30 inch machine stretch film

A wider web climbs a tall stack in fewer turns, and fewer turns is less time on the turntable per pallet. That matters on a wrapper that runs all shift. On short pallets the extra width just overhangs the top, so a 20 inch roll does the job with less film.

A 20 inch by 5,000 foot roll already weighs about 32 pounds;¹ a 30 inch roll of similar length is heavier still to load onto the carriage. The rollers, the film path and the mast have to be made for that width. After any change of film, check containment force at the top, middle and bottom of a load.²

Tall pallets of light goods, such as empty containers, insulation, bedding, packaging materials and stacked plastic crates, reach well above the height a 20 inch roll covers comfortably. A wider web wraps them in fewer passes, and the broader band of film across each tier helps keep a tall, light stack from swaying. Sites that run long production shifts on one wrapper value the shorter cycle most. Low, dense pallets gain nothing from the extra width and only use more film at the top.

Ask your wrapper maker whether the carriage can be converted between widths; some can, with a change of rollers, and some can't.

Fully automatic wrappers at the end of a production line, fed by conveyor, often run wider film because they wrap a pallet every minute or two without an operator. Every pass saved adds up across a shift. Those machines also tend to have cut-and-clamp systems that start and finish the wrap by themselves, and they are sensitive to roll quality: a telescoped roll or a crushed core can stop the line. Ask for rolls packed upright in cartons or on tier sheets, and inspect a sample from each delivery before loading it.

Semi-automatic turntables, where an operator attaches the film and starts the cycle, more often stay with 20 inch rolls.

Hand rolls wider than 20 inches are rare, since they are awkward to carry and stretch. Thirty inches is a machine width.

Will a 30 inch roll fit my wrapper?

Only if the carriage was made for it. The rollers, film path and roll holder are set for one width; ask the wrapper maker or check the carriage plate before ordering.

Does wider film use more film per pallet?

Not necessarily. Fewer turns climb the load, so the total can be similar or less, as long as the overlap is set right. On short loads, though, the extra width just overhangs the top.

Is it harder to load onto the carriage?

A wider roll of similar length weighs more, so loading it is heavier work. Plan for that where operators change rolls by hand.

Is there a 30 inch roll at a lighter gauge?

Yes. Wide rolls are made across the usual gauges, so you can pair the width with a lighter film if your loads hold on it.

Does wider film waste more at the top?

On short loads, yes; set top turns carefully, and consider keeping a 20 inch carriage for low pallets.

• 20 in x 5,000 ft

  The standard roll

  For carriages built for 20 in film.

• Film for your wrapper

  Carriage first

  Check what your carriage takes.

• All machine film

  By the pallet

  Back to the machine range.