Get Customer Feedback
Are they telling you that you are losing loads due to weak areas in the film? Is the film so strong in spots that is is crushing boxes?
You can’t find the “right number”, for force to load (the amount of squeeze the film puts on your load) in a book but your customers know whether your packaging is getting it done or it isn’t. Customer feedback won’t tell you whether you need 7 lbs of force to load or 50 lbs. However, you will learn if you need more, less, or that it is good now. But what are the numbers for what you are doing now?
Record Baseline Measurements
Use stretch film test equipment to record a baseline Force to Load amount. If you are working with a good packaging professional they probably already have the equipment.
Establish a baseline for the amount of film you are currently applying to each pallet. Wrap a pallet as you normally would and then cut the film off and weigh it on an accurate scale.
Now you know how much force to load you are currently getting and how much film you are using to get it.
Optimize Force to Load
You may decide after talking with your customers and looking at your current baseline numbers that improvement can be made.
Use data rather than guessing. Increase or decrease force to load amounts by changing stretch wrapper settings like amount of wraps, carriage speed, etc. Change only one of these variables at a time in small increments and record the results before changing other settings.
Stay in touch with your customers make sure changes are positive. You don’t have to tell them you are tweaking things, just ask if things are good overall.
Source Reduction / Do More With Less
Now that you know the amount of containment force you need, could you achieve it by switching to a higher performance film in a thinner gauge? This could reduce cost per load, changeover (longer rolls), and film added to the landfill later on. Using less film might also help you with sustainability ratings from your management or customers.
Consistent Application
Are you getting overkill on the top layer but the middle layer is too weak resulting in poor containment? Is your strongest layer too strong resulting in crushed boxes?
Could you use fewer wraps on the top or add an extra wrap in the middle to achieve more consistent pallet-wide force to load while using less film and decreasing damage?
Automation
A machine with 260% pre-stretch rollers can turn 10” of film into 36” of film on a consistent basis without breaking it in the process. Your employees can’t stretch stretch hand applied wrap that far. They certainly can’t do it all day every day. Even if they could, isn’t that asking for higher workers comp claims? Automation could make your employees happier, healthier, and more effective elsewhere in the plant doing jobs they will like more.
Conduct Regular Audits
Monitoring performance is very important in maintaining performance over time. If changes are made it would be good to know that happened sooner rather than later.