Introducing Paxum® Films | A Gateway Packaging brand

Published on October 27, 2022

Most operations do not think much about stretch film until something goes wrong. A pallet that arrives loose. A load that shifted in transit. Film that tears halfway through a wrap cycle. The stretch film going onto every pallet, every shift, quietly determines how secure those loads are and what each pallet costs to wrap. Paxum® stretch wrap film is Gateway Packaging’s own brand developed to address each of those variables with a film range that covers every application your Australian operation runs.

What Is Paxum® Stretch Film and What Makes It Different From Standard Stretch Wrap?

Clear Machine and Hand Stretch Film

So if your warehouse needs to scan barcodes or identify stock through the wrap, clear film is the obvious answer. Paxum® Premium Machine Stretch Film gives you high clarity cast film with excellent cling, low noise application, and strong puncture resistance available from 500mm x 1080m x 30um through to 500mm x 1420m x 23um. Now if the volume is lower or your team is wrapping away from a machine, hand stretch film rolls cover that too.

Black Stretch Film

Now what if your load is high value, or your products need to stay out of sight during transit? That is where Paxum® black stretch film comes in. The opaque black finish conceals contents, reduces theft and tampering risk, and provides UV protection alongside high tack cling for load stability. If your goods are stored outdoors or moving through agriculture, construction, or manufacturing environments where confidentiality matters, this is the specification. Available in machine format at 500mm x 1300m x 25um and 500mm x 1350m x 20um.

How Do Machine Rolls, Hand Rolls, and Bundling Rolls Differ in the Paxum® Range?

Now, not all roll formats are the same and this is where a lot of operations make an expensive mistake. Machine rolls are wound on extended cores specifically for automatic and semi automatic pallet wrap machines. They apply consistent tension across every single wrap cycle in longer roll lengths for uninterrupted high-volume operation. Here is the thing once your operation hits 15 to 20 pallets a day, machine application delivers a more uniform and secure wrap than hand application. Every time. Not most of the time. Every time.

So what about lower volume or portable wrapping? Hand rolls are sized for manual application and suit operations not yet at machine volume, wrap stations without equipment, or individual items that cannot go through a turntable. And if it is not full pallet coverage you need just bundling smaller items together bundling rolls in a smaller format handle that without the overhead of a full machine roll.

How Do Different Paxum® Film Types Compare for Australian Warehouse and Manufacturing Applications?

What Australian Compliance Considerations Apply to Stretch Film Selection and Pallet Load Security?

Which Paxum® Film Is Right for Your Pallet Wrap Machine and How Does Gateway Packaging Supply It?

Key Takeaways

🎬Paxum® stretch film is Gateway Packaging’s own brand, manufactured with Metallocene Octene multilayer construction for superior puncture resistance, cling, and elongation compared to standard polyethylene film.

💰Paxum® Nano thin gauge film at 8um to 15um can reduce film consumption by up to 65% per pallet compared to standard film the single most impactful consumable cost reduction available to high volume Australian wrapping operations.

🌞UV stabilised film and black film are not interchangeable. UV stabilised protects the film from degrading in sunlight. Black film conceals load contents and provides UV resistance alongside load security. Choose based on your specific storage and transit conditions.

🌬️Perforated stretch film is the correct specification for fresh produce, pharmaceutical products, and warm palletised goods where standard film would trap moisture and cause condensation damage.

⚖️Under NHVR Chain of Responsibility, film specification is a compliance decision. Incorrect film on a palletised road load creates a documented CoR exposure for your operation regardless of whether the load arrives damaged.

Key Statistics

So here is where we land. The stretch film on your pallet wrap machine is not a commodity decision. What if the wrong specification has been quietly adding cost to every pallet your operation runs? The thickness, construction, and type in use determines how loads arrive, how much film gets consumed, and whether the process meets compliance requirements for loads on Australian roads. Paxum® gives Australian operations the right specification for every application and that is the conversation worth having before the next roll goes on the machine.

FAQs

Q1: What is the difference between Paxum® machine stretch film and hand stretch film?

Machine stretch film is wound on extended cores for use with automatic and semi automatic pallet wrap machines. It applies consistent tension across every wrap cycle and is available in longer roll lengths for high volume uninterrupted operation. Hand stretch film is sized for manual application, lighter in weight, and suited to lower volume operations or portable wrapping where a machine is not available. Hand film on a machine or machine film by hand creates inconsistent results and potential film breaks.

Q2: What is Paxum® Nano and how much film can it save compared to standard stretch film?

Paxum® Nano is a 9-layer cast film available at 15um thickness — 500mm x 2000m per roll — that delivers the same load security as thicker standard films at significantly less material. Its thin and durable construction can reduce film consumption by up to 65% compared to standard gauge film. For operations wrapping large volumes of pallets daily, this translates to fewer roll changes, lower consumable cost, and a measurable reduction in plastic waste per pallet cycle.

Q3: When should an Australian operation use perforated stretch film instead of standard stretch film?

Use Paxum® Air Wrap perforated stretch film when your products require airflow to prevent condensation, cooling after palletisation, or extended shelf life during storage or transport. It is the correct specification for fresh produce, pharmaceutical products, and goods that are palletised while still warm. Standard stretch film traps moisture against these products, causing damage that perforated film prevents by allowing air circulation while maintaining load security.

Q4: What is the difference between UV stabilised stretch film and black stretch film?

UV stabilised stretch film is a clear film engineered to resist degradation from prolonged sun exposure. Black stretch film is opaque, which conceals pallet contents to deter theft and tampering while also providing UV resistance as a secondary benefit. UV stabilised suits long term outdoor storage where film integrity is the concern. Black film suits operations that need load concealment alongside UV protection.

Q5: Does the stretch film specification affect Chain of Responsibility compliance under Australian freight law?

Yes. Under the NHVR Load Restraint Guide 2025 and the Heavy Vehicle National Law, stretch film applied to loads on Australian roads must provide adequate restraint against movement during transport. An undersized film gauge, film that tears under the load’s pre stretch requirements, or UV degraded film that fails during transit creates a documented Chain of Responsibility exposure for the consignor and packer. Using the correct Paxum® film specification for your load weight and storage conditions is part of a defensible CoR compliance record.

 Q6: What is the difference between an impulse sealer and a continuous heat sealer?

An impulse sealer applies heat only during the sealing cycle, making it suitable for lower-volume packaging. A continuous heat sealer operates continuously as bags move through the machine, making it ideal for high-volume production and automated packaging environments.

Q7: What is the difference between PVC heat shrink film and polyolefin shrink film?

PVC shrink film is cost-effective and offers good clarity but can become brittle over time. Polyolefin shrink film is stronger, more flexible, food-safe, and produces fewer odours during sealing, making it the preferred choice for many modern packaging applications.