History of Stretchwrappers

The earliest known stretchwrappers were manufactured for and marketed by Borden Incorporated (the milk people) in the late 60’s.  Their Resinite film division made a plastic film that the machines applied to wrap sides of beef for cleanliness and to prevent dehydration during the aging process.  The roll of film was the height of the carcass (full web.)

In the mid 70’s a former Mobil Oil Company (Exxon/Mobil now) employee, Pat Lancaster, who was making pallet shrink tunnels at the time, expanded this full-web concept to pallets of merchandise.

At exactly the same time a Canadian inventor, Michael Shullman, invented spiral stretch wrapping, and began marketing his product in Canada, then into the US also.  This became the dominant machine.

Incidentally, Mr. Shullman also invented the overhead spiral machine in the mid 70’s, before the low-profile machine was possible, to solve a desire by Oscar Mayer to wrap loads moved by pallet jacks on the second floor (wooden) of their Chicago plant.  He also introduced solid-state (PLC) controls into the industry in the mid 70’s.

Borden with PVC film and Mobil with low-density polyethylene film dominated the industry as film suppliers in the 70’s.  Films stretched 10% (Mobil) to 40% (Borden), which were the limits of the film’s abilities.  Additionally, the end tail of Mobil’s film had to be glued, heat-sealed, or taped to the load, as the film had no cling.  Borden’s film had self-sealing cling.

In 1980 Mobil introduced linear low density polyethylene resins to pallet wrapping films, and the industry changed.

This is the stretch wrap films you see today, with their very high stretch levels, and cling.

Two equipment manufacturers quickly responded to this new film’s abilities with two similar but distinct inventions.

Mr. Lancaster patented “non-powered” prestretch, where the film is pulled between two rollers mechanically locked together, by the pallet load being wrapped.  This prestretch stretched Mobil’s new film an average of about 80%.

“Powered” prestretch, where the film is pulled between two rollers by a motor(s) which powers the rollers themselves, allowing for the film’s wrap force on the load to be regulated, was introduced literally days later.  This process allowed the same film to be stretched over 300%, and became the dominant film delivery system for obvious reasons.

Bill Watson, a principal in Durapak Sales, was co-inventor and patent applicant for powered prestretch.

Mr. Lancaster modified his non-powered prestretch patent application after-the-fact in an attempt to usurp powered prestretch, but the courts invalidated this attempt.

Copyright © 1979-2008 Durapak ALL RIGHTS RESERVED