Common Ventilated Film Wrapping Problems and Fixes

Most wrapping faults have one of five causes, and each leaves a different signature on the pallet. Work from the symptom rather than from the roll.

The Film Breaks At Pallet Corners

Corners apply the highest local strain, so they run out of margin first. If prestretch on the wrapper is set close to the film elongation at break, corners are where you will see it. JMSH01 is prestretched to 230 percent against a break at 250 percent, so the setting should sit clearly below the break figure.

Fix: lower the prestretch setting one step and re run a pallet. If it still breaks, check for sharp case corners cutting the web and add corner boards.

The Wrap Is Tight At Dispatch And Slack On Arrival

The load is settling in transit. A rigid wrap stays where it was applied while the load moves away from it.

Fix: elastic MPE pallet netting, which stretches 15 to 50 percent depending on load weight and recovers as the pallet compresses.

The Top Of The Wrap Unwinds

A cut tail left loose catches on conveyor rollers or on another pallet and pulls the top layers open.

Fix: tuck the tail into a lower layer after cutting. Add a top edge pass if the load is handled repeatedly.

The Load Leans

The goods are wrapped to each other but not to the pallet, so the whole stack can shift on the deck.

Fix: two full base wraps that include the pallet before starting to climb.

Tension Varies Between Operators Or Shifts

On a prestretchable film the tension depends on a machine setting and on how the operator uses it. On hand wrapping it depends entirely on technique.

Fix: move to a prestretched grade, where the elongation has already been applied in production and the wrapper is only applying the film.

Quick Reference

A Method That Finds The Cause Quickly

1. Change one variable at a time. Two changes at once tells you nothing.
2. Inspect at goods inwards, not at dispatch. Transit is where most faults appear.
3. Do a fork lift turn on the first pallet after any change.
4. Check the roll against its published tolerances before blaming the film.
5. Photograph the failure. It is far easier to advise on a picture than a description.

If you are stuck, send a photo of the failed pallet on WhatsApp with the load weight, the wrapper model and the grade you are running. Most of these are diagnosable from an image.