80 gauge stretch wrap

Gauge counts hundredths of a mil, so 80 gauge is 0.8 mil, about 20 micron. It is the figure printed on the two rolls most buyers know: the 18 inch by 1,500 foot hand roll, four to a case,² and the 20 inch by 5,000 foot machine roll, which in one listing is rated for loads up to 2,500 pounds.³ The buying guide gives 70 to 80 gauge for loads of 2,200 to 2,400 pounds.¹

It is also the gauge the industry has been leaving. One wrapper maker says typical film went from 80 gauge to an average of about 65 over fifteen years, because powered carriages stretch thinner film further.⁴ If you wrap by machine at 80, there may be film to save; if you wrap by hand, 80 is still the sensible default.

By hand, an 80 gauge roll stretched modestly puts film close to its own thickness on the pallet, which is why it is a safe all-rounder for mixed docks. On a turntable stretching 200 percent or more, the same roll lays down a far thinner web, so a machine at 80 is often holding with plenty to spare. That is where sites look first when asked to cut film: drop a step, keep the pattern, and check containment force.

80 is also the easiest gauge to buy. Almost every supplier stocks 18 inch hand rolls and 20 inch machine rolls at 80 in both cast and blown, so it is quick to compare quotes like for like.

A packaging specification or tender that says only "80 gauge stretch film" invites quotes for very different products. Add the type (cast or blown), cling (one side or both), width, length, core, and whether the gauge is true or equivalent. State the loads it must hold and how they are wrapped. That way every supplier quotes the same thing, and the cheapest bid is genuinely cheaper rather than shorter, thinner or harder to stretch.

Tails that peel loose suggest one-sided cling film being used by hand; ask for two-sided. Holes at carton corners point to blown film or corner boards. A slack wrap on a turntable often means a worn brake or pre-stretch roller rather than the film.

Why is 80 gauge so common?

It is a safe middle: thick enough for most loads of cases wrapped by hand, and the gauge most listed hand and machine rolls are sold in.

Should my wrapper be running 80 gauge?

Perhaps not. With a powered carriage stretching 150 percent or more, many sites can hold the same loads on a lighter film. Test before changing.

Is 80 gauge cast or blown?

Both. The 18 inch hand roll in one listing is blown; the 20 inch machine roll in another is cast.

Should we change to blown and drop a gauge at once?

Change one thing at a time. Switch type first, measure, then try the lighter gauge, so you know which change made the difference.