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You may probably know it already that a packaging line or shipment department has to deal with a lot of stretch wrap film. If you are planning to start your business and set a packaging line for it, you are going to need to use a lot of stretch film.

Now, the most common question that people in the manufacturing industry ask a lot is about the difference between hand stretch film and machine stretch film.

The answer to this question is simple – if you want to use only human labor to use stretch film around your bundles of shipments, you are going to need hand stretch film, and if you wish to automate the stretch wrapping process, you will want to use machine stretch film.

In this article, we will discuss the fundamental difference between hand stretch film and machine stretch film.

What is a stretch film?

A thin, stretchy plastic sheet that you may wrap around a product or a bundle of multiple products to secure the shipment is known as stretch film. The most notable property of this film is its plastic recovery, which allows it to contain the stack of products nice and tight.

With a higher percentage of plastic recovery, the stretch film will be able to hold the products or shipments in an even better way. Manufacturing companies and shippers use this film to palletize products.

Hand stretch film

Hand stretch film, as the name suggests, uses manual labor for securing shipments. Due to its particular properties, this film cannot be used in a stretch wrapping machine. A specialized hand-held dispenser is used for the application of hand stretch film on shipments.

There are many types of products that can use hand stretch film as an ideal option. It can secure stacks of products on a pallet. Ideally, this film can secure 50 pallets a day.

Machine stretch film

The stretch wrap film that you can use on a machine for its application on the shipment pallets is known as machine stretch film. This film is stronger, cheaper, safer, and offers better load containment as compared to hand stretch film.

With all these benefits, a machine stretch film works well only when you use it through a stretch wrapping machine, which can be a quite costly investment. The cost of this machine alone is a significant reason many companies prefer using hand stretch film.

Which film is right for you?

There are a few things that you may want to consider to figure out which film is right for your business.

The first question you may want to ask yourself is about the budget. Depending on whether or not you can afford a stretch wrapping machine, you can decide which film you should buy.

The next question is about the number of pallets you have to wrap every day. If you have to wrap less than 50 pallets, you do not need to invest in a stretch wrapping machine.

You will need to take into consideration the labor force you are using for stretch wrapping applications. You will want to calculate the costs and compare them to the costs related to the use of a stretch wrapping machine. You may also want to look at the costs of running a stretch wrapping machine. Based on these calculations, you can decide on the option you need to choose.