RepairXpert Industrial Automation

Stretch Wrapper — Film Break During Cycle

PKG-WRAP1

Stretch wrapper film broke during the wrapping cycle. Load is partially wrapped. Film tail must be re-attached and cycle restarted or completed manually.

low packaging
packaging stretch wrapper film break pre-stretch turntable

Probable Causes (ranked)

Fix Steps

  1. 1 Manually wrap the film tail around the load to secure the partially wrapped portion
  2. 2 Reduce pre-stretch ratio by 10-20% and test — typical good stretch film handles 200-250% pre-stretch
  3. 3 Check for sharp load corners — add corner boards to protect the film at corners
  4. 4 Slow down the film carriage speed or increase turntable rotation to reduce film tension
  5. 5 Inspect film pre-stretch rollers — if rollers are worn or contaminated, film slips and stretches unevenly
  6. 6 If film is cold (below 50F/10C), let the film warm to room temperature before using — cold film is brittle

Field Trick

When film breaks consistently at the same point in the wrap cycle (usually the bottom corner of the load), the problem is the load, not the wrapper. Add a cardboard corner board on the sharp corner where the film breaks. A $0.10 corner board prevents film waste and downtime.

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