Hand stretch film

Hand stretch film is the film applied by hand around a palletised load. As it stretches, it tries to recover its length and pulls the boxes tight against each other; its cling makes each wrap stick to the previous one with no tape or staples. The result is a pallet that does not shift in the lorry, is protected from dust and dirt and, being clear, keeps its contents visible and identifiable.

What sets it apart from machine film is the format. A hand reel weighs 1.5 to 2.5 kg so that an operator can handle it all day, in widths of 450 and 500 mm and thicknesses of 15, 17, 20 and 23 microns. Machine film comes on 12 to 20 kg reels and is pre-stretched by the stretch wrapper. If you only need to bundle products or protect corners, there are mini reels of 100, 125 and 150 mm, as well as coreless formats that eliminate the waste from the cardboard tube.

The thickness is chosen according to the load. For regular, stable boxes, 17-20 microns covers almost everything; for heavy pallets or long journeys, 23 microns. As well as clear, there is opaque black, white and colours for coding destinations. An experienced operator wraps between 15 and 25 pallets per shift and typically uses between 200 and 300 grams of film per pallet.

The weak point of hand wrapping is inconsistency: the tension depends on each operator's arm and how tired they are. A dispenser with an adjustable brake is the cheapest improvement, because it sets the tension and reduces consumption. Once you exceed 15-20 pallets a day, it is worth running the numbers on a stretch wrapper: the film saving per pallet adds up quickly. And if the produce goes into cold storage or needs to breathe, the right film is macro-perforated.

At Fontanet Group, from Fraga (Huesca) and with a team of more than 30 years in the sector, we help you choose the micron, width and colour for your load and your volume. The exact format, the type of core and samples to test on your own pallet are confirmed with our sales team.