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No-heat unitizing | Elastic film

Stretch Hoods and Stretch Hood Film

Custom stretch hoods for pallet lines that unitize without heat. Elastic stretch hood film sized to the packed footprint and stack height so the hood grips the load after mechanical application. Manufacturing film range 25 to 300 microns; stretch-hood thickness confirmed to equipment and load.

Shrink hoods →
25 to 300 microns rangeNo-heat unitizingCustom footprint and heightUV / print options

What stretch hood film is for

A stretch hood is a tubular elastic film hood applied over a palletized load so recovery tension holds the stack without a heat tunnel. Use it when the packing line already runs stretch hood equipment, or when heat near the product is a problem.

Do not treat this as a synonym for shrink hoods or for a simple slip-on pallet cover.

Stretch hood vs nearby products

ProductProcessPrimary job
Stretch hoodElastic stretch, no heatUnitize with hood film
Shrink hoodHeat shrinkUnitize with heat-tightened film
Pallet coverSlip-onDust and short-term staging protection

Manufacturing parameters

ParameterWhat BENZ supplies
Film thickness25 to 300 microns manufacturing range; stretch-hood thickness confirmed per equipment and load
Base filmsPolyethylene (PE) stretch hood constructions
SizeCustom footprint and stack height; no fixed catalogue-size limit
OptionsUV stabilization and print when the construction allows

How to specify

Quote packed footprint and full stack height, including overhang and top packing. Name the stretch hood equipment if known, or describe how the hood is applied today. Load type matters: stable cartons behave differently from bagged product or irregular tops. Outdoor staging may need UV options. Print is available when the construction allows.

Where stretch hoods are the right process: high-throughput pallet lines that want five-sided coverage without heat energy; products that should not sit near shrink temperatures; plants comparing film use against multi-layer stretch wrap. If the plant is locked into heat shrink, stay on the shrink hoods page instead of mixing processes on one enquiry.

Enquiry checklist

DetailWhy it matters
Footprint x heightPacked pallet L x W and stack H
EquipmentStretch hood machine model or application method
Load typeBoxes, bags, irregular, heavy top
Film thickness25 to 300 microns
QuantityPer day or per order lot

Common questions

What is a stretch hood?

A tubular stretch film hood pulled over a palletized load so elastic recovery grips the stack without heat.

How is stretch different from shrink?

Stretch uses elastic film and mechanical stretch, no heat. Shrink uses heat to contract the film. Equipment and film recipes are not interchangeable.

How is a stretch hood different from a pallet cover?

A pallet cover is usually a slip-on dust cover. A stretch hood is specified for unitizing with elastic film and machine application.

What film thickness can you supply?

BENZ manufactures film constructions from 25 to 300 microns. For stretch-hood applications, the exact thickness is confirmed against your equipment, load and required holding performance.

Does stretch hood replace stretch wrap?

Depending on the load, equipment and line configuration, stretch hooding can replace conventional multi-layer stretch wrapping for five-sided coverage and presentation. Some plants still combine methods. Tell us how the line runs today.

When should I choose shrink instead?

When the plant already runs heat shrink equipment and the load is proven on that process. Open the shrink hoods page for that path.

Running stretch hood without heat?

Send packed footprint, stack height and equipment notes. We will quote stretch hood film sized for the line.

Pallet covers →
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