Machine Stretch Film

As the name suggests, machine stretch film or machine stretch wrap is designed to be applied with a stretch wrap machine. Machine stretch film is the ideal solution for large to medium scale operations intending to wrap products efficiently and quickly.

In comparison to hand film, machine film offers a number of benefits, including:

• More efficient and faster product packaging

• Reduced cost of packaging materials

• Safer application

• More secure, safer loads

Machine stretch film comes in a variety of colors, gauges, and can be used in a seemingly endless number of applications.

AAA Polymer offers a large inventory of machine stretch films, including blown machine stretch film and cast machine stretch films. Continue reading to learn more about our machine stretch films and machine stretch wraps.

Although machine stretch films are offered in a variety of gauges, colors, and applications, the main variable is whether it's blown machine stretch film or cast film.

Blown stretch film is made by through a process called blown extrusion - where the film is gradually cooled by the surrounding air. In contrast, cast machine stretch film or cast stretch wrap is formed by feeding a sheet of heated resin along a rolling path with chilled rollers. The cooling of the rollers causes the film to solidify, and it's then made into large rolls.

Blown film is actually tougher and has less of a chance of puncturing than cast film. This is caused by the slower cooling process that allows the blown film molecules to spread out instead of aligning as they do in cast film. Cast machine cast wrap has a glossier, clearer finish, which allows different scanning technologies to be used. Also, cast unwinds quieter and is easier to stretch than blown film.

At AAA Polymer, we offer both blown machine stretch film and cast machine stretch film with two-sided cling. However, we also offer cast machine stretch film with one-sided cling.

Know Your Glove Materials: Part IV Poly

Polyethylene is the most affordable glove material and is used in the food service industry. Food service workers need a glove with enough durability for short-duration tasks, and poly gloves are the right choice.

Like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene was first created by accident. German chemist Hans von Pechmann made the first polyethylene in 1898. In 1933, Reginald Gibson and Eric Fawcett, two scientists at Imperial Chemical Industries, also accidentally created polyethylene, and their employer would be the driving force behind the material’s innovation in early years.

Polyethylene is a polymer that is synthesized from ethylene and a thermoplastic that is formed into various shapes as it cools from a liquid state to a solid state.

There are different forms of polyethylene, with one being high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is the harder form of the plastic. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is thinner, less opaque than HDPE and used to make plastic grocery bags, dispensing bottles and disposable gloves. It is a flexible and tough material though not as durable as other glove materials.

LDPE is a non-leaching plastic in its natural state. This means it will not release unwanted chemicals into food, which is why poly gloves are suitable for the food service industry. Additionally, LDPE is used for creating protective film for food packaging.

Two polyethylene sheets are seamed and sealed with heat to create disposable gloves. Because poly gloves are not dipped like latex, nitrile and vinyl gloves, they are not impervious to liquids. Vinyl gloves are a suitable alternative for food services tasks where liquids are present.

The food service industry requires workers to change their gloves often. In a sandwich deli, for instance, an employee would make one customer’s order. Afterward, he or she should follow proper handwashing guidelines and don a new pair of gloves for the next customer. Given the frequency of these changes, the industry requires a cost-effective glove material, which is why poly gloves are the preferred choice.

Poly gloves are also powder and latex free. Both traits are beneficial for preventing allergic reactions among workers and customers. Given that the gloves directly touch food that is ingested, the latex and corn proteins that cause the reaction could easily enter a customer’s body, possibly leading to a more severe reaction.