scope:

The THS processes (transport, handling and storing) of palletised loading units make suitable protection necessary in order to protect the goods stacked on a load carrier (pallet), such as boxes, sacks, crates, barrels, from external mechanical and climatic exposure and to ensure ease of handling.

The tasks of loading unit protection as, well as the influence of THS exposure and of the characteristics of the goods, are detailed in guideline VDI 3968 Part 1. In addition, some essential exposure specifications (following VDI 2700) and calculation modalities are presented in this guideline by which the necessary retention forces of stretch film can be computed. On this basis, universal conclusions can be drawn on a loading unit protection that matches the exposure.

Different types and qualities of stretch film and stretch wrap machines with varied degrees of automation, working methods and stretching techniques are available for creating stretch-wrapped loading units.

The user requires information on the general suitability of protective measures for specific fields of application (e.g. type of loading unit and exposure). Filmspecific quality metrics make it possible to select the suitable protective materials [2].