Over the life of a wrapped product, you will spend much more on the film but agonize much more over the purchase price of the machine to wrap. So lets try to understand how they work together.

Different products require different film characteristics to achieve an attractive wrap. Let’s discuss BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) and its equivalents, that are used for flowwrap and overwrap.

Right now there are films that are biodegradable and home compostable, thin films, heavy weight films, holographic films, perforated films all good for wrapping. Films can be treated, coated with acrylics to change  permiability or metallized, printed with regular or soy and vegetable based inks.

Take film thickness. Film thickness is expressed in gauge or microns. 80 gauge equals 20 microns. 120 gauge equals 30 microns. Food products are wrapped using 80 gauge or greater film. Perfumes or high end scented candles, for example, are often wrapped with 150 gauge or higher.

Most products’ wrapping requirements fall somewhere between 100 gauge and 150 gauge but Package Machinery has customers who overwrap using cellophane, whose gauge was much higher, and customers who prefer the lightest wrap possible. Film for bundling can run over 200 gauge. One word of caution is that not all machines can handle all gauges of film. If you think you might change your gauge at some point, make sure that the machine you select will handle the proposed change.

Within BOPP, there are films that are softer and more flexible and films that are more brittle and rigid.

Then there is how you do the sealing on the film. Flow wrap film is heat sealable on one side only, since it seals to the same side of the film. Overwrap film must be heat sealable on both sides, since it seals to both sides of the film. This means they require different amounts and location of coating on the films for the different wrap styles.

Raw material sources for film options are exploding. BOPP is made from petroleum and is a byproduct of making fuel. Its sustainable equivalents are cellophane or cellulose based films which are made from wood pulp. Other sustainable film options are becoming available but not yet for flow wrap and overwrap.

You will spend more on film over the life of the machine but the machine should have a long life, so choose wisely.