Pallet Wrapper Glossary and Packaging Machinery Technical Terms

Plain English: stretching the film before it touches the pallet so one metre of film covers more pallet.

Detail: pre-stretch is a function of the machine, not the operator. Film passes through geared rollers that elongate it as it is dispensed. "100 percent pre-stretch" doubles the film length, 250 percent lengthens it 2.5 times. It is the single biggest lever on film cost-per-pallet. Buyers often confuse it with tension; they are different mechanisms with different cost implications.

Plain English: a powered, geared system that pre-stretches film to a controlled, repeatable ratio.

Detail: power pre-stretch wrappers use two motor-driven rollers turning at different speeds. The speed ratio sets the pre-stretch ratio, so the operator does not set tension by feel. A typical unit elongates film up to roughly 250 percent in real-world operation, and film cost per pallet drops accordingly. The right answer wherever you wrap enough pallets a day that film is a meaningful line item.

Plain English: a simpler, lower-cost film carriage that uses friction to hold tension on the roll.

Detail: these are entry-level pallet wrappers. The film roll sits on a carriage with a friction brake and stretches as it pulls off the roll. The stretch ratio is uncontrolled and operator-dependent. Right for low-throughput operations where capital cost matters more than film spend. Wrong above roughly 15 to 20 pallets a day, where annual film waste exceeds the machine price difference.

Plain English: how tightly the stretched film is being pulled against the load.

Detail: force-to-load is the inward squeeze on the pallet, measured at the load itself. Too high crushes fragile product; too low keeps product safe but may not stabilise heavier pallets in transit. Set on the machine, independent from pre-stretch ratio. One of the most-confused terms in the category.

Plain English: the percentage by which the machine lengthens one metre of film before it lands on the pallet.

Detail: ratios are quoted as percentages. 100 percent means one metre becomes two, 250 percent means one becomes 3.5. Manufacturers quote a laboratory maximum; real-world ratios are lower. Ask the WPS team for the realistic field ratio for the film and load type you actually run.

Plain English: deliberately rolling the bottom edge of the film into a thicker rope to lock the load to the pallet.

Detail: roping creates a reinforced band of film around the bottom courses, anchoring the load to the timber. Done well it improves transit stability; done poorly it tears film. Requires a film delivery system that can rope consistently. Most relevant on tall, heavy or shifting loads.

Plain English: the machine attaches the film to the pallet at the start of the cycle without an operator threading it.

Detail: a function on fully automatic pallet wrappers. The machine grips, attaches and starts the film on its own at the beginning of each cycle, so the operator does not walk to the pallet to start the wrap. Without it, you still need a person at the machine for every pallet.

Plain English: the machine cuts the film at the end of the cycle and tucks or welds the loose end onto the load.

Detail: closes the cycle without operator intervention. The machine cuts the film tail and heat-welds or presses it onto the pallet so it does not flap loose. Combined with auto-attach, the wrapper runs unattended between pallets, the basis for any meaningful labour saving from automation.

Plain English: plastic strapping made from polyester, strong, low-stretch and well suited to heavy loads.

Detail: PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the higher-performance plastic option. High tensile strength, holds tension over time, resists impact damage. Right for palletising heavy loads and securing bricks, timber and steel coil. Replaces steel strap in many applications because it is safer and does not corrode. Needs a tool that tensions and seals it with a friction-weld or heat-seal joint.

Plain English: plastic strapping made from polypropylene, lighter, stretchier and well suited to light to medium loads.

Detail: PP (polypropylene) is the most common plastic strapping for cartons and light pallets. Cheaper per metre than PET, easier to apply with hand tools, well suited to bundling cartons and tying off smaller loads. It loses tension faster than PET, so it is wrong for long-haul transit on heavy product. Most box-strapping machines and table-top strappers run PP by default.