There is more than one way to wrap your pallets to prepare them for a safe shipment. Which you choose depends on which works best for your purposes. Every industry is different, and your secondary packaging operation should be as unique as your business. Discover the options available to you with this guide on stretch wrapping vs. shrink wrapping.
Stretch wrap
Stretch wrap, also commonly known as stretch film, is a highly stretchable plastic film that is wrapped around items. Items are able to be tightly bound for a safe shipment due to the elastic recovery.
Stretch wrappers come in multiple different configurations. These configurations are broken down below.
Turntable: Turntable stretch wrappers take your item and completely wrap it in stretch film automatically. These machines are ideal for high volume applications.
Horizontal: Horizontal stretch wrappers take in the item at one end of the conveyor belt, wrap the item, and then allow the newly wrapped item to exit horizontally.
Vertical: Vertical stretch wrappers are designed to keep the item in place while a rotary arm or rotating ring wraps the item and then allows it to exit.
Stretch wrap machines are highly efficient and are proven to save time and money on labor and stretch film compared to hand wrapping pallets in stretch wrap.
Shrink wrap
Shrink wrap is a thick plastic film that is wrapped loosely around an item. It is able to secure the item for shipment when heat is applied. Heat application causes the shrink wrap to shrink tightly around the item.
Shrink wrappers are offered in a versatile range including wrap-around case packers, case cartoning, and tray packing machines. These are able to cover any range of materials including PET, glass, HDPE, steel, aluminum, and fiberboard. With shrink wrapping machines, it doesn’t matter if the items are packaged in a case, tray, film U-board, pad, or are unsupported. High-quality shrink wrapping equipment, such as those from Robopac USA, produce minimal noise and can operate at speeds up to 85 trays per minute, depending on the machine type and product specifications.
If you’re thinking about investing in something to improve your operation’s efficiency while saving money on materials and labor, consider an investment in a Robopac USA machine. With the time and money you’ll save with our industrial shrink wrap machines and industrial stretch wrapping machines, you can re-invest in your business and even expand.
