Having these in mind, here are the reasons why your stretch wrapping fails – compromising your load unitisation.
- When Marriage Gone Wrong
The unitisation system is likened to a marriage system.
When matching machine, film and load that are not made for each other, you will never achieve a stable load.
This means you cannot simply get the perfect unitisation by merely using the best machine and best film.
The film has to match the type of load while your wrapper setting brings out the best of your film’s functionality.
You have to understand all the three variables-load type, film type and wrapping machine to bring out the best of your film and contain the load efficiently.
Ask yourself these and more
-What type of load am I wrapping?
-What are the film properties required?
-How far can I maximize the film?
-What is the most suitable wrapper for my load and film types? · Can l get the optimum stretch out of my existing film?
Once again,
Best Load + Best Film + Best Machine # 100% Stable Load
As you can see, this equation is incomplete. You may want to read on to find the reveal at the end.
2. When Limits Are Overstretched (Under Stretched)
When you overstretched your film properties beyond the optimum functionality, you risk breaking your films. And when you under stretch your film properties, you risk uneven unitisation and increased film wastage.
If it breaks during wrapping, it’s a cost to your production.
If it breaks during in-transit, it’s a risk of accidents, road accidents, injury and even death, on top of damaged goods and high unsaleable.
Regardless, it’s a significant loss if you break the limits of what your films can do.
Again you will need to understand.
-What are the properties of your film?
-How do you know the limit thresholds of your films?
-What is the optimum stretch and working zone of your film?
-At which resolution is enough to give your load the best support where the rest are unnecessary wastage?
-How do I ensure consistent wrapping that is repeatable?
So,
Overstretched/Under Stretch Films = Wrapping Load Fails
3. When Assumptions Are Made & Wrapping
Distributions Are Uneven
One of the biggest misconceptions many brand owners or packagers today is that thicker is always better.
For instance, for heavy load, many packers still use 23 um to 35 um gauge films- -assuming that thicker is good where holding force is better.
The disbelief that a 12mic film can support their heavy load is real.
lt is not necessarily true that thicker means better, and vice versa. You can read more on myths about stretch films here.
Also, what about the unnecessary cost of using a thicker gauge when a thin gauge can do the job, sometimes even better.
Higher Gauge Stretch Films # Stronger Holding Force # Stable Load