Do you need a stretch wrap machine? They may be expensive, but it’s a worthy question. You may think that wrapping pallets by hand is the way to go because of how easy and cost-effective it is. And if you’re a small business that only needs to ship a small volume of goods on a daily-to-weekly basis, you’re absolutely right.

However, depending on the industry you work in and the scale of your operations, you may actually be better off investing in a stretch wrap machine. To help you think it over, we’ve put together a list of the four biggest signs that a stretch wrap machine is the right choice for you.

1. Your Products are Damaged in Transit

This is probably the first red flag that you’ll encounter. Pallets that are improperly wrapped are at a significant risk of toppling or collapsing. While hand wrapping is fine for smaller loads and bundles, it is nearly impossible to maintain a constant force of tension on the stretch wrap for the entire time that you’re wrapping.

Stretch wrap machines, on the other hand, are designed to hold the film in constant tension as they wrap pallets, guaranteeing that your stretch wrap is being used optimally. And you don’t have to worry about your muscles tiring out when operating a wrapping machine! Furthermore, these machines evenly distribute the stretch wrap from top to bottom to ensure that your pallets are properly wrapped and ready for shipping.

2. Your Employees are Unhappy and Fatigued

Hand-wrapping pallets can be demanding work. While a quick, half-hour wrapping session may be fine, your workers could be wrapping pallets for hours on end. Eventually, the straining, repetitive motion will take its toll and you may end up with a lot of injured and disgruntled workers.

If this sounds anything like your workplace, it’s probably time to invest in a stretch wrap machine. Instead of placing the constant strain on your employees, let your wrapping machine handle it. Just remember: a machine can be replaced, but a person cannot.

3. You’re Spending Too Much on Stretch Wrap

As previously mentioned, you cannot keep your stretch wrap in perfectly constant tension when you’re wrapping by hand. Because of this, you’ll end up using a lot more stretch film to secure your pallets. While an extra few feet here and there may not seem like much, it’ll all eventually add up and you may be spending hundreds to thousands of dollars more in stretch wrap than you need to.

Stretch wrap machines make the most of your stretch wrap. These machines stretch the film to its maximum so that only the necessary minimum amount is used to secure your loads. In fact, you may be surprised by how much you’ll save in packaging supplies by switching to a pallet wrap machine.

4. Your Palleted Loads are Too Tall

Can your employees reach the top of your palleted loads? Perhaps your tallest workers can, but certainly not all of them. While we recommend stacking pallets no higher than six feet, you may encounter palleted loads that are seven feet tall or more. Unless you’ve staffed your warehouse with former NBA stars, your employees are probably unable to properly secure the tops of your pallets, which puts your loads at a significant risk of toppling and spilling.

Stretch wrap machines, on the other hand, are perfectly capable of wrapping your pallets top to bottom. The stretch film carriage easily slides up and down the central mast of the machine and can even go as high as ten feet, depending on the specifications of your machine. With a wrapping machine, you can trust that every inch of your pallets is properly secured for shipping and storage.

Wrapping Up

We’ve outlined four of the biggest reasons to consider investing in a stretch wrap machine. Whether it saves you on costs or saves your workers from injury, these machines maximize the efficiency and throughput of your operations while minimizing product damage as a result of improperly wrapped pallets. These machines may be overkill for small businesses, but they could be the very thing that takes your particular business to the next level.

While you’re here, be sure you take a look at our wide selection of stretch wrap products, which includes machine length stretch wrap. All our stretch wrap products come with free shipping, so you can load up your stretch wrap machine and see how it can improve your shipping today.

For further reading on stretch wrap machines, including the different types and how to effectively use them, we recommend this article from Robopac USA which serves as a comprehensive guide.