Shrink Film and Stretch Film: What’s the difference?
January 07, 2020
Hand or Machine?
Stretch Film is applied by hand (hand film) or by equipment (machine film). Hand film is usually smaller in width so that a person can manually hold the roll and wrap the stretch around the pallet. Hand film can come pre-stretched, which means the wrap has already been stretched to capacity as it sits on the roll. The user would not need to stretch it any further to wrap the pallet. Although this requires less output from the person applying the stretch film to the pallet, it also means that there is less film per roll, and it cannot contain as much as conventional, un-stretched wrap.
Machine film usually runs in a larger width to fit a machine wrapper, which can automatically wrap various pallet loads and sizes in a fraction of the time as a manual application. Some machine wrappers have an “arm” that rotates around the pallet, while others require the pallet to sit on a platform that spins while the stretch film is applied.
Blown or Cast Film
Stretch film can also be what’s called “blown” or “cast.” These terms refer to the way the stretch film was manufactured. These differences make a big impact on the usability and price of the film. Cast film is essentially a less expensive and more modern way to produce stretch film, although blown film has a variety of uses still today. Cast is perfectly clear, stretches easily, and does not stick to the hands. However, it can break easily if over-stretched, and does not shrink back to size as easily after stretching. Blown, on the other hand, is not crystal clear and is tacky to the touch, but it has a higher holding power and a greater resistance to tearing or breaking than cast. Use of one or the other depends on the pallet-wrapping needs of the user.
