|
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. |
|
Barricade Tape: |
Non-adhesive
warning films printed with custom logos. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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.
|
|
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. |
|
Gauge: |
The thickness
of a film. 80 gauge film equates to .8 mil or .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. |
|
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. |
|
Laundry Wraps: |
All purpose
PVC over wrap for use in commercial laundries. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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). |
|
Mini-Bander: |
Similar
to EZ-Bander banding film expect on 1 inch diameter cores
for better wrapping control and ease of use in working environments. |
|
Neck Down: |
The narrowing
tendency of stretch film when being stretched or pulled. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
Strong-Bow: |
Pre-stretched
pallet wrap. Film has been stretched leaving better load
retention and lighter weight rolls |
|
Tacifier: |
A general
term used to refer to cling additives in stretch film (see
blooming, cling, poly isobutylene). |
|
Tensile Strength: |
The maximum
longitudinal stress that stretch film can take before it
tears. |
|
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. |
|
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.
|
