Stretch Hooder Films

Layfield's years of expertise in shrinkable pallet covers is nicely complimented by our success with the next evolution of this design - Stretch Hooder Films  

Layfield's Stretch Hooder Films allow for an environmentally safe, cost effective, energy saving, and convenient way to protect your palletized materials. Stretch hooder films combine the weather protection and load stability advantage of pallet covers with the economy of stretch film.

For years now, Layfield has held a position among the best in the industry when it comes to producing shrink and stretch films of all sizes. Stretch hooder films make use of ethyl vinyl acetate co-polymers (EVA), to stretch a film without permanent deformation. The film stretches in the elastic region of a typical engineering stress-strain curve, and never reaches the plastic region of permanent deformation. This allows the film to snugly form around the dimensions of a pallet, which limits movement and protects the contents from dirt and water contamination.

A one-piece hood is made in the machine from a continuous roll of layflat or gusseted film. The hood is stretched over the load and secured under the pallet. Stretch hooder films are ideally suited to applications where pallet loads require five-sided protection, encounter stress during shipping or where products are sensitive to heat.

Our Stretch Hooder Films are available in various colors and can be printed with your company's marketing message or logo, offering you greater product recognition in the marketplace.

Layfield's Stretch Hooder Film has been proven to have more stretch yield in the machine direction, than our competitors' film. This means a greater yield of film, and greater economy for you. If you strain or deform an object, it will usually return to it's original shape until it crosses it's elastic limit. The addition of EVA helps to increase the elastic limit, allowing a much more ductile stretching of the film, without sacrificing the original shape. Linear LDPE is also used, to ensure a tough film, which will meet the toughest performance expectations in the industry.  

Hooding Procedures

1. The height of the pallet load is measured by photocells when the load is conveyed into the machine.
2. The film is then fed to the suction mechanisms.
3. The film is now opened by vacuum pressure and then retained mechanically.
4. Four film grippers move up into the open film. When the correct film length for the load height has been wound up on the grippers, the hood is sealed and cut.
5. The film grippers stretch the completed hood to a size equal to the circumference of the pallet load.
6. The hood is now applied to the pallet load, which is raised simultaneously by a lifting device.
7. The film is slowly slipped under the pallet, locking the pallet and load together by means of the important bottom stretch.
8. The pallet load is lowered onto the chain conveyor again, and the hooder returns to starting position.
9. A pallet load secured for transportation leaves the hooder as a new pallet load enters. 

Comparison Between Different Packaging Systems

Benefits of Using Layfield's Stretch Hooder Films

• Pallet loads that have been packaged using stretch hooder films are secured effectively for transportation. You get superior tension in both horizontal and vertical directions, this means that the goods are presses downwards on the pallet, thus preventing the load from shifting.
• The unbroken stretch hooder film reduces the risk of theft, as the goods can only be accessible by cutting the film open.
• Stretch hooders utilize packaging film without the use of heat. This method minimizes energy consumption and improves workplace safety by eliminating risks of fire.
• Pallets packaged with Layfield's stretch hooder films provide superb puncture resistance and are resistant to tear propagation.
• The optical properties of stretch hooder films are better than you standard shrink pallet covers or stretch film.
• Stretch hooder film is well suited for printing a logo, company name, or message, which allows for promotion during distribution of the pallet loads.
• Stretch hooder technology has the opportunity of being very fast. With one line, you can easily pack more than 150 pallets per hour.

For more information about Layfield's stretch hooder films please contact Customer Service toll free at 1-800-558-8275.