Top 20 Stretch Film Manufacturers: Who Is Best for Which Application?

Last updated: September 2026

The best stretch film manufacturers include Scientex for thin-gauge options, Sigma for load-testing support, Amcor for specified recycled-content blown films and Megaplast for ventilated loads. UD Packaging suits application-matched hand and machine sourcing. The right choice depends on the wrapper, load, film consumption and delivery requirements.

Quick Picks by Wrapping Application

• Best for application-matched hand and machine sourcing: UD Packaging.
• Best for thin-gauge cast options alongside blown film: Scientex.
• Best for North American load-testing support: Sigma Plastics Group.
• Best for specified certified recycled-content blown films: Amcor.
• Best for machines without powered pre-stretch: Paragon Films’ Torque range.
• Best for ventilation-sensitive pallet loads: Megaplast.

Disclosure: This guide is published by UD Packaging. We list ourselves first because this is our website, not because we claim to be the market leader. The other 19 manufacturers are grouped by what they are best for, in no particular order within each group.

How We Selected These Stretch Film Manufacturers

To identify manufacturers, we reviewed 30 candidate companies using company histories, product descriptions and public sources. We considered companies in North America, Europe, and Asia that produce or transform pallet stretch wrap for industrial use. Pure distributors, directories, equipment-only businesses and producers without industrial pallet-wrap products were excluded. Company website information and other public sources were consulted to identify parent groups, so acquired brands are counted once. Information was checked against manufacturer websites and reliable public sources in September 2026.

The information provided with each company is meant to assist the reader with regard to the company’s product and/or service offerings. The product information was evaluated to provide the reader with application guidance based on the manufacturing company’s documented range. The product descriptions typically mention the company’s founding or business start date and provide other general information. Headquarters describe the organisation’s location, not necessarily the factory supplying your order. Years follow the identified company or business history; the profiles explain where a group origin, film-business start or legal incorporation needs context.

Stretch film is a stretchable plastic film that is wrapped around a bundle of goods to hold the items together during transit and storage. This polyethylene stretch packaging material is manufactured by cast or blown extrusion processes, which extrude the film before cooling and rolling it for distribution. Hand stretch wrap and machine stretch wrap are similar products but vary in size and dimension of the roll, as well as in physical characteristics.

20 Stretch Film Manufacturers at a Glance

An analysis of the information provided by the manufacturers leads the reader to determine the alternative providers, if any, and the suppliers’ degree of flexibility to meet the customer’s needs. The companies vary in the geographic area served by the company, and the types of technical and other services provided by the company. Based upon the information provided, no company is the optimal provider for all pallet uses.

Asian and Export-Focused Stretch Film Manufacturers

These producers offer industrial pallet films from Asian manufacturing businesses. The group describes company origins and product focus, not an exclusive shipping territory: Scientex also identifies US production, and export availability depends on the order’s destination and grade.

1. UD Packaging: Best for application-matched pallet stretch film sourcing across hand and machine wrapping requirements

Manufacturing base: Jiangyin, Wuxi, China · Founded: Not publicly disclosed · Type: Integrated manufacturer and trading enterprise

Official website: https://udpackaging.com/

Main products: Hand and machine stretch film; pre-stretched, cast and blown options

Based in Jiangyin, Wuxi, UD Packaging describes itself as a stretch film manufacturer and an integrated industry-and-trade enterprise, with enquiries organised around the load and wrapping method. Its published hand-film enquiry range covers 450/500 mm widths, 12–25 micrometre thicknesses and 50/76 mm cores, giving buyers concrete starting points for a sample request. Hand and machine options sit alongside cast, blown and pre-stretched routes, so the useful discussion is which construction matches the pallet rather than which roll is cheapest. This makes UD a practical shortlist candidate when a purchaser needs to translate load photographs, wrapper details and export requirements into a film specification. Film-specific extrusion line counts and output capacity aren’t published, so UD shouldn’t be selected on an assumed scale advantage.

2. Scientex: Best for thin-gauge cast film alongside blown alternatives

Headquarters: Shah Alam, Malaysia · Founded: 1968 · Type: Industrial packaging film manufacturer

Official website: https://scientex.com.my/

Main products: Cast and blown hand and machine films; coloured wrap

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001:2015 listed for Pulau Indah and Great Wall Klang plants

Scientex manufactures both cast and blown stretch film, with Malaysian film operations and a US stretch-film plant in Phoenix identified on its official product pages. Nano 6 is part of its thin-gauge cast portfolio, while Great Wall in Klang produces blown grades for buyers considering a different balance of puncture resistance, holding force and unwind characteristics. The company also publishes coloured hand and machine films, useful when a warehouse needs visual stock identification alongside pallet restraint. According to its website, the Pulau Indah and Great Wall Klang film plants list ISO 9001:2015, which gives purchasers a defined manufacturing location for quality-system discussions. Its Thin Series machine films target brake-type and low-speed power-stretch turntables, so those thin grades should not be treated as interchangeable with high-speed ring-wrapper films.

3. Thong Guan: Best for a broad range of cast-film constructions

Headquarters: Sungai Petani, Malaysia · Founded: 1942 · Type: Packaging film manufacturing group

Official website: https://www.thongguan.com/

Main products: NEXT, LITE, Maxstretch, Bolt and EdgePro+ pallet stretch films

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 listed in its company history

Thong Guan traces its group roots to a family tea business in 1942; its official history places the move into industrial pallet stretch-film production much later, under the leadership change in 1997. Today the Sungai Petani manufacturer combines nanocast extrusion with inline MDO capability and lists NEXT, LITE, Maxstretch, Bolt and EdgePro+ film families. A research centre established in 2016 provides simulated testing and consultation for pallet packaging, adding an application-service reason to consider the company beyond its roll catalogue. The company history lists ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, while its broad film range gives purchasers room to compare handling effort, material use and machine performance. Because the families use different constructions and stretching behaviours, one wrapper setting cannot be carried across the whole range without adjustment.

4. BP Plastics: Best for nanolayer machine-film programmes

Headquarters: Batu Pahat, Malaysia · Founded: 1990 · Type: Polyethylene film manufacturer

Official website: https://www.bpplas.com/

Main products: Hand, machine, jumbo and coloured cast stretch films

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015

BP Plastics began in Batu Pahat in 1990 and added cast stretch-film production in 2000, according to its corporate history. Its published use of 67-layer cast-film machines makes it relevant to machine-film buyers evaluating whether a different layer construction can reduce film consumption on a qualified load. Hand, machine, jumbo and coloured formats provide several purchasing routes, including rolls for direct use and material for converters. The company lists ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, and distinguishes its stretch-film activity from its other polyethylene packaging output. High-performance machine film needs a compatible pre-stretch carriage and operating window; the layer count alone does not establish usable stretch or lower wrapping cost.

5. MMP Corporation: Best for machine-film grades matched to wrapper demands

Headquarters: Bangkok, Thailand · Founded: 1988 · Type: Stretch-film and food-wrap manufacturer

Official website: https://www.mmpcorp.com/

Main products: M Stretch hand, machine, jumbo and PCR films

MMP Corporation’s Bangkok-based business dates to its registration as MMP Packaging Group in 1988, and its product pages separate industrial stretch film from food cling film. The M Stretch machine range uses GP, HP, PP and HT grades to address different wrapping requirements, with published applications covering conventional turntables and higher-speed operations. GP lists a 15–30 micrometre range and up to 200% pre-stretch, while the PP product description targets higher stretching demands rather than the same machine duty. Hand, jumbo and PCR-film routes make MMP useful for buyers who want an export producer with clearly named product choices. Its machine rolls are made to order, so procurement needs to plan production and replenishment instead of assuming every specification is available from stock.

6. Korozo: Best for machine and jumbo-roll purchasing

Headquarters: Istanbul, Türkiye · Founded: 1973 · Type: Flexible packaging manufacturer

Official website: https://www.korozogroup.com/

Main products: Hand, machine, jumbo and pre-stretched films

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001 for Istanbul and Çorlu sites

Korozo was founded in Istanbul in 1973 and manufactures stretch film within a wider flexible-packaging business. The official stretch-film page describes cast extrusion with up to seven layers and offers hand, machine, jumbo and pre-stretched formats, including reinforced-edge pre-stretched film. Published machine widths of 400/450/500 mm and thicknesses starting at 12 micrometres provide a practical basis for comparing roll fit and material use. Its quality-management page lists ISO 9001 for the Istanbul and Çorlu sites, giving buyers a site reference when qualifying the manufacturing route. Jumbo supply is especially relevant to converters, but those rolls require suitable rewinding or converting equipment and are not direct substitutes for finished hand rolls.

Global Stretch Film and Flexible Packaging Groups

Group companies combine film manufacturing with various packaging operations. Wherever possible, analyze the specific film business and production operations rather than group-wide turnover or plant-wise employment totals. Acquired brands may continue to operate under their existing names within a manufacturer already listed here.

7. Amcor: Best for certified recycled-content blown pallet wrap

Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland · Founded: 2018 · Type: Global packaging manufacturing group

Official website: https://www.amcor.com/

Main products: Bontite blown pallet-wrap films; Sustane recycled-content grades

Published quality credentials: RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability for specified Sustane films

Amcor completed its combination with Berry Global in April 2025, so former Berry stretch-film operations belong within this single entry. The table uses 2018 for the incorporation of Amcor plc; the group’s predecessor history is older and shouldn’t be read as the start date of its current stretch-film operations. In a July 2026 announcement, Amcor identified Bontite blown pallet-wrap production at Leominster in the UK and Zele in Belgium, alongside RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability certification for specified Sustane films. Those named production sites and recycled-content grades make the group relevant to European buyers seeking a documented blown-film route rather than a generic sustainability claim. The certification applies to the specified films, so it can’t be extended to every Amcor stretch-film grade.

8. Trioworld: Best for recycled-content pallet-wrap programmes

Headquarters: Smålandsstenar, Sweden · Founded: 1965 · Type: Polyethylene film manufacturing group

Official website: https://www.trioworld.com/

Main products: Hand and machine stretch films; Loop recycled-content grades

Trioworld’s history begins in Smålandsstenar in 1965, and its current pallet-film portfolio includes both hand and machine products. Loop30 is a named option with 30% post-consumer recycled plastic, giving procurement a clearer comparison point than a film described only as environmentally friendly. Malpack and Eurofilms sit within the group and are counted here rather than treated as separate independent manufacturers. The company’s stretch-film offer also includes application analysis and pallet-stability support, which is useful when a recycled-content target must coexist with a defined wrapping recipe. Recycled-content levels depend on the selected Loop grade, so the percentage attached to one product must not be carried over to another.

9. Inteplast Group / AmTopp: Best for US industrial buyers needing several film formats

Headquarters: Livingston, New Jersey, USA · Founded: 1991 · Type: Plastics manufacturing group

Official website: https://www.inteplast.com/

Main products: MegaStar, LoadStar, Apex, PalletLock and specialty stretch films

Inteplast Group, established in 1991 with headquarters in Livingston, supplies pallet stretch films through its AmTopp business. Its official portfolio separates MegaStar, LoadStar and Apex machine films from hand options such as PalletLock, alongside prestretched, coreless, UV and coloured constructions. That breadth suits US industrial buyers managing several wrapping tasks, such as automated production lines and manual warehouse stations, under one supplier discussion. Named product families also make it easier to keep the qualified film specification consistent when comparing distributor quotations. Coreless rolls need compatible dispensing hardware, so a coreless purchasing programme includes the holder arrangement as well as the film itself.

10. Sigma Plastics Group: Best for North American pallet-load testing support

Headquarters: Pompano Beach, Florida, USA · Founded: 1978 · Type: Flexible packaging manufacturing group

Official website: https://www.sigmaplasticsgroup.com/

Main products: Cast and blown hand and machine stretch films

Sigma Plastics Group, including Sigma Stretch Film, dates to 1978 and is headquartered in Pompano Beach, while its stretch-film businesses manufacture cast and blown products for hand and machine application. The group identifies Packworx as a dedicated application and load-testing resource and promotes Rite-Gauging to relate film choice to the actual wrapping task. That service is a strong reason to shortlist Sigma when a plant is changing film construction, experiencing breaks or trying to reduce film consumption without losing load retention. Cast and blown options allow the evaluation to start with the load problem rather than a predetermined extrusion process. Testing-led optimisation needs representative loads and wrapper information, so the service is most useful when the purchasing and plant teams can supply a repeatable trial.

11. IPG: Best for high-speed machine wrapping with cast and blown choices

Headquarters: Sarasota, Florida, USA · Founded: 1981 · Type: Packaging products manufacturer

Official website: https://www.itape.com/

Main products: Genesys, Genesys Ultra, G7, ExpressWrap and HWI stretch films

IPG manufactures both cast and blown stretch films and offers machine-applied and hand-applied products from its broader packaging portfolio. Sarasota is its headquarters, and the company’s published ranges include Genesys, Genesys Ultra, G7, ExpressWrap and HWI. Genesys gives machine-film purchasers a named high-speed product family to compare, while ExpressWrap addresses hand wrapping with an extended core. The combination makes IPG relevant to facilities that need several packaging solutions but still want film selection organised around the equipment and load. Genesys Ultra Plus is listed in metric sizes only, which matters when a buyer’s specification or existing purchasing system is written around an inch-based roll format.

12. Manupackaging: Best for regional film supply across Europe and Latin America

Headquarters: Milan, Italy · Founded: 1969 · Type: Polyethylene packaging film manufacturer

Official website: https://www.manupackaging.com/

Main products: Machine and hand stretch films; regional specialty ranges

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 for Manupackaging Deutschland, as reported in its 2022 sustainability report

Manupackaging’s polyethylene-film operations date to 1969, within a business whose Manuli parent roots go back to 1935. Headquartered in Milan, the group has developed film operations in Europe and Latin America, including the Schkopau manufacturing site in Germany. Its portfolio covers industrial machine and hand stretch films, making it relevant to businesses coordinating pallet-wrap supply across more than one regional operation. The German company’s 2022 sustainability report describes ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certification for Manupackaging Deutschland, rather than presenting those certificates as a blanket approval of every group product. Regional manufacturing is useful for supply planning, but the locally offered range can differ, so a multi-country tender needs a product-by-product supply schedule.

European and North American Film Specialists

Other conditions listed below additionally justify shortlisting. Some manufacturers offer wide-format films and may offer machine support. Their product lines cover a range of applications. One of the application considerations represented here is the level of ventilation required in the package.

13. Paragon Films: Best for cast films for wrapping without powered pre-stretch

Headquarters: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA · Founded: 1988 · Type: Cast stretch-film manufacturer

Official website: https://www.paragonfilms.com/

Main products: Torque, Edge, Nexus and Power Edge PCR films

Paragon Films has manufactured cast stretch film since 1988 from its base in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Its hand-film range includes Edge and Torque, while Power Edge PCR is offered with 10% or 25% post-consumer recycled material according to the current product page. Torque machine film is specifically presented for equipment that doesn’t use pre-stretch, making it a relevant option for plants working with simpler wrapping carriages. That distinction is useful because a high advertised stretch percentage isn’t the purchasing objective on every line; reliable application at the available machine settings can matter more. Torque’s non-pre-stretch positioning also limits the recommendation: buyers running powered pre-stretch equipment should compare the appropriate alternative Paragon grade.

14. POLIFILM: Best for on-site film and wrapper optimisation

Headquarters: Cologne, Germany · Founded: 1972 · Type: Film manufacturing group

Official website: https://www.polifilm.com/

Main products: Machine, hand, coreless, pre-stretched and perforated stretch films

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001:2015 for POLIFILM Cast

POLIFILM’s film business dates to 1972, and its group headquarters are in Cologne while POLIFILM Cast handles the stretch-film offer. Machine, hand, coreless, pre-stretched and perforated products sit alongside on-site wrapper optimisation and its Stretch Academy training. The company identifies reNATE as a 35% PCR product, giving a specific recycled-content option within a wider technical range. Its certification page lists ISO 9001:2015 for POLIFILM Cast, and the application service makes the manufacturer relevant when film selection and machine setup need to be solved together. Coreless options require compatible roll holders, so their purchasing case must include the dispensing arrangement rather than assume a standard core-based changeover.

15. HIPAC: Best for matching rigid and power films to different carriages

Headquarters: Cazzago San Martino, Italy · Founded: 1991 · Type: Stretch-film manufacturer

Official website: https://www.hipac.com/

Main products: Premium, rigid and pre-stretched hand and machine films

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001 listed by HIPAC

HIPAC began in 1991 in Cazzago San Martino and operates stretch-film manufacturing businesses in Italy, Spain and Romania. Its premium portfolio clearly separates grades such as 112 Super Power Plus, 333 medium-performance film, 555 Rigid and 999 pre-stretched film. The 555 Rigid product is described for manual wrapping or machines without pre-stretch, whereas the power grades target different carriage demands. According to HIPAC’s quality page, the company lists ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001, giving purchasers a quality-system starting point alongside the product data. The practical limitation is grade selection: specifying 555 Rigid for a powered pre-stretch requirement would ignore the application for which that film is offered.

16. Signode / Mima Films: Best for film purchasing within a wider transit-packaging system

Headquarters: Tampa, Florida, USA · Founded: 1913 · Type: Transit-packaging manufacturing group

Official website: https://www.signode.com/

Main products: Mima machine and hand pallet stretch films

Signode traces its origins to the Seal Fastener Company in 1913 and is headquartered in Tampa, within Crown’s transit-packaging business. Mima Films is its stretch-film manufacturing brand, with the official brand page identifying film production in Belgium and Ireland. This makes Signode relevant to European purchasers who want pallet film considered within a wider discussion of packaging equipment, consumables and load protection. The value is the connection between the film and the operating system, rather than the size of Signode’s total factory network across unrelated products. The cited Mima manufacturing network is European, so buyers elsewhere need a supply route suited to their destination rather than assume local Mima production.

17. ASPLA / Armando Alvarez: Best for wide-format and customised pallet film

Headquarters: Torrelavega, Spain · Founded: 1964 · Type: Plastic-film manufacturer

Official website: https://aspla.com/

Main products: BSP, AP, SQ and manual pallet stretch films

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001 listed on ASPLA certification page

ASPLA, the Torrelavega-based plastics manufacturer within Grupo Armando Alvarez, traces its establishment to 1964. Its current pallet-film page lists BSP, AP, SQ and manual grades, with thicknesses from 12–35 micrometres and widths from 250 to 1500 mm. Options include UV and antistatic additives, different cling arrangements and colours, giving industrial buyers more specification choices than a standard clear roll. The company lists ISO 9001 on its certification page and describes Ecotool as a way to compare film use and economic or environmental implications. Its published range starts at 12 micrometres, so a tender specifically requiring thinner material falls outside that stated product window.

18. Megaplast: Best for ventilation-sensitive pallet loads

Headquarters: Marousi, Athens, Greece · Founded: 1995 · Type: Specialty pallet-film manufacturer

Official website: https://www.megaplast.gr/

Main products: AirOFilm perforated and Fiber Film reinforced stretch wrap

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001:2015 for Heraklion and Thiva factories

Megaplast was established in 1995 and has its headquarters and research centre in Marousi, Athens, with manufacturing in Heraklion and Thiva. AirOFilm uses openings to provide load ventilation, while Fiber Film addresses reinforced stretch-film applications. Its AirOFilm Stretch Lite+ brochure specifies separate grades for powered pre-stretch systems of 150% and 200%, with applications including hot goods and chilled loads needing rapid cooling. An ISO 9001:2015 certificate issued in June 2025 identifies the Heraklion and Thiva factories for flexible-packaging design, development and production. Ventilation is the reason to shortlist this specialist, but perforated film cannot provide the continuous film barrier required by some dust- or moisture-sensitive loads.

19. Efekt Plus: Best for cast-film and inline pre-stretch programmes

Headquarters: Warsaw, Poland · Founded: 2006 · Type: Cast stretch-film manufacturer

Official website: https://efekt-stretch.com/

Main products: Machine, hand, jumbo and EcoPerformance films

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

Efekt Plus is headquartered in Warsaw, with film plants in Głogów Małopolski and Rzeszów, so the factory locations should not be confused with the registered headquarters. Its official history dates stretch-film production to 2006, also the foundation date described in SABIC’s supplier case study. The manufacturer’s cast portfolio includes hand, machine and jumbo formats, and it identifies 13-layer EcoPerformance technology with inline pre-stretch. Published ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 credentials accompany that production offer, making Efekt Plus relevant to industrial buyers comparing cast-film constructions and pre-stretched alternatives. Its documented stretch-film route is cast extrusion, so a purchasing requirement specifically calling for blown hand film needs a different shortlist.

20. Bomark Pak: Best for cast-film grades with integrated core production

Headquarters: Ludbreg, Croatia · Founded: 2005 · Type: Cast stretch-film and paper-core manufacturer

Official website: https://bomarkpak.hr/

Main products: Quantum, BPower, BTitan, BStretched and BGreen films

Published quality credentials: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 and ISO 27001

Bomark Pak was founded in 2005 and manufactures cast stretch film and paper cores at Ludbreg, Croatia. Quantum, BPower, BTitan and BStretched provide different film choices, while the company’s sustainability report describes integrated extrusion, converting and core production. The same report lists ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 and ISO 27001 within its management system and explains that designated BGreen batches are produced during periods covered by the site’s own solar electricity. That combination is relevant to buyers comparing the finished roll as a supply item, including the film, core and production-energy claim. BGreen describes how production electricity is supplied; it does not by itself establish a recycled-resin percentage.

How to Choose a Stretch Film Manufacturer

When comparing stretch wrap manufacturers or pallet wrap suppliers, start with the actual wrapping process. Buyers searching for wholesale stretch film manufacturers need consistent repeat supply, while those comparing heavy duty stretch film manufacturers need trial evidence on the demanding load itself. A product category alone doesn’t establish either capability.

Identify a manufacturer based on availability of film, equipment and procedures, and cost. Consider the entire length of the production process. A roll of film may appear to have a reasonable cost, but it may consume more material or cause stops in the production process. Several constraints need to be considered while deciding on a particular film.

1. Start with the wrapping application

Discuss the properties of the film required. Mention the weight and dimensions of the pallet, the shape of the load (e.g. exposed corners and overhang), the mode of transport and shipping, and other factors (e.g. storage duration, temperature changes and ventilation).

Choosing an application method occurs at the same time. Manual application of wrap depends on the operator and weight of the wrap roll. For automatic application, factors such as the design of the machine’s carriage, controls, and variations in operating speed come into play. An enquiry for a pallet stretch-film is more helpful when the other parameters are defined in addition to gauge. Photographs and the current wrapping recipe assist the film manufacturer in determining the film to be used for replacement and the problems associated with the existing film.

For a manual hand wrap process, assess the characteristics and performance data for hand stretch films, including cast hand film, blown hand film and pre-stretch hand film offered by manufacturers. Pre-stretched rolls can change the operator’s task, so roll handling and application consistency belong in the trial alongside the film’s technical properties. Include measured data on the film material, its stretch and relaxation characteristics and the cling of the film to adjacent layers.

2. Compare thickness with useful performance

Film thickness can be described in terms of gauge. However, this doesn’t explain the structure of the film. Resin selection, layer design and orientation affect how the film stretches, clings and responds to a puncture. Also, relaxation characteristics and puncture resistance help describe film performance, but don’t by themselves establish containment of the completed load.

When comparing films, consider the transparency of the film, how easily it unwinds and other characteristics that are of interest to the operator. Film that’s difficult to apply may break during use, losing the theoretical material saving before the pallet leaves the wrapping station.

The packaging industry has traditionally used marketing terminology to segment their product lines (i.e. Ultra High Performance, Performance Blown, etc.). However, these labels don’t describe a common performance test specification accepted across the packaging industry. Thus, product lines may be overlapping. Compare the stretch wrap film’s measured properties and available sizes and gauges. Consider material reduction if the qualified film helps reduce waste from packaging without increasing rejected loads.

3. Match the film to the stretch wrapper

Document the wrapper make, model and carriage type, including whether it uses a brake, powered pre-stretch or another film-delivery arrangement. Mention the operating speed, pre-stretch setting, force-to-load setting and film dimensions. The size of the roll, including core diameter, outside diameter and weight, must fit the machine and meet the client’s specification.

A film’s maximum laboratory elongation isn’t its recommended setting on every wrapper. Nor does a stated pre-stretch percentage tell you the containment force left on the load. The distinction between HIPAC’s rigid grades and power films, or Paragon’s Torque machine application, shows why product selection must follow the carriage. Keep the settings with the approved grade so replacement rolls can be evaluated against the same recipe.

4. Measure film usage per accepted pallet

Compare film mass used for pallets that meet the agreed load requirement. Consider the mass of waste generated during the initial trial, as well as broken and lost film and mass required for rewrapping. Finally, divide the total film mass by the pallet count accepted during the same trial. Keep load pattern and wrapping program and acceptance criteria constant in order to compare film consumption.

The mass of film consumed, together with its price per kilogram, affects the wrapping cost per accepted pallet. Other parameters include the mass of the core and usable net weight of the film. An increase in the mass of the core increases the gross weight of the film roll. Extra core weight increases the film roll’s weight without adding usable wrapping material. Thinner gauges, including light gauge grades, may consume less film when the film construction and application provide the required load restraint; a heavier gauge may suit another load. However, repeated stops and operator intervention may increase the cost of wrapping. The price of the film roll should be considered when making a decision.

5. Trial puncture and tear behaviour on the real load

Two rolls of the same thickness may perform differently in the wrapping process; compare their puncture and tear resistance. Also, trial the film around edge protrusions and corners, as load geometry and stack patterns may vary. Film is elastic, and a tear may occur during production and may spread. A roll may wrap a number of uncomplicated pallets; however, decide whether the film is acceptable by recording where tears start and spread and whether an adjustment changes load retention. A roll may contain a tear that doesn’t spread.

Cast film is often considered for clarity and quieter release, while blown film is often evaluated for toughness and irregular-load handling. However, there are grades of blown and cast films. When using cast film, observe release during wrapping and cling on the finished load, including tails and neighbouring pallets, and record the effect of any speed adjustment.

In some cases, aggressive cling can help hold applied layers together, but cling on the wrong surface may cause sticking of adjacent pallets. Note pallet spacing and the required cling side in the trial specification rather than choosing by a stronger-sounding adjective.

6. Separate film-property tests from finished-load tests

Measurement of physical dimensions or mechanical properties by specified test methods characterises film, not completed pallets. Film-handling properties alone don’t describe the completed pallet, which also includes the product, stack, wrap pattern and handling conditions. Merely showing good film-property test results doesn’t mean that the final pack will be stable during transport.

Prior to the trial, establish load acceptance criteria; keep the method, specimen conditions and machine settings with the results. To evaluate the production or converting site, verify batch traceability, quality control, and the scope and validity of relevant certifications. A quality management system certificate isn’t a pallet performance certificate. This is the point to review suppliers’ declarations against the material and documentation that will accompany repeat orders.

7. Distinguish PCR, PIR and mass-balance claims

PCR refers to post-consumer recycled material recovered after consumer use, while PIR refers to post-industrial recycled material from manufacturing-related waste streams. The term “mass balance” refers to accounting for the flow of material within a certified chain of custody and shouldn’t be interpreted to mean the actual percentage of recycled content in a roll.

Ask which claim applies to the named film grade and which documentation travels with the purchase. Keep the distinction between recycled content, recyclability and production electricity: Bomark’s BGreen energy description and Trioworld’s Loop30 recycled-resin statement answer different questions. A sustainability target is useful only when the qualified film still meets the wrapping requirement. Check local film collection and recycling arrangements as part of that purchasing decision.

8. Compare landed cost and repeat-order supply

Comparable quotations should identify net film weight, dimensions, core and grade. Packaging and order quantity are stated. The basis of shipping and destination are also included. Cost of freight and duties, where applicable, storage and timing of replenishment impact the profitability of a local stock program as compared to an export program. Different downstream handling costs for jumbo rolls and ready-to-use machine rolls also affect the bottom line.

When considering a purchase, you must evaluate the minimum order quantity, the lead time for an order and sample availability. You must also understand the process the supplier will use to address out-of-spec product. Obtain assurances that the rolls you’ll receive will be in accordance with the agreed upon format and formulation. Review the supplied cost for the film against your assessment of the accepted-pallet trial and determine if the supplier can meet the supply schedule your plant can support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Build a Shortlist Around Your Pallet

Look at the suppliers who have the range of product needed to perform the required function and determine the best supply route for your plant. See what options are available. Company size alone does not make the supplier’s film choices interchangeable across applications.

For application-matched sourcing, send UD Packaging your pallet dimensions, load photographs, wrapping method, current film specification, monthly volume and destination. Review our industrial packaging applications, or request a stretch-film specification and quotation for your load.

References & Sources

Company profiles draw on the manufacturers’ official history, product and quality pages identified in their website entries. Additional public records used for company-history context include Amcor plc’s original incorporation disclosure filed with the SEC, Inc.’s Bomark Pak company profile, and the Kunststoffe International report on POLIFILM’s multilayer film production.

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