Stretch film splits into two broad categories based on how it's applied — and using the wrong one for your operation either wastes film or wastes labour.
Hand wrap
Designed to be applied manually, wound around a pallet by a person walking around it with the roll (often mounted on a handle/dispenser). Key traits:
- Narrower width (commonly 250mm) for manageable handling
- Often pre-stretched — see the Pre-Stretched Film guide — to reduce operator physical effort
- Best suited to low-volume, irregular, or occasional pallet wrapping where a dedicated wrapping machine isn't justified
Machine wrap
Designed for pallet-wrapping machines — either turntable or rotary-arm style — that mechanically rotate the pallet or the film dispenser. Key traits:
- Wider (commonly 500mm) since the machine handles the physical stretching and application consistently
- More consistent tension and coverage than hand application, run after run
- The standard choice for any warehouse doing regular, higher-volume palletized shipping
How to decide
| Factor | Hand wrap | Machine wrap |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Low, occasional | Regular, high |
| Consistency | Depends on operator | Consistent |
| Labour effort | Higher per pallet | Lower per pallet (machine does the work) |
| Upfront equipment cost | None | Wrapping machine required |
| Typical width | 250mm | 500mm |
If your operation wraps more than a handful of pallets a day, the labour savings from machine wrap typically justify the equipment cost fairly quickly. For occasional or one-off wrapping, hand wrap remains the more practical choice.
Scaling up your warehouse operations? Talk to PackGPT for a recommendation based on your actual pallet volume.