Proper packaging techniques

Pallet shrink wrapping techniques

1. Place your shipment on a pallet that is structurally sound. You don’t want something that will disintegrate in transit. Try to find a pallet that will just accommodate the amount of boxes or other materials you are palletizing. This will help save you from ripping the plastic film on corners of the pallet. Place the items on the pallet as close to one another as you can. If the boxes are not snug together after you’ve applied the shrink wrap the whole unit will become loose and falter. Brace boxes against one another.
2. Set your pallet to be shrink wrapped on top of other empty wood pallets. This way it will be easier to wrap the skid not having to bend over so far. Set your pallet diagonally at a 45 degree angle instead of square on the stack (so that the bottoms of each corner overlaps the top edge of the stack beneath). Be certain that the skid is secure up there!
3. Get the shrink wrap roll and pull out a couple of feet of shrink wrap. Squeeze and compress with your hand about 12 inches of the end together into a loose rope like shape and thread this through and around one endr of the pallet. Simply hold the end tight as you shrink wrap the rest of the roll over it. The plastic wrap will stick to itself keeping it from pulling loose when you begin to shrink wrap the balance of the skid.
4. Start wrapping the base of the skid in the same direction that started when you made the fold. Wrap the base of the skid enough times so that your shrink wrap will not slip. One of the most important steps since the idea is to keep your product on the skid. Wrap the base at least four times, ensure you allow the edge of the wrap to go underneath the corners of the skid. Pull the shrink wrap tightly just before going around each corner.
5. The entire pallet should feel like a unit. Everything should be as one, without mosing. Now, work your way up from the bottom so that the lower boxes are first to be “joined” with the pallet. Continue the process so that the next layer is married firmly to the first and so on. Take as much wrap as possible out of the plastic film while you are shrink wrapping.
6. Once at the top of the skid you can stop there or continue wrapping back down the skid once again. To determine what is needed, push the upper boxes to see if the load seems to shift. If you see the wrap ripple or the stack move, you did not wrap tightly enough or it needs more wrap. Continue the process few more times, working your way back down to the base.

Once the skid is firm, rip the film apart from the roll and tuck the end of it under the edge of one of the shrink wrap layers on the pallet. This will prevent your wrap from undoing.