Page 58 - The Inside Scoop Archive
P. 58

Page 1 of 3

















                              How To Wrap Pallets That Need To Breathe


            Have you even wondered what is the best way to wrap a pallet that needs to breathe?  If the product being
            wrapped with stretch film contains heat, such as perhaps flour, condensation can build up inside the stretch
            wrap and damage the product.  Likewise fruit, produce, and eggs need to have good air circulation in order
            to maintain their freshness during the shipping process.

            There are a number of different type products available to allow you to unitize your pallet while still
            allowing for good air circulation.  This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of these products, but merely to
            introduce you to some of the films and nettings that are available from companies such as NNZ, Tamanet,
            and Western Plastics to wrap pallets that need to breathe.  The best fit for you depends on your particular
            product and wrapping requirements.

                                         Airflow is a special stretch film with ventilation holes that have been die cut
                                         in the film during the manufacturing process. It can be applied in the same
                                         way as regular stretch film and has a certain amount of cling so a tie off
                                         with a clip is not necessary.


                                         Airflow can be applied by machine ( without pre-stretch ) or most often by
                                         hand wrapping the pallet.  It is popularly wrapped on a small core with
                                         extended handles for easy application.
                                         Perforated Stretch Film.  These films have macro perforations that are
                                         reinforced to keep the stretch film from breaking and tearing as it is
                                         stretched.  Some of these films can be pre-stretched up to 250% through
                                         your regular stretch machine.

                                         The holes are small on the unstretched film, but expand when the film is run
                                         through the pre-stretch rollers on the machine.  It has to be pre-stretched
                                         250% to be a competitve value.
                                         Knitted Pallet Wrap has an open mesh design that allows the product
                                         wrapped to breathe freely and for any moisture content to escape.  In
                                         addition to holding the product wrapped in place, they also provide good
                                         ventilation to the product.

                                         This netting is actually woven on a textile knitting machine, and is very
                                         pliable.  It can be tied to the pallet and then tied off again after the pallet
                                         is wrapped.
                                         Extruded Pallet Wrap Netting is very strong but is somewhat difficult
                                         to apply as it cannot be easily tied to the pallet and must be held together
                                         with clips after application to the pallet.  This type of netting is also used
                                         for interweaving for layers that need to breathe.




            file://C:\Documents and Settings\William Jackson\My Documents\Northwoods Software\...      2/16/2007
   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63