Stretch Wrapper Troubleshooting: Causes & Fixes

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Problems on this page:

Film breaks during wrapping Poor load containment Film not cutting or clamping Loose film tails after wrapping Pre-stretch rollers worn or slipping Turntable or rotary arm faults More film used than needed Load height not detected correctly Film carriage not travelling smoothly

Film breaks during wrapping

Hits OEE: Availability

Symptoms: Film snaps mid-cycle, frequent stops and re-threads.

Pre-stretch or tension too high

Reduce pre-stretch/film force; tune for the film gauge.

Sharp load edges

Add edge protection; adjust corner handling.

Film quality or carriage rollers

Check the film spec and the pre-stretch rollers.

Prevention: Correct film-force settings, edge protection, carriage maintenance.

Poor load containment

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Loose loads, shifting in transit, damaged pallets.

Too few wraps or low force

Set wrap count and containment force; add top/bottom revolutions.

Wrong wrap pattern

Program a pattern suited to the load.

Pre-stretch not optimised

Increase pre-stretch for better cling and holding force.

Prevention: Validated wrap recipes, correct force, pre-stretch tuning.

Film not cutting or clamping

Hits OEE: Availability

Symptoms: Film tail not cut/clamped, film drags, cycle faults.

Cut-and-clamp fault

Check the cutter, heat element and clamp mechanism.

Timing or sensor issue

Verify the carriage home position and sensors.

Film wrap-around on rollers

Clean rollers; correct threading.

Prevention: Cut/clamp maintenance, sensor checks, correct threading.

Loose film tails after wrapping

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Film tails hang from the load and catch on forks or conveyors.

Wipe-down brush or arm not working

Repair and set the wipe-down arm.

Cut timing off

Re-time the cut so the tail is short.

Film cling too low

Check film grade with the supplier.

Prevention: Tail checks during load inspection.

Pre-stretch rollers worn or slipping

Hits OEE: Performance

Symptoms: Film use rises, containment varies from load to load.

Worn roller coating

Recoat or replace the pre-stretch rollers.

Gear, chain or belt fault between the rollers

Inspect and repair the drive between the rollers.

Dirty rollers

Clean the rollers.

Prevention: Pre-stretch checks on a schedule, using the maker's test method.

Turntable or rotary arm faults

Hits OEE: Availability

Symptoms: Wrapper stops mid-cycle, drive alarms, jerky rotation.

Drive chain or belt loose or worn

Tension or replace the drive chain or belt.

Home or position sensor dirty

Clean and check the home and position sensors.

Motor or drive fault

Check the motor and its drive for alarms.

Load placed off-centre

Centre the load on the turntable.

Prevention: Drive checks during planned maintenance.

More film used than needed

Hits OEE: Performance

Symptoms: Film cost rises, loads wrapped heavier than the specification asks.

Wrap count set higher than needed

Validate the wrap pattern with a load test and set the lowest one that holds.

Pre-stretch below what the film can do

Set pre-stretch to the film's rating.

Overlap settings generous

Review overlap between wraps.

Prevention: A wrap specification per load type, reviewed when film changes.

Load height not detected correctly

Hits OEE: Availability

Symptoms: Wrapping stops short of the top or runs above the load; the carriage hunts.

Height photo-eye dirty or misaligned

Clean and align the photo-eye.

Dark or clear loads not seen

Use a sensor type and setting suited to the load.

Reflector damaged or missing

Replace the reflector.

Prevention: Photo-eye checks during cleaning.

Film carriage not travelling smoothly

Hits OEE: Availability

Symptoms: The carriage jerks, stops part-way up the mast, or wraps unevenly from top to bottom.

Worn carriage chain or belt

Inspect, tension or replace the carriage chain or belt.

Worn guide rollers on the mast

Replace worn guide rollers and clean the mast track.

Obstruction or damage on the mast

Clear the mast and repair any damage.

Prevention: Carriage drive and roller checks during planned maintenance.

Guidance only. Always follow lockout/tagout and your site's safe-work procedures, and verify against OEM manuals before acting.

Stop the same fault coming back

Recurring stretch wrapper stops usually trace to a cause you cannot see by hand. The partner we recommend is Fabrico: it tracks OEE and downtime live from PLCs, IoT sensors or AI cameras; where cameras are fitted, the video of a stop sits next to its machine data so the cause can be reviewed; and a technician opens the work order from the stop in the same system. Data is hosted in the AWS EU region, and Fabrico and the company behind it hold ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO 9001.

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Methods that cut recurring stops: the six big losses · root cause analysis · preventive vs predictive maintenance · TPM · SMED & changeover