Rewinding machines
Stretch film rewinding machine vs stretch wrapping machine
Written by Öncümak Engineering Team2 min read
In short
A stretch film rewinding machine makes rolls of stretch film; a stretch wrapping machine uses those rolls to wrap pallets. They sit at different points of the same chain: film production, then rewinding into sellable rolls, then wrapping at the end user.
All topics
Stretch film basics
- What is stretch film?
- Hand vs machine stretch film: what's the difference?
- What is pre-stretched film?
- What is coreless stretch film?
- PE stretch film vs PVC cling film: what's the difference?
- Is stretch film recyclable?
- Where is slit stretch film used?
- Black and coloured stretch film: what is the colour for?
- Why stretch film tears, breaks or does not cling, and how to fix it
- How to wrap a pallet with stretch film
- How many pallets does a roll of stretch film wrap? Film use and cost per pallet
- Stretch film vs shrink film: what is the difference?
- How to use coreless stretch film: handles, dispensers and wrapping machines
- When is pre-stretched film not the right choice?
- How to measure the pre-stretch on a pallet wrapper
- Stretch hood vs stretch wrap: which one fits your pallets?
- How wrapped pallets are tested: load stability and EUMOS 40509
- Recycled content (PCR) stretch film and plastic packaging taxes
- How to store stretch film: temperature, humidity and shelf life
- One-sided vs two-sided cling stretch film
- UV-resistant stretch film for outdoor storage
- Stretch film for moving house: how to wrap furniture and boxes
- Slit stretch film, strapping or tape: which one for bundling?
- Which width for which product? Slit stretch film rolls and dispensers
Advice & investment
- How to choose a stretch film rewinding machine
- How to calculate stretch film roll length and weight
- Stretch film thickness: what do the microns change?
- How much does a stretch film rewinding machine produce?
- How to start a stretch film rewinding business
- How to choose jumbo rolls for stretch film rewinding
- What determines the price of stretch film?
Two machines, one film
Both machines work with stretch film and both are often simply called "stretch film machines", so they are easy to mix up: buyers regularly ask one kind of manufacturer for the other kind of machine. Yet they do opposite jobs: one produces rolls of film, the other consumes them.
What a rewinding machine does
A stretch film rewinding machine takes the large jumbo rolls that come from the film producer and rewinds them into the rolls that are sold: hand rolls, machine rolls, pre-stretched or coreless rolls, and slitted rolls in narrower widths. It is used by film producers, converters and packaging distributors.
What a stretch wrapping machine does
A stretch wrapping machine (also called a pallet wrapper) wraps a load with film. The pallet turns on a turntable, or an arm or ring moves around it, while a film carriage feeds and usually pre-stretches the film. It stands at the end of a packing line in factories, warehouses and logistics centres.
Side by side
| Rewinding machine | Stretch wrapping machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Produces rolls of stretch film | Wraps loads with stretch film |
| Input | Jumbo rolls | Hand or machine stretch film rolls |
| Output | Hand, machine, pre-stretched, coreless or slitted rolls | Wrapped, stable pallets |
| Typical user | Film producers, converters, packaging distributors | Manufacturers, warehouses, logistics centres |
| Place in the chain | Between film production and sale | At the end of the customer's packing line |
How they connect
The two machines are links in the same chain. The machine-type stretch rolls that pallet wrappers run on are prepared on rewinding machines. The SR-1500, for example, rewinds machine stretch film as well as hand film. So every pallet wrapped by machine started as a jumbo roll on a rewinder.
Sources(2)
- Lantech. Automatic Stretch Wrappers
- European Commission (2014). European Best Practice Guidelines on Cargo Securing for Road Transport
Related machines
- What is a stretch film rewinding machine?A stretch film rewinding machine unwinds the large jumbo rolls that come from film producers and rewinds the film onto smaller rolls ready for sale, in the length, weight and core size the market needs. Depending on the model it can also slit the film, pre-stretch it or wind rolls without a core.
- Semi-automatic vs fully automatic stretch film rewinding machinesA semi-automatic rewinder winds the film by itself, but at every roll change an operator has to cut the film, take off the finished roll and fit a new core. A fully automatic rewinder does all of that on its own, without stopping. The difference shows in output per shift, labour, roll consistency and price.