June 2025 – Dr. Marshall S. White (Virginia Tech) and Mark Scott (White and Company) have developed a simplified elastic model for predicting containment forces applied by stretch film on cubically shaped unit loads. The work shows promise for improving pallet load stability more cost-effectively and scientifically.
The study compares a vector-based mathematical model with direct force measurements taken at the edges of a test cube using embedded load cells. Results showed a high correlation (R² = 0.67) between predicted and measured forces, with edge force prediction deviations ranging from just 0.7% to 2.3%.
Importantly, the research found that edge forces could be adjusted by a multiplier (approximately 0.090) to estimate ASTM D8314 containment force values. This opens the door to practical tools for packaging engineers, helping them move away from trial-and-error approaches and toward faster, data-driven film selection.
“Despite variations in wrap pattern, layering, and pre-stretch levels, the model consistently delivered reliable estimates,” the authors report. The tool could help optimize film usage, reduce waste, and improve safety for palletized loads moving through supply chains.
Validation of the model under wider conditions, including different load shapes, film widths, and materials, is recommended.
Marshall (Mark) White PhD, President of White and Company and Professor Emeritus of Packaging Systems and Design at Virginia Tech, presented the co-authored the paper, A Simplified Elastic Model for Predicting the Stretch Film Forces on Unit Loads at the 32nd International Association of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI) Member Conference on June 10, 2025. Stretch film containment force predictions are now part of the Best Load™, supply chain simulation software suite of functions.
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Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
