Don’t blow it
Sub-standard results from inferior wrap
No, you’re not seeing things. These are not small rolls of pallet wrap stacked on top of others. Nor are they rolls that have gained sentience and are now trying to escape their boxes. Instead, these telescoping rolls are the result of time and tension, tackifier and temperature.
Occasionally we come across scenes of ‘exploded’ cartons and growing rolls of pallet wrap. This is due to increased pressure from within the roll causing the wrap to elongate and increase in size.
In modern cast pallet film, the tackifier is part of the wrap – it sticks without needing an additional ‘sticky’ surface. In traditional blown film however, this tackifier is an additive towards the end of the extrusion process.
These additives act by migrating or ‘blooming’ to the surface of the film after extrusion. During this process, a layer is formed to give the desired tack characteristics and the equilibrium level is reached approximately 24 hours after extrusion.
Normally this is the end of the process. The roll does what it should for the rest of its lifespan. However, sometimes it is not completed correctly. That’s when additional factors (ambient temperature, film formulation, roll winding tension) can combine to force the tackifier to react and add additional pressure within the roll.
Such rolls can run riot when left for too long. The blooming can continue past what is required and the extra pressure causes the rolls to increase in size, break through cartons and, if not caught, slowly expand to take over the distribution area and subsequently make terrible decisions, mess with rack systems, change the radio station etc.
Well, it’s possibly not quite that dramatic. But it’s a problem that still costs time and money. And the best way to avoid it? That’s to sail away from blown film altogether…
If you’d like a test roll of our cast pallet wrap get in touch with us here.
