Wrapping Irregular Pallets: Load Shape, Corners, and Containment

A wrapper treats every pallet the same unless an operator changes the program. The result is that the sides of a regular pallet get good containment, while the corners and top of an irregular one get too little film and start to loosen in transit.

Check the shape before the first wrap

Look at the load from every side. Overhangs, stepped cartons and loose items on top change where the film has to hold. A load that leans or bulges needs a stable base, and a load with a gap at one corner needs a wrap pattern that crosses that gap more than once.

Adjust the pattern, not only the number of wraps

• Add extra turns at the top layer, where most shifting starts.
• Cross the corners of stepped or overhanging loads so the film bridges each step.
• Use a bottom wrap that catches the pallet deck and the first layer of cartons.
• Keep film tension steady through the whole cycle so the load does not pull inward.

Watch for these signs of poor containment

Film that pulls away from a corner, cartons that move when pushed, and a top layer that sits lower than the rest are the first signs. Catch them at the dock, before the load is shipped, because a shifted load is much harder to fix once it is on a truck.

If your loads are irregular most of the time, ask the machine's supplier whether your wrap program can be set per load type rather than changed by hand each shift.