All about stretch-hood packaging. Thin and durable five-layer stretch-hood films.

What is stretch hood film? Stretch hood packaging film represents a method for palletizing goods. A stretch hood is a polymer sleeve that is mechanically stretched over a palletized load, thereby securing it firmly to the pallet.

The process of wrapping pallets in a stretch hood differs from standard stretch film wrapping: in the latter case, the palletized load is overwrapped with film using automatic or semi-automatic pallet wrappers.

Stretch hood packaging is fully automated and operates as follows:

1. Infeed. The palletized load is transferred to the packaging station.
2. Preparation. The stretch hood “sleeve” is unwound above the load, and its upper edge is cut and heat-sealed.
3. Packaging. The resulting film hood is stretched and gathered mechanically, then applied over the pallet from top to bottom until it covers the load completely.
4. Fixation. The lower edge of the film is secured underneath the pallet base.

The resulting packaging is capable of exerting a continuous, stable holding force on the load over an extended period.

The stretch hood packaging technology first emerged in the late 1980s when compatible packaging machinery was introduced to the market. Prior to this, pallet packaging was typically carried out using shrink film. Over the past 20 years, stretch hood film manufacturers have refined and optimized this packaging technology to such an extent that it has become significantly more cost-effective, competing directly with shrink wrapping. Previously, stretch hood packaging was much more expensive than shrink films—concerning both the cost of the film itself and the cost of the packaging machinery. Today, both types of machinery are generally comparable in price, and the technology behind stretch hood production has advanced to a level where affordable stretch hood films of 50, 60, and 70 µm are available, in contrast to the 100 µm (or thicker) specifications seen when it first hit the market.

Furthermore, stretch hood packaging technology delivers numerous advantages compared to alternative methods:

• Lower film consumption compared to shrink packaging. Due to the high elasticity and ability of the film to stretch while retaining its strength, a unit load is secured using fewer linear meters, significantly decreasing total packaging material consumption and lowering packaging costs.
• Increased packaging process throughput. Depending on the type of packaging machinery, output can reach up to 200 pallets per hour, accelerating the packaging cycle multiple times over.
• Reduced energy resource costs. This packaging technology requires no heating, which not only slashes energy costs substantially but also enhances the environmental sustainability of the production process.
• Lower logistical expenses. The lighter weight of the packaging film and the compactness of the resulting pallet optimize transportation and warehouse storage costs for the products.
• Decreased costs related to product damage during transit and storage. Due to the uniform tension force, the stretch hood film tightly contours the palletized load, ensuring exceptional stability during transport. Enhanced structural strength increases product protection against mechanical damage.

We have engineered a new five-layer stretch hood packaging film that is up to 20% thinner compared to 3-layer alternatives while maintaining identical performance characteristics. Functionality, quality, and economic efficiency are the core benchmarks when we develop a film tailored to a client’s specific product request.

A comprehensive portfolio of innovative polymer resins enables us to engineer differentiated film structures that provide excellent performance characteristics for our packaging stretch hood films, complete with customized customer branding options.

Your products matter to us. That is why each of our packaging stretch hood films is manufactured according to an individual formulation, ensuring it possesses the exact properties required to wrap a specific type of commodity. Naturally, packaging glassware versus bags of cement demands distinct films with different physical properties. Our objective is to produce a stretch hood film that perfectly matches the targeted cargo.

Our stretch hood packaging film performs excellently regardless of changes in packaging equipment configurations, humidity, or temperature. We implement innovative processing technologies and machinery, continuously working to improve and optimize our products. Thanks to the use of advanced production technologies, cutting-edge machinery, and high-quality raw materials, our stretch hood packaging film exhibits excellent toughness, adjustable holding force, elasticity, high transparency, and superior gloss.

Why Should Our Packaging Film (Kyiv) Draw Your Attention?

Advantages of the five-layer stretch hood film manufactured by LLC “Planet Plastic”:

• Excellent load stability. Vertical stretch potential for enhanced load stability up to 15%;
• Higher resistance to punctures and tears;
• Increased elasticity for reliable packaging reliability;
• Effective protection against wind, inclement weather, and dust. You can even protect your products from discoloration by incorporating a UV filter;
• High transparency and gloss—your product looks its absolute best, and barcodes scan effortlessly;
• Reduced pallet packaging cost due to lower film thickness and, consequently, lower weight without any compromise in strength;
• Up to 10% savings on electricity costs per packaged unit;
• Greater environmental sustainability through reduced film waste generation;
• Thanks to the film’s flexibility, holding power, and strength, you can utilize the same film specification for varying load dimensions;
• The five-layer polymer matrix of the film ensures enhanced stretch ratios, extraordinary toughness, and excellent optical and sealing properties;
• Perfectly suited for printing logos, company names, etc., allowing easy identification of goods during cargo distribution.

Fields of Application for Stretch Hood Film:

• Large and small home appliances;
• Bagged products, such as chemicals, sand, cement, soil, and peat;
• Packaging materials and paper rolls;
• Construction materials, such as bricks, aerated concrete blocks, tiles, and insulation products;
• Beverages, packaged food, and bottled goods.

We will engineer a customized packaging solution tailored to your operational demands, carefully accounting for the specific wrapping requirements of your product. LLC “Planet Plastic” provides modern solutions for your product packaging needs.

Discover a new benchmark in product packaging safety and transit security with our proprietary five-layer stretch hood films!