How much film do you leave on every pallet of glass?

Calculate the weight and cost of the shrink sleeve per pallet in 2 minutes. Instant result, no email required.

Calculate in 2 minutes Book 20 min with a technologist

Implementation at a glassworks130 → 90 µmno breakage in transport · see case →

55 yearsfilm manufacturer

approx. 25,000 tof film per year

18 linesextrusion, 3 and 5 layers

up to 10 coloursflexo in our own print shop

Cold end

Five things we hear at the cold end

A pallet of glass is several hundred kilograms of fragile load. You see the cost of film on the invoice, and the cost of bad film in complaints.

“We pay by the kilogram, but we count pallets.”Film that is thicker “just in case” is the most expensive safety margin in a glassworks. Every 10 µm less means grams on every pallet, multiplied by a whole year of production.
“A hole in the hood is not a film defect, it is a pallet that has to be repacked.”Sharp edges of layer pads and layer corners pierce film with too little puncture resistance. Resistance comes from the formulation and structure, not from microns alone.
“The pallet leaves perfect and arrives loose.”Export routes and outdoor yards test shrink force, not microns. Slack after cooling and no anchoring under the pallet end in breakage at your customer.
“The recycled content target is in the ESG report, but the pallet is still wrapped in virgin film.”Variants with 30-50% PCR, with the final share set after analysing the machine, the film and a line trial.
“New furnace, new cold end, old film specification.”A furnace rebuild or a new machine is the best time to review the film specification, because the trial does not interfere with the current production plan.

Calculator

How much film does your pallet need?

Film usage calculator for a shrink hood made from gusseted tubing for pallets of glass. Enter the pallet dimensions, your current thickness and the number of pallets per year, and we will calculate the kilograms today and the 90, 80 and 70 µm scenarios.

Your pallet

Pallet length

Pallet width

Height covered by the film

Pallet with load, from the floor to the top.

Current thickness

µm

Pallets per year

pcs

Price of your current film per kg (optional)

Price of the new film per kg (your assumption)

We do not publish Kablonex prices. A film with better properties may cost more per kg and still less per pallet.

Physical recycled content (PCR) in the new film (optional)

Content allocated through ISCC PLUS mass balance is a separate matter; we describe it in the offer.

Indicative assumptions: a technologist will adjust them to your line (you can change them)

Clearance on the base dimensions

Face = length + clearance, full side = width + clearance.

Bottom allowance before shrinking

Collar packing: approx. 300 mm.

Allowance for seal and cut

Usually 50-100 mm.

NEX-SHRINK GP density

g/cm³

Working value, eventually from the product data sheet.

We know the actual tubing format

Weight = unfolded tubing circumference (2 × face + 4 × gusset) × cut length × thickness × density. Cut length ≈ height covered by the film + half of the shorter pallet side + bottom allowance + seal allowance. The material closing the top is included in the tubing length; line waste is calculated separately.

Proof from an implementation

−31%

film on every pallet after going from 130 to 90 µm at a glassworks. Some deliveries at 70 µm, with no loss of pallet stability in weekend transport.

See the case study

Applying the sleeve and shrinking at the cold end.

Pallet after shrinking, film anchored under the pallet.

Why Kablonex

A film manufacturer, not a trader

We have been making pallet hoods since the 2000s, and that is where the NEX-SHRINK family comes from. Extrusion, printing and recycling are under one roof, so you are not waiting on anyone along the way.

24 htechnologist reply on working days

5-10days for trial rolls for your machine

7-10days for express delivery

500 kgminimum run per item

POD ECOISCC PLUSRecyClassBRCGSISO 9001EcoVadis

How we work

From calculator to implementation

01 · 2 MINCalculatorYou calculate the film weight per pallet and thickness scenarios.

02 · 20 MINCall with a technologistMachine, pallet formats, routes and current film.

03 · 5-10 DAYSLine trialTrial rolls for your machine. Tested on the line and on the road, not in a lab.

04 · 3-4 WEEKSImplementationDelivery schedule matched to your production plan, express in 7-10 days.

NEX-SHRINK GP

Films for your cold end

We match the film to your specific system: sleeve opening, shrink temperature and time, pallet height and undershrink.

STANDARDNEX-SHRINK GPGusseted sleeve or hood for glass pallets. Stable line operation at your current thickness, controlled shrink and anchoring under the pallet.

PREMIUMNEX-SHRINK GP downgaugedThe lowest validated film weight per pallet: from 130 to 90 µm, 70 µm in selected deliveries. After a line trial and a transport test.

PCRVariants with recycled contentPhysical recycled content: 30-50% variants, the target share after analysing the machine, the film and a line trial. Separately, ISCC PLUS certified raw materials are possible, where the share is allocated by mass balance.

PRINTIdentification and brandingFlexo printing in up to 10 colours in our own NEX PRINT print shop: your glassworks logo, batch marking, warehouse instructions.

Common to all: sleeve width up to 2600 mm, 3 or 5 layers, 76 and 152 mm cores, UV additives, runs from 500 kg per item. Full NEX-SHRINK specification

Example glass pallet packaging systems

We match NEX-SHRINK GP films to the hooding systems used in glassworks, including Thimon, MSK and OMS Group. Names and logos belong to their manufacturers.

FAQ

Questions from glassworks technologists

Does changing the film mean resetting the sleeve applicator and the shrink tunnel?

We determine that in a trial. We start from the machine model and your current settings: how the tubing is opened, shrink temperature and time, and we match the formulation to your system. Whether anything needs adjusting only becomes clear on the line, which is why a trial comes before every change of film or thickness.

How thin can you go on a glass pallet?

At one glassworks we went from 130 to 90 µm, and to 70 µm in some deliveries, with no loss of pallet stability in weekend transport. The limit depends on your pallet format, height, route and whether your line does undershrink, which is why downgauging is always preceded by a line trial and a transport test.

Will the film anchor under the pallet (undershrink)?

Yes, provided the sleeve has the right allowance and a formulation with controlled shrink in both directions. Undershrink is part of the specification we ask about from the start, because it determines the sleeve length and how the film behaves when the trailer brakes.

What about holes from layer pads and layer corners?

We build puncture resistance through the formulation and a multilayer structure, not thickness alone. That is why a 90 µm film can be more puncture resistant than a standard 130 µm one. We ask for the three most frequent defects from your quality codes, because that is where the selection starts.

Are PCR variants available and how do you document them?

For selected applications we develop variants with 30-50% PCR. We confirm the target share after analysing the machine, the current film, the optical requirements and a line trial. We distinguish PCR from PIR, and physical recycled content in the film from content allocated by mass balance in the ISCC PLUS system. Our offers always state which one is meant. We do not claim “PPWR compliance” without confirming the packaging category and documentation.

Our pallets are stored outdoors. Will the film cope?

For outdoor storage we use UV additives that stabilise the film under sun exposure. Storage time and routes are part of the specification, because they determine the stabilisation and thickness.

How many pallet formats can you handle and what are the lead times?

We match a gusseted sleeve or hood to any pallet format and height, up to 2600 mm wide. Runs from 500 kg per item, standard lead time 3-4 weeks, express 7-10 days, trial rolls in 5-10 working days.

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