Stretch Film Requirement Calculator

Work out stretch film requirement instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Stretch Film Requirement Calculator

Stretch film consumption is pallet girth x number of wraps, times film width for area, times thickness and density for weight. Note this is unstretched film; machine wrappers pre-stretch film by 150-300%, so the length drawn from the roll is far less than the length applied.

Formula

Stretch film usage

Length applied = pallet girth x wraps; area = length x film width; weight = area x thickness x density

Worked example

With the default values below, Stretch Film Requirement Calculator returns Film Weight Per Pallet of 651.728. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Pallet Girthminimum 1 mm: 4,400 mm
Wraps Per Palletminimum 1: 14
Film Widthminimum 1 mm: 500 mm
Film Thicknessminimum 1 micron: 23 micron

Results

Film Weight Per Pallet: 651.728
Film Length Per Pallet: 61.60
Film Area Per Pallet: 30.800
Pallets Wrapped Per Kilogram: 1.53

Step by step

1Values used
2Stretch film usage
3Film Weight Per Pallet= 651.728
4Film Length Per Pallet= 61.60
5Film Area Per Pallet= 30.800
6Pallets Wrapped Per Kilogram= 1.53

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does pre-stretch reduce film cost?

Substantially. At 250% pre-stretch, one metre from the roll covers three and a half metres of pallet, cutting film weight per pallet by around 60-70% compared with hand wrapping.

How many wraps are needed?

Enough for containment force, typically two or three wraps at the base to lock the load to the pallet, a spiral up and down, and a top lock. Containment force should be measured, not guessed.