Stretch Wrap

The short answer is no. Although you can get manual stretch wrap in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, in general, manual stretch wrap is available in shorter and lighter rolls than stretch wrap for machine wrapping. Manual wrapping can achieve a stretch rate, on average, of up to 150% while maintaining excellent puncture resistance and load retention. Machine-wrapped wrapping can achieve a stretch of 200% or more. Manual stretch wrap is typically used only in lower volume packaging facilities and manual stretch wrap rolls are designed to fit on a hand-operated roll dispenser. They are not designed to be used on a wrapping machine.

There are also a variety of sizes and thicknesses of machine wrap on the market, each intended for a specific purpose. They are typically available in larger, thicker rolls to fit a variety of stretch wrapping machines. It is critical to keep in mind that not all types of machine stretch wrap will work on all stretch machines. Because a stretch-wrap machine is a big investment, it’s important to be sure it can utilize the types of stretch wrap you need for your business. Some of the types of stretch wrapping machines include orbital stretch, ring stretch, ring straddle stretch, straddle stretch and turntable stretch.

Shrink wrap can be applied to a product loosely, yet it will shrink to secure the product once heat is applied to it. Stretch wrap, on the other hand, is a stretchable plastic that is typically wrapped securely around multiple products on a load.

Industry guidelines provide the gauge of stretch wrap that you need according to the weight of your load, as follows:

• 800 lbs. — 30 gauge
• 1300 lbs. — 63 gauge
• 1600 lbs. — 70 gauge
• 2200 lbs. — 80 gauge