How to Choose Shrink Bundling Film for Multipacks

Film thickness comes in gauge or mil. 100 gauge equals 1 mil, or one thousandth of an inch. Heavier bundles need thicker film.

Treat these as starting points. Product shape, line speed, and shipping distance change the answer.

• Full corrugated tray: most support, highest corrugated cost.
• Flat corrugated pad: works for rigid containers like metal cans.
• Film only: lowest material cost, needs stronger film and a stable product.

1. Weigh the bundle. Use the table above for a starting thickness.
2. Choose tray, pad, or film only. Match support to how rigid your containers are.
3. Pick the resin. Polyethylene (PE) handles heavy multipacks and resists punctures. Polyolefin (POF) shrinks at lower temperatures and suits light retail wraps.
4. Confirm food grade. Ask for food-grade film if bare product touches the wrap.
5. Ask about downgauging. Downgauging means switching to a thinner, stronger film. Some high-performance films cut thickness by up to 50% with the same load hold.
6. Decide on print. Printed bundling film carries your brand and handling marks. Clear film shows the product.
7. Test on your tunnel. Run samples on your actual products at your real tunnel temperature and conveyor speed. Check bullseyes (the round openings at each end), corners, and drop tests.

• Dropping one gauge on price alone without a line trial.
• Testing on a sample product instead of your heaviest SKU.

Add film per bundle, trays or pads, tunnel energy, and damaged or refused bundles. One refused shipment often wipes out a year of savings from a cheaper film.

Send us your bundle weights and current film spec. We will run samples and show you the cost per bundle.

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