When the number of pallets grows month after month, every company faces the same question: stay with hand film or buy a stretch wrapper and switch to machine stretch film? This decision affects your people's working time in the hall, the stretch film consumption for each pallet and the condition in which the goods reach the customer. We produce both types of film, so we show the differences without pushing either solution.
Short answer: hand stretch film comes in 1-3 kg rolls and works for a few to a dozen or so pallets a day and for goods with irregular shapes. Machine stretch film comes in rolls of up to 18.2 kg net, runs on a stretch wrapper at a constant stretch and wins at large shipping volumes, when repeatable load securing and control of film consumption matter.
How hand stretch film differs from machine stretch film
Both types of stretch film are made of the same material, but each is designed for a different job.
Hand stretch film comes in rolls from 1 to 3 kg, because the worker holds the roll in the hand or in a dispenser and walks around the pallet with it. It is available in thicknesses from 10 to 30 µm. The film tension is applied by the worker, so it depends on their strength and skill.
Machine stretch film comes in rolls from 5 to 18.2 kg net and is designed for semi-automatic and automatic stretch wrappers, both turntable and rotary arm. The thicknesses are 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 23 and 30 µm, and the working stretch is 180%. A heavy roll means the machine runs for a long time without a film change.
The standard width of both films is 500 mm, and we select the 450 mm version for narrower guides and low pallets. Both are available in transparent, black and several other colours.
| Feature | Hand stretch film | Machine stretch film |
|---|---|---|
| Roll weight | 1-3 kg | 5-18.2 kg net |
| Thickness | 10-30 µm | 10-30 µm |
| Width | 450 / 500 mm | 450 / 500 mm |
| Stretch | depends on the worker | 180%, Power 220-350% |
| Repeatability | variable, depends on the person and the shift | constant, set in the program |
| Application | smaller quantities, non-standard loads | large scale, repeatable runs |
You can also work by hand with pre-stretched film, that is, film stretched in advance during production. It is 6 to 11 µm thick, comes in 300 or 600 m rolls and requires much less force from the worker.
Factor 1: at what number of pallets does a stretch wrapper pay off?
Wrapping a pallet by hand means a few turns with the roll in your hand. With a few pallets a day this is not a problem, and for smaller companies hand stretch film is often entirely sufficient. With dozens of pallets, wrapping takes up a large part of the shift, and on peak days, for example with end-of-month shipments, it becomes a bottleneck.
Automation changes the whole process: the worker brings in the pallet, attaches the film and starts the program, and meanwhile prepares the next load. That is why machine stretch film is the standard in logistics centres, distribution centres and wholesale warehouses, where efficiency matters.
Conclusion: with a large and steady number of pallets, machine stretch film with a stretch wrapper saves people's time. For single, irregular shipments, hand film is still the simplest option.
Factor 2: which film uses less material per pallet?
The most important cost is not the lowest price per kilogram of film, but how much film you use to secure one pallet. In hand wrapping, each worker stretches the film differently and makes a different number of turns, so consumption varies between people and shifts. It is also hard to measure.
The most important cost is not the price per kilogram of film, but how much film you use per pallet.
The machine works at a constant stretch and a constant number of wraps. Consumption can be measured and reduced: by changing the program, the thickness or the film type. For heavy loads, Power film works well: five layers with reinforcing polymers and a working stretch of 220-350% instead of the 180% of standard machine stretch film. Higher stretchability means material savings: at a stretch of 300%, every metre of film from the roll extends to four metres on the load.
Chart data in a table
| Stretch | Metres on the load from 1 kg |
|---|---|
| 0% | 95 m |
| 100% | 189 m |
| 180% | 265 m |
| 220% | 302 m |
| 250% | 331 m |
| 300% | 378 m |
| 350% | 425 m |
A simple example shows the scale: if you use 50 g too much film on each pallet, at 100 pallets a day and 250 working days this adds up to 1.25 t of film a year.
You can calculate the metres on a roll with the formula: length [m] = net weight [g] / (0.92 × width [cm] × thickness [cm]) / 100. When comparing offers, it lets you put films of different thickness and weight on a common basis.
Conclusion: machine stretch film gives you control over consumption. If you do not have a machine yet, pre-stretched film will lower consumption in manual work.
Factor 3: which film stabilises the load better in transport?
Pallet stability depends on even film tension and a repeatable pattern, not just on film thickness. In manual work, one pallet is tightly wrapped and the next less so, because the worker is tired towards the end of the shift. The machine repeats the same program on every load: the number of wraps at the bottom and top, the stretch and the speed. Even wrapping protects products better against shifting, cartons get damaged less often, and the film protects against dust, dirt and moisture.
For companies with transport complaints, switching to machine stretch film often sorts the problem out without increasing the thickness.
Conclusion: machine stretch film gives repeatable load securing. Hand film works for single, difficult pallets that an experienced worker can wrap with a feel for the load.
Factor 4: what about ergonomics?
Working with hand stretch film means bending down at the base of the pallet, reaching overhead on tall loads and dozens of turns a day. With many pallets, it strains the back, shoulders and wrists. The stretch wrapper takes over this work, and the worker only operates the machine. A machine roll is heavier, but it is changed rarely.
If you stay with manual work, pre-stretched film eases the load: a lighter roll and less force needed to stretch it. Hand film, on the other hand, gives flexibility: you can wrap a pallet anywhere in the warehouse.
Hand or machine stretch film: how to choose
Hand stretch film (or pre-stretched film), if:
- you wrap a few to a dozen or so pallets a day, in different places in the warehouse,
- you have a lot of goods with irregular shapes that are hard to place on a machine,
- you are not planning to buy a stretch wrapper now, but want to reduce film consumption.
Machine stretch film, if:
- you ship a steady, large number of pallets every day,
- you want repeatable load securing and fewer transport complaints,
- you have a stretch wrapper or plan to buy one and want to match the film parameters to it.
In many companies a combination works best: the main pallet stream on the machine, and hand film for non-standard shipments.
How we help when you change film
As a stretch film manufacturer, we match the film to the load and to the specific machine:
- selection by a technologist: we talk about your loads, stretch wrapper and routes, and then propose the film thickness and type,
- rolls of any weight: we produce the cores ourselves, so we can prepare a hand or machine roll in the weight you need, also as a coreless version without a core,
- test batch: you check the film on your pallets and your machine before you order a full delivery,
- a free packaging audit: about 90 minutes in your hall and a report within 5 days with the cost of wrapping one pallet and the recommended film variant,
- scheduled deliveries with our own fleet.
Frequently asked questions
Can machine film be wrapped by hand when the stretch wrapper is down?
A machine roll weighs up to 18.2 kg net, so working with it by hand is awkward. It is better to keep a stock of hand film or pre-stretched film in the warehouse for when the machine is down.
When to switch from hand film to machine film?
When hand wrapping takes up a large part of the shift, transport complaints are increasing or the number of pallets per day keeps growing. Based on the number of pallets and the type of load, our technologist will tell you whether it is the right moment.
How do you match machine stretch film to a stretch wrapper?
What matters is the type of machine, its stretch, the guide width, the weight and shape of the pallets and the route. We check the film thickness and type in a test batch.
Want to compare both films on your pallets? Describe your loads in a request for quotation, and our technologist will select hand or machine stretch film for the scale of your packaging.
About the author
Łukasz Zębala
Production technologist, Dominopack
Every day he sets the parameters of our production and knows packaging machines from the settings side. He selects machine film, Power film and technical cores. During the free packaging audit he comes to your hall with scales, a micrometer and a stopwatch and watches packaging with the stretch wrapper running.