance Machine Film (VER 2)
- Available in 37 to 50 Gauge
- Ultra-High Performance Machine Film
- Highest Load Containment
- Highest Puncture Resistance
- Introduces Smart Layer® technology
6. Amtopp Stretch Film
Amtopp makes high quality stretch films for both machine stretch and hand stretch applications, the description offered for each is as follows:
Film Options from Amtopp:
- Machine Film
- Amtopp's Engineered Ultra High Performance Series includes MegaStar, LoadStar Plus, and Apex films. The High Performance Series they have is called X-Treme stretch film. Their Premium Value Series is EPB and O-LOCK films. Their Specialty Film Series includes UVI, Color, AML and EX PET Bottle, Tackmaster, and Conversion films.
- Hand Film:
- Amtopp's Engineered Ultra High Performance Series includes LoadStar, Pallet Lock Prestretch, and Coreless Pallet Lock Prestretch films. Their High Performance Film Series features X-Treme stretch film. Their Premium Value Series features HCB film. Their Specialty Film Series includes Tackmaster, UVI, and Color films.
7. Paragon Stretch Film
Paragon is the premier manufacturer of stretch film and has a diverse offering of cast hand film. Paragon hand films adhere to our high standard for quality and possess crystal clear optics and superior characteristics.
Some of Paragon's available Stretch Films:
- Torque®
- Half the film, half the effort, twice the force—simple tagline, extraordinary hand film. Torque’s patented formula saves you time, money, and resources with an impressive resume of capabilities. It’s lightweight, damage resistant, and secures a tighter-wrapped pallet consistently.
- Spartan®
- Strong on performance, easy on the environment. Spartan features a thin gauge and superior cling, while specializing in hassle-free, waste-free application—reducing packaging consumption and material costs.
- Edge™
- Aggressive loads—meet your match. Edge hand film features enhanced resins and a multi-layered design that provides exceptional puncture resistance and superior performance, even when stretch levels exceed 250 percent.
- Titus™
- Thinner. Stronger. Greener. A hand film designed with sustainability in mind, Titus provides exceptional load security and excellent puncture resistance at an ultra thin gauge. Titus delivers performance and dependability while using less film—achieving both cost savings and source reduction.
Paragon also features a line of machine stretch film.
"Wrapping" It Up
And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, the top seven truly BEST brands of stretch film currently available to the world!
We hope that you have found this information both informative and useful. If you would like any additional information about any of these brands or formulations of stretch film, connect with one of our Packaging Solutions Specialists.
They will be able to help you choose the right brand and formulation for your packaging needs and also assist in helping you choose the right vendor for you materials, regardless of whether or not that vendor happens to be us.