How to Shrink Wrap a Pallet

The short answer

To shrink wrap a pallet, you raise the pallet so the film can shrink underneath it, slide a polyethylene shrink cover over the load, and shrink the cover with a propane heat gun or a shrink column. Work on the lower part of all four sides first, then each side from top to bottom, and the top last with less heat. Let the cover cool before you move the pallet, and keep an eye on it for at least two hours.

The steps below follow Ripack's user manuals for its heat guns and the Turbopack shrink column. They apply when your film supplier gives no other instructions. Always follow your film supplier's instructions first; Ripack recommends asking for them.

What you need

• A shrink cover in low density polyethylene (LDPE). Ripack's Turbopack manual says LDPE covers should be at least 120 microns thick, with a maximum of 20% recycled content.
• A heat source: a Ripack 2500 or 3000 heat gun with a propane cylinder, or for higher volumes a Turbopack V2 shrink column.
• A way to raise the pallet, so the four corners are accessible. Ripack makes a pallet raiser for this, the Calpack.
• Safety equipment: gloves, clothing that is not easily flammable (no nylon), and a fire extinguisher of a suitable size within reach.

Useful extras are a gas cylinder trolley that carries the propane tank with you, extension poles for tall loads, and Ripack shrink tape for sealing seams and repairs.

Step 1: Prepare a safe work area

Propane shrink guns produce an open flame. Ripack's manuals set out these rules:

• Do not work in zones with a specific risk of fire or explosion, and follow local safety regulations.
• Do not shrink film on a floor made of combustible material or covered with waste such as wood or plastic.
• Mark off a work zone large enough that the nozzle is always at least 1.5 m (about 5 ft) from its edge, and keep non-essential people out.
• Check the fittings for leaks and the hose for cracks or loose connections before you start.
• Gas appliances produce CO2 and CO, so make sure there is enough ventilation for the time you work.
• Never point the flame at people, the gas cylinder, the hose or flammable materials, and never stay on a fixed spot in front of the pallet.

Both Ripack guns have the Securipack system, which detects the pressure in the gas cylinder to prevent overheating, and they cut off the gas automatically if the hose breaks. These are professional tools; operate them only with training.

Step 2: Raise the pallet

Ripack's manuals say the pallet must be lifted so that all four corners are accessible. The film can then shrink under the pallet, which ties the load firmly to the pallet and keeps it stable. If the film rises too much during shrinking, the Turbopack manual names the same fix: put the pallet on a stand so the film can hang under it.

Step 3: Size the shrink cover

The cover must be slightly larger than the pallet. Ripack's shrink gun manual (written for the Ripack 2200) recommends a cover about 5% wider than the pallet. The Turbopack manual gives an example: for a 100 × 120 cm pallet (about 39" × 47"), choose a 105 × 125 cm cover (about 41" × 49").

The cover must also be long enough to reach under the pallet. Ripack gives two ways to calculate this:

• Heat gun manual: the height of the load plus 200 mm (about 8").
• Turbopack manual, for made-to-measure covers: measure from the bottom of the load to the top on the widest side, add half the width of the top, then add about 10% so the film passes under the pallet.

Our Pallet Shrink Calculator works out the cover size and the film you use per day.

You can buy pre-made covers or make your own from a roll. With a Ripack Multicover 955 you cut PE shrink film to the length you need and seal it with a Ripack heat gun, without electrical power. The Multicover 960 E seals covers up to 56.7" wide by electrical impulse. Making covers on site means you use only the film you need and do not stock pre-made hoods in every size.

Step 4: Shrink the four sides

Slide the cover over the load and light the gun as described in its manual. Then, per Ripack:

1. Stay at least about 30 cm (12") from the film.
2. Start with the lower part of all four sides, so the film shrinks under the pallet first. Point the air flow perpendicular to the sides of the pallet.
3. Apply the heat in a continuous movement at a constant speed. Never stay on the same spot.
4. Watch how the film reacts. Films behave differently, so adapt your speed, your movement and the distance to the film, or turn the gun's power up or down with the Securipack controls.
5. When the lower part is done, shrink each side from top to bottom until the whole height is covered.

On tall loads, an extension pole keeps the gun at the right distance from the upper part of the cover. Ripack lists five poles for the Ripack 3000, plus a swivel folding arm bracket support.

Step 5: Shrink the top

Once all four sides are done, apply the hot air to the top of the pallet. Ripack warns that the film is already stretched along the sides at this point, so apply less heat on the top to avoid damaging the cover.

Step 6: Let it cool and check the result

The film keeps shrinking for a while after you stop heating. How long depends on the quality and thickness of the film and the type of load. Ripack recommends waiting until the cover has cooled and everything is tight before you move the pallet. Check the cover and the goods before storage, and keep the wrapped pallets under careful watch for at least two hours after shrinking.

If the result is not right, the Turbopack manual lists these fixes:

• Wrinkles, film not shrunk enough: more heat, less distance or a slower speed.
• Holes in the film, too much heat: less heat, more distance or a faster speed.
• Film rises too much: raise the pallet on a stand, and check with your film supplier that the film is bi-oriented, meaning it shrinks both vertically and horizontally. Some films shrink in one direction only.

Small tears and seams can be closed with Ripack shrink tape, a 9 mil heat-shrinkable tape for seams and repairs.

How to wrap more pallets per day

With a hand-held gun, the time per pallet depends on the operator and the film. For larger volumes, Ripack's Turbopack V2 works like a shrink oven on wheels. The operator walks it once around the pallet, and the cover shrinks on all four sides and the top. Ripack states about 40 seconds per pallet, and the user manual says 45 seconds for a Euro pallet and up to 290 pallets with three gas cylinders. The column comes in six heights from 2.62 to 10.5 ft; choose the one that matches your tallest loads.

Prices are as shown on the product pages. For fixed installations, the Ripaflam combines a propane burner with electronic ignition and flame control; it needs 220 VAC. All systems are in our Pallet Shrink Systems collection.

Checklist

• Safe work zone: non-combustible floor, 1.5 m clearance, extinguisher, gloves, ventilation
• Pallet raised, all four corners accessible
• LDPE cover about 5% wider than the pallet and long enough to reach under it
• Lower part of all four sides first, then each side top to bottom, the top last with less heat
• Continuous movement, never on one spot, about 30 cm from the film
• Cool down before moving, and watch the pallets for two hours