For food and beverage manufacturers, damaged and rejected pallet loads can mean lost product, additional handling and unplanned costs. Matching stretch film and wrapping methods to the load can improve stability while reducing film use.
A pallet may leave a food or beverage manufacturing plant in good condition, only to arrive at a distribution centre crushed, leaning or with cartons missing. While handling and transport conditions play a role, the problem can begin before the load leaves the warehouse.
For manufacturers, the consequences can include damaged stock, rejected deliveries and production or logistics delays. According to Omni Packaging, the answer is not necessarily to apply more stretch film, but to select the film for the load and apply it consistently.
Food and beverage pallets vary widely in weight, configuration and temperature requirements. A pallet of dry grocery products, for example, places different demands on stretch film from bottled beverages or temperature-sensitive dairy products. Using one film specification across every production line may simplify purchasing, but can compromise pallet stability or product quality.
Matching film to the load
Fresh produce, dairy and other temperature-sensitive products may require airflow through the pallet to manage heat, humidity and condensation. Wrapping these loads tightly in solid film can slow cooling and trap moisture close to the product.
Ventilated stretch film can allow air to circulate while providing load containment, making it suitable for products moving through cold storage, blast chillers or freezers. It may also assist hot-filled products by allowing heat to escape more readily.
However, stretch film is only one part of the packaging system. Cartons and trays must also support airflow. If the secondary packaging blocks ventilation, changing the stretch film alone will have limited effect.
Bottled and canned beverage loads present another challenge. These pallets are typically heavy and dense, requiring sufficient containment force to prevent cartons, bottles or cans moving in transit.
Adding more film is not always effective. Pallet stability depends on the interaction between film tension, containment force, wrap pattern, overlap and the number of revolutions. Excessive wrapping can increase material consumption without improving stability, while too much pressure may crush cartons around the load’s edges.
The wrapping pattern must also secure the load to the pallet, rather than simply holding the cartons together. If the product is tightly wrapped but poorly connected to the pallet base, the complete load may still shift during handling or transport.
Consistency through automation
Hand wrapping can be suitable for lower-volume operations, but maintaining consistency becomes more difficult as throughput rises. Film tension, overlap, wrap count and base reinforcement can vary between operators and across a shift.
Semi-automatic and automatic pallet wrappers reduce this variation by applying film using controlled tension, pre-stretch and programmed wrapping cycles. Separate programs can also be established for loads with different weights, configurations and containment requirements.
Power pre-stretch systems are designed to extend the film before application, potentially reducing film consumption while maintaining the required containment force. Depending on the model, machines may also incorporate automatic film cutting, integrated weighing and customised wrap cycles.
Automation can address another common problem: loose film tails, sometimes known as “dags”. These can catch on conveyors, racking and automated handling systems, creating particular difficulties at retail distribution centres with defined pallet presentation requirements. Automatic cutting and film-securing functions can reduce this risk.
Looking beyond film volume
When pallet damage or rejected loads become recurring problems, manufacturers should assess the complete wrapping process. This includes whether the film suits the product, whether temperature-sensitive loads receive adequate airflow and whether heavy loads have sufficient containment force.
The review should also determine whether the wrap connects the load securely to the pallet, tension remains consistent from bottom to top, film tails are properly secured and finished pallets are wrapped to the same standard across every shift.
Omni Packaging supplies stretch film and semi-automatic and automatic pallet wrapping equipment to food, beverage and logistics operations. The company says assessing the film, pallet configuration, machine settings and wrapping method as one system can improve load stability and reduce unnecessary material use.
