# Stretch Film Consumption and Cost Calculator Real film consumption per pallet, monthly roll count and cost — with a pre-stretch comparison that shows where the money goes. Published: 2026-08-25 · Last updated: 2026-08-25 ## Contents 1. Worked example 2. Short answer 3. The four variables 4. Micron, gauge and what the label means 5. Pre-stretch: where the money is 6. How many wraps for an export shipment? 7. Cost per pallet, honestly calculated 8. What to send us for a film quote ## Calculator From pallet size, wrap pattern and film specification to the real consumption per pallet, the monthly roll count and the cost. Note: This page contains an in-browser calculator; results are computed instantly from your inputs and no data is sent to a server. The full method is explained below. ## Worked example Opened with its default case — **Pallet footprint — long side (cm): 120 · Pallet footprint — short side (cm): 80 · Height to be wrapped (cm): 150** — the calculator returns the figures below. The headline result is **250 g / pallet** (film per pallet). They are written out here so the output is readable without running JavaScript: in print, with scripts disabled, or by a search engine. Worked example — inputs | Input | Value | | --- | --- | | Pallet footprint — long side (cm) | 120 | | Pallet footprint — short side (cm) | 80 | | Height to be wrapped (cm) | 150 | | Film width (cm) | 50 | | Overlap (%) | 30 | | Wrapping passes | Up and down (2 passes) — the common case | | Film thickness (micron) | 17 | | Pre-stretch (%) | 0 | | Net roll weight (kg) | 1.5 | | Roll price (TRY) | 0 | | Pallets wrapped per day | 20 | | Working days per month | 22 | Worked example — results | Result | Value | | --- | --- | | Wraps required | 8 wraps (2 passes) | | Film length | 32 m applied · 32 m off the roll | | Film per pallet | 250 g / pallet | | Rolls per month | 73.4 rolls/month (440 pallets) | Change any field above and the calculator recomputes; this table is the default case only. ## How much stretch film does one pallet take? Film consumption is not a single number — it is the product of four variables: the **pallet perimeter**, the **number of wraps** ((height − film width) ÷ effective step, rounded up, plus one, times the passes — the first wrap covers a full film width, which is the step most calculators miss), the **film thickness** and the **pre-stretch**. Pre-stretch is the one people underuse: at 200% one metre of film covers three metres of load, so the same wrap pattern draws a third of the film off the roll. That is where the cost per pallet actually moves. ## The four variables What each input changes | Variable | Effect on consumption | Where the decision sits | | --- | --- | --- | | Pallet perimeter | Linear — a 1,200 × 1,000 pallet uses about 10% more film per turn than a 1,200 × 800 | Fixed by the load | | Wraps (height ÷ step × passes) | Linear — overlap and pass count set it | Wrap programme; the containment force needed | | Film thickness | Linear on weight — 23 micron uses 35% more material than 17 | Load weight and transit; not a free choice | | Pre-stretch | Divides the film drawn off the roll by (1 + pre-stretch) | Machine capability — the single biggest lever | The calculator computes the wrapped length and the length drawn off the roll separately, because only the second one is what you buy. ## Micron, gauge and what the label means European film is specified in **microns**, North American film in **gauge**. The conversion is fixed: one gauge is 0.254 micron, so **gauge ÷ 3.937 = micron**. Common thicknesses, both ways | Gauge | Micron | Typical use | | --- | --- | --- | | 60 | ≈ 15 | Light, stable loads; hand wrapping | | 70 | ≈ 18 | General warehouse use | | 80 | ≈ 20 | The common machine film | | 90–120 | ≈ 23–30 | Heavy, sharp-edged or unstable loads | A second label figure matters as much: the **net** film weight of the roll. Cost per pallet is calculated from net weight, not from the roll price alone — two rolls at the same price can hold different amounts of film. ## Pre-stretch: where the money is Pre-stretch elongates the film as it leaves the roll. At 200% one metre becomes three, so a wrap pattern that puts 300 m of film on the load draws only 100 m off the roll. The comparison table under the calculator shows the same wrap pattern at 0%, 100%, 150%, 200% and 250% so the saving is visible in grams and in money, not as a claim. Hand wrapping delivers effectively no pre-stretch. This is why the film cost per pallet on a manual line is routinely two to three times a machine line’s — the film is identical, the physics is not. ## How many wraps for an export shipment? Domestic wrapping habits under-wrap export loads. A container crossing several handovers sees more vibration, more forklift contact and more time under load than a pallet going across town, and the wrap has to hold the load to the pallet through all of it. In practice export loads get more passes (three or four rather than two), a heavier film, and the top of the load tied down to the pallet rather than merely covered. If the load is heavy or has an unstable stack pattern, corner boards spread the containment force instead of letting the film cut into the edges. A cheap test that settles arguments Push the top layer of a wrapped pallet sideways by hand. If it moves relative to the pallet, the load is wrapped but not *contained* — add passes at the base rather than film thickness overall. ## Cost per pallet, honestly calculated The calculator converts the film drawn off the roll into grams using the film’s own density (LLDPE, about 0.92 g/cm³), then divides by the net roll weight to get rolls per pallet, and multiplies out to a monthly and annual figure. Enter the roll price and you get cost per pallet — the only number that lets two film offers be compared, because it neutralises roll size, thickness and pre-stretch at once. Two things the model deliberately does not include, so you know where the edges are. **Necking**: film narrows as it is pre-stretched, so the applied web is a little narrower than the roll and slightly more wraps are needed — the pre-stretch table therefore shows the theoretical maximum saving. And the comparison prices every row at the same roll price, whereas **machine film and hand film are different products** at different prices — compare using your own two quotes. ## What to send us for a film quote For a stretch film quote we need very little: - Pallet footprint and the wrapped height - Hand or machine wrapping — and the machine’s pre-stretch setting if known - Current film width, thickness and net roll weight (a photo of the label is quickest) - Pallets wrapped per day and working days per month - Whether loads are exported, and whether corner boards or top sheets are used Send it through the [quote form](https://aksco.com.tr/en/request-a-quote/) or to [info@aksco.com.tr](mailto:info@aksco.com.tr). Film is one line of the [packaging and shipping](https://aksco.com.tr/en/products/packaging-shipping/) range — cartons, tape, void fill, strapping and labels come on the same quote. ## Frequently Asked Questions How many metres of film does one pallet need? For a standard 1,200 × 800 pallet wrapped to 150 cm with 50 cm film at 30% overlap and two passes: four wraps per pass, eight in total, and a wrapped length of 32 m. With no pre-stretch that is also what comes off the roll; at 200% pre-stretch it is about 10.7 m. Enter your own figures above. Is thicker film always safer? No. Containment force comes mainly from the number of wraps and where they are placed, not from thickness alone. Beyond a point, thicker film costs more per pallet without holding the load any better — and on sharp-edged loads corner boards do more than extra microns. What does 200% pre-stretch actually mean? That one metre of film becomes three metres as it is applied. The wrapped length stays the same, so the film drawn off the roll — and therefore the cost — falls by a factor of three. Why compare film on cost per pallet rather than roll price? Because roll price hides width, thickness and net weight. Two rolls at the same price can differ by 40% in film content. Cost per pallet is the only figure that compares like with like. Do you supply machine film as well as hand film? Yes — hand rolls, machine rolls, and the consumables that go with them (corner boards, top sheets, strapping, tape). Send your current label and consumption and we quote line by line. ## Related guides ### Pallet and Container Loading Calculator How many pallets fit a container — volume and payload together. [Read more](https://aksco.com.tr/en/tools/pallet-container-loading-calculator/) ### Export Shipping from Türkiye Incoterms, document sets and ISPM 15 wood packaging. [Read more](https://aksco.com.tr/en/insights/export-shipping-from-turkiye/) ### Packaging & Shipping Supplies Cartons, stretch film, tape, void fill and labels in one quote. [Read more](https://aksco.com.tr/en/products/packaging-shipping/) ## Send your list — your quote is ready within 1 business day. A list, a photo or an Excel file — whatever is easiest. On standard items most quotes go out the same business day. Custom production, imports or 50+ line lists can take longer; when they do, we tell you the timeline in writing on the day we receive the request. [Request a Quote](https://aksco.com.tr/en/request-a-quote/)[Message on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/905343356922) --- AKSCO Ticaret ve Tedarik — https://aksco.com.tr AKSCO Ticaret ve Tedarik · Esentepe Mah. Talat Paşa Cad. No:5 İç Kapı No:1, Şişli/İstanbul Türkiye'nin 81 ili ve uluslararası sevkiyat info@aksco.com.tr · 0534 335 69 22