|
Adhesive: |
A substance, such as glue, used to laminate two
structures together. |
| Air-Flow: |
Air-Flow is used in agricultural
product packing and has die cut holes to reduce
spoilage and ensure even cooling. Air-Flow replaces
pallet netting and gives users all the advantages
of conventional LLDPE pallet stretch wrap, which
include strength, load holding and ease of use. |
| Ambidextrous Control: |
Separate right/left hand
braking control which allows the operator to have
total stretch control over 100% of the surface area
of the stretch film while wrapping. |
| Angel Hair: |
Thin strands of stretch film
on the edges of stretch film rolls caused by improper
bologna slicing. |
| Auto Bander: |
Jumbo rolls of stretch film
for automatic bundling equipment. |
| Banding/Bundling: |
Wrapping several items together
with plastic stretch wrap. |
| Base Lock: |
The thick layer of film produced
by holding the Western Plastics handwrappers at
approximately a 45 degree angle to the floor. This
wrap helps lock the boxes to the skid to prevent
shifting. |
|
Bleed: |
Where the printing on a piece goes all the way to
the edge of the paper – accomplished by printing
beyond the margins of the piece and then trimming
to the margin. |
| Blooming: |
The time period that the
Poly Iso Butylene takes to migrate to the surface
of the stretch film. Once this happens high cling
films are at their peak of perfection. |
| Blown Film: |
The fabrication of a film
by continuously pumping the polymer through a circular
die and filling the tube with air. The volume of
air contained within the tube stretches the tube
out to the desired width and, in conjunction with
the rate at which it is bring pulled away from the
die, the desired thickness is created. |
| Bologna Slicing: |
A film slitting process in which a rotating double
edge blade cuts a roll of film while the roll is
spinning. This is the quickest way for slitting
film. However, the quickness can cause the film
to melt in some places, resulting in the film hanging
up and tearing it, as it is unwound off the roll.
|
| Braking Tension: |
The tension applied to stretch
film by pulling and squeezing the patented Western
Plastics hand brakes (See Finger Tip Control). |
| Bulk heading: |
A shipping technique that
combines both unitization and stabilization. The
pallet loads nearest the back door of a truck are
unitized while the pallet loads towards the front
of the trailer are stabilized. |
| Bundling: |
Banding articles together
into distinct and separate units with plastic stretch
film. |
| Cast Film: |
The fabrication of a film
by continuously pumping the polymer through a straight
slot die, then chilling this hot plastic immediately
through contacts with a chilled roll. Film width
is determined by how fast the chill roll pulls the
film away from the die. |
| Cling: |
The characteristic of stretch
film which makes it stick to itself. |
|
Coefficient of Friction (C.O.F.): |
The amount of slip exhibited when one surface is
dragged against an adjacent surface. Static COF
is the force required to begin the structure moving.
Kinetic COF is the force required to maintain structure
movement at the test pull speed. High Slip = less
than 0.2, Medium Slip - .2-.5, Low Slip = more than
0.5 (kinetic). |
|
Converting: |
The process of converting sheets or rolls of product
such as paper, film, and foil to a finished product. |
|
Core: |
Tube on which coiled product is wound; usually made
of fiber, plastic, aluminum, or steel. |
| Cross Top Wrapping: |
A unitization technique which
covers the top of a load. Not only does cross top
wrapping protect the tops of pallet loads but it
also helps to pull the load together as it settles
during shipment. |
| Cube: |
The total area inside a truck
trailer. The length times width times the height
of the trailer is the cube space. |
|
Customer Service Representative: |
The person at Western Plastics who promptly and
cheerfully answers or gets the answers to all your
packaging questions, follows your order from beginning
to shipment, and advises you when your order ships. |
| Dead Fold: |
Stretch film sticking to
itself during wrapping without the use of any additional
heat sealing (i.e. – PVC films used in food
wrapping have high dead fold). |
| Die: |
A device used in extrusion
processes to shape the extrudate. |
| Double Stacking: |
One pallet piled on top of
another during shipping. All of Western Plastics
products packaged four rolls per case are specially
wrapped, using the techniques in this manual, to
permit double stacking in shipment and storage. |
| Eco-Wrap: |
Micron pallet wrap. Stiffer
and stronger than conventional hand wrap. Has a
high resistance to stretch for superior load retention. |
|
Elmendorf Test: |
Measurement of tearing resistance by means of a
device that tears standard samples and records the
required energy. Papers must be tested both along
and across the grain and specimens should be conditioned
at a certain temperature and humidity prior to testing. |
|
Elongation: |
The linear stretch of material during tensile loading. |
| EVA (Ethylene Vinyl
Acetate): |
A copolymer put in stretch
film adding strength to ordinary polyethylene film.
|
| Extruder: |
A machine that makes stretch
film. It consists of a large steel barrel surrounded
by heaters, which melt the plastic resin pellets.
Inside of the barrel is a large screw to force the
liquid plastic under pressure through a die to be
made into plastic sheeting by either the cast or
blown processes. |
|
Extrusion: |
A product formed by pushing material through a die. |
| Film Supply: |
The amount of film on a Western
Plastics roll. |
| Fingertip Control: |
Stretch film tension control
that is at the operator’s finger tips, providing
the operator with control that can always be felt
and adjusted instantaneously. When very little pressure
is applied to the Western Plastics handbrakes, the
film can be stretched up to 25%. When an intermediate
amount of pressure to applied to the hand brakes,
the film can be stretched up to 50%. When firm finger
tip pressure is applied to the hand brakes, then
the film can be stretched up to 100% and more. |
| Five Sided Wrapping: |
Wrapping a pallet load’s
four sides plus the top. The top of a pallet can
be wrapped by using the cross top wrapping technique.
|
| Flange: |
The extended lip of the hand
brake that keeps the operator’s hand from
sliding down and rubbing against the roll. |
| Flexible Hand Brakes: |
The key to fingertip control
and Western Plastics patented braking system. Inside
the hand brakes are specially designed wear pads
that dissipate heat and provide the proper tensioning
when squeezed for maximum film stretch. By squeezing
them, the operator can get 50% to 100% or more stretch
when he pulls the film. Not only do grips give the
operator a feel of how much pressure he is applying
to the film, but they protect his hands –
keeping them from burning or blistering. |
|
Flexographic Printing: |
An economical printing method, mostly done on web-fed
equipment, in which a rubber roll, partially immersed
in an ink fountain, transfers ink to a fine-screened
steel roller carrying the design to be printed,
which in turn deposits a thin layer of ink on the
printing plate. The print pattern is raised and
the non-print area is lower. The ink is applied
to the raised area of the rubber plate, and then
transfers to the material to be printed in the desired
pattern. Flexographic printing produces remarkably
sharp reproductions of multicolor work, including
lettering in small type sizes. |
| Floor Loading: |
A technique used for packing
a truck in which pallets and stretch film are not
used. Hand carrying (conveyors are frequently used)
a load on a truck and shipping the load by leaving
it on the trailer floor unprotected. |
|
Foil: |
A rolled aluminum product less than 0.006 inch thick. |
| Gauge: |
The
Thickness of a film. 80 Gauge film equates to .8
Mil or .0008 inches.
Here are some examples and equivalents:
1 mil = 1/1000 of an inch = .001”
1 mil = 25.4 microns
1 micron = one millionth of a meter
1 inch = 25.4 mm = 2.54 cm
100 gauge = 1 mil
80 gauge = 8/10 mil = .0008 inches |
| Gauge Band: |
Thickness irregularity in
films. |
| Gel: |
Small piece of undissolved
resin causing imperfection in film. |
| HandyWrap: |
Pallet stretch wrap with
disposable extended core handles. |
|
Hickies: |
Marks on printed material caused by dirt or foreign
material during the printing process. |
| High Density Load/Product: |
A load or product that is
relatively heavy (i.e. - an engine block on a pallet). |
| Identi Film: |
Pallet stretch film in colors.
Tinted films give protection from tampering and
theft. Improves load appearance, product rotation. |
|
Interleaved Sheets of Foil: |
Foil in rectangular or square
sheets, with paper between each sheet of foil |
| Lamination: |
Composite product consisting of two or more sheets
or films joined together, with glue, adhesive, wax,
etc. |
| Laundry Wraps: |
All purpose PVC over wrap
for use in commercial laundries. |
|
Layout: |
A rendering of a proposed printed piece, indicating
positions for headings, copy, art and borders. May
also indicate color treatments. |
| LDPE or PE (Low Density
Polyethylene): |
A resin base for making stretch
film. Even though LDPE is a relatively strong transparent
film with good tensile strength it does not match
the performance of the newer LLDPE. |
|
LME (London Metal Exchange): |
An international board of exchange for trading of
non-ferrous metals such as aluminum. The LME is
the world’s most recognized indicator of aluminum
foil pricing on the spot and futures markets and
is regarded as the basis for aluminum foil pricing
by rolling mills. |
|
Master Roll: |
A finished roll that comes off the press |
| Maximum Stretch: |
The ability of the film to
stretch as far as it can without tearing. Western
Plastics uses premium grade films that can stretch
100, 200 percent, and more. |
|
Metric Conversions: |
1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2046 pounds
1 meter = 39.37 inches = 1.0936 yards
1 pound = 0.4536 kilograms
1 mile = 1.6094 kilometers
1 short ton = 2000 pounds
1 yard = 0.9144 meter
1 kilometer = 0.6237 miles
1 mil = 1/1000 of an inch = .001
1 mil = 25.4 microns
1 micron = one millionth of a meter
1 inch = 25.4 mm = 2.54 cm
100 gauge = 1 mil
80 gauge = 8/10 mil = .0008 inches
Use this calculator
to convert sizes |
| Memory: |
After the Western Plastics
film is stretched to its maximum it will recover
and form fit the load which has been wrapped (See
recovery). |
| Neck Down: |
The narrowing tendency of
stretch film when being stretched or pulled. |
|
PMS (Pantone Matching System): |
Standard, numbered shades and colors and may be
selected when a specific background or accent color
is desired. The Pantone Matching System is an international
printing, publishing and packaging color language
providing an accurate method for the selection,
presentation, specification, communication, reproduction,
matching and control of color.
View chart |
|
Process Print: |
Also four-color process - Indicates the four-color
plates or cylinders commonly used in color printing.
Usually of photographic quality. |
| PVC: |
Poly Vinyl Chloride. In film
form, it is used as a meat or produce wrap as stretch
film, and a high clarity shrink wrap for retail
packaging. |
|
Raw Materials: |
A manufacturing classification of inventory before
the material is put into the manufacturing process
and when components are in their “raw”
state. |
| Recovery: |
Stretch film trying to return
back to its original form after it has been stretched.
This action constantly pulls the load together since
the stretch film tightly form-fits the load. Stretch
wrapping continues to tighten the load as it settles
during shipment, due to the recovery property, keeping
the load safe and secure during shipment. |
|
Reverse Printing: |
1.) Printing an image on the back of a transparent
material so that when viewed from the front the
image is correct.
2.) Laying down a printed background on an opaque
surface, leaving certain design areas open. |
| Securi-Wrap: |
Opaque pallet stretch film.
Opaque film blocks UV rays from damaging products.
Protects shipments during transit by not allowing
contents to be seen. |
|
Slip: |
Term used to describe the amount of COF (coefficient
of friction) on the surface of a substrate such
as paper, film, or foil. The slip affects the ability
of the web to process through application equipment. |
|
Slitting: |
The cutting of a large master roll into small rolls
used. |
|
Supplier: |
A good supplier like Western Plastics will provide
their customer with superior customer service and
excellent quality, when the customer requires product. |
| Tacifier: |
A general term used to refer
to cling additives in stretch film (see blooming,
cling, poly isobutylene). |
|
Tear Strength: |
A measure of how likely a substrate will continue
to tear once started. Tear strength will differ
with and against the grain (in the case of plastic). |
|
Telescoping: |
Transverse slipping of successive layers of film
so that the edge of the foil is conical rather than
flat. |
| Tensile Strength: |
The maximum longitudinal
stress that stretch film can take before it tears. |
|
Tolerance: |
Allowable deviation from a nominal or specified
dimension. |
| Top Sheeting: |
A protective covering put
on the top of a load to protect the top from dust,
dirt, and other objects that might damage the load.
Western Plastics manufactures a top sheeting dispenser
and top sheeting rolls for protecting tops of loads,
open containers, etc. |
| Unitization: |
Wrapping techniques that
protect a pallet load from top to bottom, making
all packages in the load one single unit. These
techniques are ideal for long distance hauls and
less than truckload shipments. X-wrapping, wrapping
low, and cross top wrapping are wrapping techniques
that promote the best unitization. |
|
UOM: |
Unit of measure. |
| WrapNet: |
Netting pallet wrap. Knitted
pallet wrap that hold load together but also allows
air to circulated throughout the pallet. |
| Yield: |
The amount of stretch a film
gets without interfering with the performance of
other properties like tear and puncture resistance.
|
