Stretch Film Basics

Industrial Supplier — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:26:43 +0000

Packaging Supplies Michigan – Amerisource Industrial Supply

There are many types of stretch wrap film. Each has qualities that are particularly suitable in addressing the specific needs of your stretch wrapping operation, such as load size and type, performance requirements as well as budget. The following lists some of the most important types of stretch film, their attributes and applications. Click on a stretch wrap film below for details.

Blown Film
Cast Film

Machine Film
Hand Film

Prestretched
Specialty Film

Cast Stretch Film
Cast stretch film also called cast film or cast wrap, is manufactured using the cast extrusion process. Typical characteristics of cast stretch films are: excellent optics, clear, glossy, superior tear resistance, quiet unwind, consistent cling and consistent film thickness. Cast stretch film products: Hand & Machine rolls can be cast or blown film.

Blown Stretch Film
Manufactured using the blown film extrusion process and also referred to as blown film. Typical blown strecth film characteristics are: poor optics, hazy, dull, excellent puncture resistance, very noisy unwind and high force on load.

Hand Stretch film
Stretch film designed specifically to be applied manually is referred to as hand stretch film. It is also referred to as hand film, hand stretch wrap, hand wrap or manual pallet wrap. It is typically utilized in lower capacity packaging operations. However the efficiency of manual stretch wrap packaging should be regularly re-evaluated against potential benefits of upgrading to a machine wrapper. Choosing the right stretch applicator will result in more efficient and cost effective packaging operations.

Machine Stretch film
Stretch film designed to be applied with a stretch wrap machine is referred as machine stretch film. It provides many advantages over hand film including: faster and more efficient packaging, reduced packaging material costs, safer application, more secure loads and more. Common machine stretch film types: cast machine stretch film, blown machine film and prestretched films.

Prestretch films
Prestretched film is film that is stretched before wrapping a load. Prestretch film benefits include:

Reduced amount of film used, so film costs are greatly reduced
Requires less revolutions to wrap a load, saving time, more efficient
Less packaging film means less waste to clear and dispose
Prestretch films are recycable
Prestretched film is strong, consistent and stable

Specialty Stretch film
Specialty stretch films are designed to answer very specific packaging needs that more general purpose stretch packaging solutions cannot accommodate. A small sample of some specialty stretch packaging films are below, each are linked to a product details page.

UVI Stretch Wrap – UV Ray reisistance
Tinted Wrap – Protect valuable items
Vented Pallet Wrap
Wide Web Wrap
Pallet Covers
Anti-Static
Hi Performance Film

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Stretch Film Price Increase Information

Industrial Supplier — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:10:08 +0000

Packaging Supplies Michigan

LLDPE Stretch Film Price Increases

New July increase from U.S. resin producers.
Distributor demand picks up on price protection buy in.

Polyethylene trading was busy this week and prices moved higher. Producers have raised prices by 3 cpp in June. Additionally, numerous producers have issued letters to their customers saying they will seek another 8 cpp increase in July … (more)
Plastics Trade Analyst June 2009

“Feedstocks, right now, have nothing to do with resin prices” said a PE market analyst . Recent resin price increases “have all been driven by exports, but now [exports] are starting to taper off, so we might be at the top of the market.”

However, several buyers said domestic demand improved from April to May to June 2009.

This year’s price increases – as well as an 8-cent move announced for July 1 that has been changed to 4 cents for July 1 and 4 cents for Aug. 1 – have not sat well with many PE buyers. Many buyers complain the increases of 2009 “haven’t been justified.”

“If you look at oil and gas ratios, there’s no reason prices should have gone up,” one said. “A lot of processors still haven’t recovered from the 20 months of increases or flat prices in 2007 and 2008 … (more)
Plastics Business News July 2009

Polyethylene suppliers have been successful in implementing the additional $.03/lb resin increase which was announced effective June 1st, 2009. This is in addition to the $.03/lb increase that was implemented May 1, 2009. The continued weakening of the U.S. dollar, strong export demand, and increasing energy (oil) prices continue to support this escalation. Based on the June 1, 2009 resin price increase, Sigma Stretch Film will increase prices by 5% on all orders received on or after July 13, 2009. (more)
U.S. Stretch Film Producer June 2009

Stretch Film Price Increase #2 Letters
Sigma	AEP
Amtopp	Berry
Western Plastics	Intertape

Summer temperatures are rising across North America – and commodity resin prices are doing the same. PE prices have increased an average of 13 cents per pound since January. Analysts attributed the PE hike to market tightness caused by export sales. Crude oil prices also are up recently, but most North American PE is based on natural gas, where prices have been volatile … (more)
Trade Reports July 2009

We welcome your comments; let us know what you are hearing on prices. Click here

For more information call or e-mail info@wplastics.com

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Amerisource Industrial Supply Blog » Stretch Film

Stretch Film Basics

Packaging Supplies Michigan – Amerisource Industrial Supply

Stretch Film Price Increase Information

Packaging Supplies Michigan