Containment force is the total amount of force applied to your shipment load at any point. The tightness of the wrap determines the containment force. It is one of the most important factors when you’re deciding if a load is safe for shipment. Containment force is the key to your shipment arriving safely and intact. Using the right amount of stretch film containment force can be the difference between your products getting to their destination intact or with damage. Learn more about the importance of using the correct containment force in this guide.

It keeps shipments stable

Using the right amount of containment force is key to keeping your load stable. When a shipment doesn’t use enough containment force, it can become unstable. When the products are able to move more than they should, the products at the bottom of the load are in danger of shifting. This shifting can cause middle-packed products to fall or move, which typically leads the top of the load to fall, causing damage to the products and even breaking through the stretch film. Using the correct containment force at different points on the load keeps products stable and still, which works to prevent damage.

It prevents products from being crushed

Using too high of a containment force can put your products under too much pressure. This can lead to products becoming crushed or damaged by the stretch wrap during the shipping process. They might bend, concave, or break through the stretch wrap. Finding the right containment force for your entire load is key to a safe shipment that holds your products in place without applying too much force to them.

Learn how to decide on what containment force to use

Getting the containment force at the right level is key to ensuring your products ship safely with little or no damage. Therefore, it’s important to know how to measure and decide on a containment force. Below is a general guideline for the ideal containment force.

  • Light loads of up to 500 pounds: Two to six pounds of containment force
  • Medium loads of between 500 and 1100 pounds: Six to eight pounds of containment force
  • Heavy loads of between 1100 and 1700 pounds: Eight to 17 pounds of containment force

Containment force is extremely important. Make sure to measure at the base, middle, and top of a single shipment to determine its lowest and highest containment force. Using a Robopac USA semi automatic or automatic stretch wrapper makes choosing a containment force easy and creates consistency. Check out our wide selection of stretch wrappers to find the one that suits your specific needs.