Meta description: Learn how to choose PE stretch film thickness, width, and gauge for export pallet wrapping — based on load weight, transit distance, handling, and real cost per pallet.
Stretch film looks simple: a roll of transparent PE film wound onto a core. In practice, two buyers can order the same tonnage and end up with very different results, because performance depends on how well the film specification matches the load it has to contain. Choosing the wrong PE stretch film thickness and width for export pallet wrapping is one of the most common causes of unstable pallets, film waste, and transport damage.
Weishan Litong Packing supplies PE stretch film to packaging distributors, logistics companies, warehouses, factories, and importers. This guide walks through the decisions that determine whether a stretch film specification works — and how to calculate the real cost per pallet instead of comparing price per kilogram.
The Four Numbers That Define a Stretch Film Specification
Before comparing suppliers, define these four parameters:
- Thickness (gauge): usually expressed in microns or gauge, typically 12–30 micron for export use.
- Width: most commonly 500 mm (20″) for machine wrapping, with 450 mm and 750 mm used for specific applications.
- Roll length and weight: determines how many pallets one roll can wrap.
- Core size: typically 3″ (76 mm) for machine film and 2″ or 3″ for hand film.
Each of these interacts with the others. A thinner film can achieve the same holding force as a thicker film if it has better pre-stretch properties. A wider film covers more area per revolution but requires a machine that accepts it.
Step 1: Determine Hand Film or Machine Film
The first decision is method of application, because it changes everything else.
Hand film
Applied manually with a dispenser or by hand. It is flexible, requires no capital equipment, and suits low volumes, irregular loads, and mixed pallet sizes. Hand film is usually thinner (12–20 micron), narrower (300–500 mm), and wound on lighter rolls so operators can handle it comfortably.
Machine film
Applied by a semi-automatic or automatic stretch wrapping machine. It is the standard choice for high-volume export operations because it delivers consistent tension, overlap, and coverage. Machine film is engineered to tolerate high pre-stretch, so a 20 micron machine film pre-stretched at 250% can provide more containment per kilogram than a heavier hand film used with almost no pre-stretch.
The right question is not “which film is cheapest” but “which film delivers the lowest cost per securely wrapped pallet at my volume and equipment.”
Step 2: Match Thickness to Load Weight and Sharpness
Thickness provides puncture resistance and holding force. Use load characteristics to shortlist a gauge:
- Light loads (up to 500 kg): 12–15 micron machine film or 15–17 micron hand film is often sufficient, especially when cartons are uniform and edges are rounded.
- Medium loads (500–1,000 kg): 15–20 micron film provides a practical balance of strength and material cost.
- Heavy loads (over 1,000 kg): 20–30 micron film, or a film with higher puncture resistance, reduces the risk of tearing during wrapping and transit.
- Sharp or protruding edges: increase gauge or add edge protection, because punctures are the leading cause of wrap failure.
- Smooth plastic or metal surfaces: thinner film with high cling can work well, since the main requirement is load containment rather than puncture resistance.
These ranges are starting points. Testing on a real pallet is always the final check, because film performance varies with machine settings, pre-stretch ratio, and ambient temperature.
Step 3: Choose Width Based on Pallet Height and Machine
Film width controls how much of the load is covered per revolution and how many revolutions are needed to wrap a full pallet.
- 500 mm (20″): the most widely used width for machine wrapping. It suits standard export pallets and offers good coverage without excessive overlap.
- 450 mm (18″): often used on older machines or where lighter coverage per revolution is preferred with more revolutions.
- 750 mm (30″): used on some high-speed machines for taller loads, covering more area per rotation.
A critical practical point: film width must be compatible with the wrapping machine’s carriage and roll-holder. A specification that is optimal on paper but does not fit the customer’s equipment will fail in daily use. When supplying distributors who resell to factories, always confirm the end user’s machine model.
Step 4: Understand Pre-Stretch and Why It Changes Cost
Pre-stretch is the percentage by which film is stretched before it is applied to the load. A machine set to 200% pre-stretch turns one metre of film into three metres of wrapping material. This is where the real economics of stretch film sit.
Film that can be stretched further without breaking uses less material per pallet. That is why a well-made thinner machine film often beats a cheap thicker film on total cost. Buyers should ask suppliers for the recommended pre-stretch range and the elongation at break, then verify performance on their own machine.
The relationship is straightforward:
- Higher pre-stretch → less film used per pallet → lower material cost.
- Higher pre-stretch also demands better film quality → inconsistent film breaks and stops the line.
- Breakage costs far more than film, because it consumes labour, delays loading, and can leave a pallet half wrapped.
Step 5: Calculate Cost per Pallet, Not Cost per Kilogram
Price per kilogram is a poor comparison metric on its own, because film is sold by weight but used by area and holding force. A more useful calculation compares cost per wrapped pallet.
To estimate it, you need:
- Film usage per pallet (determined by testing, or estimated from pallet size and number of wraps).
- Effective film cost per kilogram, including freight and duty.
- Labour and machine time per pallet.
- Damage and rewrap rate for each specification.
When these are combined, a film that costs more per kilogram frequently wins, because it wraps more pallets per roll, breaks less often, and reduces transport damage claims. For distributors, presenting this calculation to end customers is also a strong sales tool — it moves the conversation from price to total cost.
Step 6: Match Film to Transit and Storage Conditions
Export shipments expose film to conditions that domestic packaging never faces:
- Long ocean transit: weeks of vibration and shifting inside a container demand higher holding force and better cling.
- Temperature extremes: cold environment performance matters for goods stored in refrigerated or unheated warehouses; some films become brittle in low temperatures.
- Humidity: cling and film transparency can be affected by moisture in humid climates.
- Multiple handling points: every forklift movement stresses the wrap, so pallets that are re-handled need stronger containment.
- Stacking: double-stacked containers require film that resists compression and does not sag.
If a shipment will be handled repeatedly or stacked, specify a stronger film rather than accepting the cheapest option. The cost of one damaged container load dwarfs the annual savings from downgrading film.
Common Specification Mistakes
- Buying on price per kilogram only — ignores film usage per pallet and breakage rates.
- Using hand film on a machine — hand film is not engineered for high pre-stretch and will break constantly.
- Ignoring core size and roll diameter — film that does not fit the machine cannot be used at all.
- Under-specifying for heavy or sharp loads — leads to punctures and unstable pallets in transit.
- Never testing samples — specifications on paper and performance on a real pallet can differ significantly.
- Forgetting temperature conditions — a film that performs well in summer may crack in a cold warehouse.
Sourcing PE Stretch Film from a Manufacturer
Weishan Litong Packing Material Co., Ltd manufactures PE stretch film for pallet wrapping, warehouse storage, and logistics packaging, alongside PE cling film, PE shrink film, POF heat shrink film, and BOPP packing tape. Our stretch film is produced for high clarity, strong stretch performance, and reliable puncture resistance, with customisable width, thickness, length, colour, and roll weight.
For buyers, working directly with a manufacturer means specifications can be adjusted to suit a specific machine, load type, and transit route — rather than accepting whatever generic film happens to be available. We supply packaging distributors, logistics companies, warehouses, factories, and global importers with factory-direct pricing and stable capacity.
To select the right specification, tell us your pallet weight, pallet dimensions, wrapping method (hand or machine), machine model, pre-stretch setting, and destination market. We will recommend a thickness and width, supply samples for on-site testing, and confirm packing and shipping arrangements.