Stretch Wrapping Questionaire

TOP 10 QUESTIONS TO ASK ON STRETCH WRAPPING APPLICATIONS


To ensure your product arrives safely, there are a lot of questions we get asked, especially around the use of Stretch Wrapping. 


We have published these 10 questions to think through to save you money, hassle and ensure you do not have a negative customer experience.  If you have questions, please contact one of our Account Managers who can help you answers these questions and make sure you get the right solution for your shipping needs.

  • How heavy are the pallets?
    1. Key question to understand the basic requirements of the film application.
    2. Weight is the starting point to determine film type and thickness.

  • How do you ship your products and how far?
    1. Mode of transportation is a critical factor in understanding the stresses put on a pallet…sea, air, road, rail, LTL require different packaging.
    2. Distance determines the film type, thickness and wrapping configuration…the longer the trip, the more potential for damage and the higher the containment must be to ensure products arrive safely.
  • What packaging materials do you use to protect your products?
    1. The amount of packaging used to protect products has a direct impact on the stretch film requirements.  Packaging products could include:
    • Cartons- master cartons and individual boxes
    • Bubble wrap/foam/Styrofoam
    • Cornerboards

    Products that have significant ancillary packaging materials will generally require less stretch film to properly protect.

  • Do you have established standards in place for stretch wrapping?
    1. Developing a standardized packaging process that is based on science and engineering, reduces the variance and risk of having products damaged.
    2. Standardization is critical in production.  Why not in your packaging process?
    3. If you have a standardized wrapping process, how did  you develop it to make sure it is adequate?
    4. How do you ensure that the standard is maintained?
  • How do you determine the best products for your specific application?
    • Every stretch film application is unique!
    • In order to determine the correct film, gauge and application settings all aspects of the process need to be taken into consideration.
  • How and who decides the type of film, gauge, wrapping pattern and settings?
    1. The cost to acquire film is one small variable in the total cost of ownership.
  • Are you having film breaks during the application of film?
    1. There are many reasons for film breaking during application:
    • Film is too thin for the machine settings
    • Machine issues such as rough surfaces on the rollers
    • Poor pallet configurations
    • Sharp corners
    • We have a Troubleshooting App that helps to understand root causes

    The key result is that when film breaks, it takes 5-10 minutes to get it running again AND the easiest fix is to reduce the tension, which reduces the containment!

  • Are there any bottlenecks in the stretch wrapping process?
    1. Utilizing capital equipment is an important factor in the efficient operation of a business.
    2. If the stretch wrap process cannot keep up, you need to re-engineer the process or invest in more equipment.
    3. Using a thicker film, with less revolutions and higher force to load allows you to wrap more pallets/day without sacrificing containment
  • Are you experiencing damage during transit?
    1. *Most companies have a .5%-1% rate of damage that causes your products to be unsaleable.
    2. The total cost of film is far lower than the cost of damaged goods.


    * FMI and GMA white paper on Unsaleables- 2008

  • What is the cost (over and above product cost) to handle the return of one damaged case?
    1. The product cost to replace a damaged product is insignificant in relation to the other costs associated with this replacement:
    • Sales rep involvement with customer
    • Customer service complaint resolution
    • Credit note and new order generated
    • Shipping cost to return damaged product
    • Manufacturing cost to produce a replacement
    • Freight cost to ship replacement
    • Unhappy customer!!!  What does that cost?

Our thorough assessment provides the following outputs:

  1. The proper film, gauge and application to properly contain/[protect your valuable products for shipping.
  2. Total film cost savings with the proper application.
  3. Reduction of film going to landfill/recycling.
  4. Containment required per pallet and a solution to achieve that containment level.
  5. A repeatable, measurable standard for packaging.
  6. Labor cost savings.


Asking these questions will provide a comprehensive understanding of your current stretch wrapping needs and allow for a more informed decision when considering new equipment, films, or processes. Let us know if you'd like additional information on any of these!

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