Vented hood for palletized loads and method

A method of securing a palletized load with perforated stretch film, the method comprising:

• providing a roll of perforated stretch film in a shape of a flattened tube wound around a spool core, the perforated stretch film comprising a plurality of perforations each having a diameter of at least 1/16 inch extending through the flattened tube of the perforated stretch film at predetermined spacings throughout the roll;
• feeding a first end of the perforated stretch film from the roll into a pallet stretch film hood applicator, the pallet stretch film hood applicator configured to pull a length of perforated stretch film tube from the roll of perforated stretch film, open the perforated stretch film tube and position the length of perforated stretch film tube to be received by a plurality of grippers configured receive the length of perforated stretch film hood tube, wherein the plurality of grippers are further configured to stretch the length of perforated stretch film hood tube to match a length and a width of the palletized load;
• forming a palletized load hood by sealing and severing a first end of the length of perforated stretch film from the roll by at least one of heat-sealing and ultrasonic welding;
• positioning the perforated stretch film hood above the palletized load, the palletized load having a bottom end positioned on a pallet and a top end;
• lowering the length of perforated stretch film hood tube from above the palletized load toward the bottom end of the palletized load with the palletized load hood surrounding the palletized load by gripping and stretching the palletized load hood with the plurality of grippers attached to a plurality of movable arms and moving the plurality of movable arms downward from a top of the palletized load to the pallet and releasing respective portions of the palletized load hood as the plurality of moveable arms move downward to cover the palletized load, wherein the first end of the length of perforated stretch film hood tube is configured to be secured at the top end of the palletized load and a second end of the length of perforated stretch film hood tube, distal to the first end, is configured to extend beyond the bottom end of the palletized load;
• and
• removing the plurality of grippers from the length of perforated stretch film hood tube, where the perforated stretch film hood tube contracts to encase the palletized load and the plurality of movable arms reset to their original positions.

A method of creating a roll of perforated stretch film on a spool core for use as a perforated stretch film hood, the method comprising:

• extruding a continuous tube of stretch film in a shape of a flattened tube with a tube wall thickness of between 0.0025 inches and 0.0055 inches, wherein the continuous tube of stretch film is extruded through a blown film extrusion process;
• passing the continuous tube of stretch film over a perforation roller with the continuous tube of stretch film simultaneously contacting at least 150 radial degrees of the perforation roller as it passes over the perforation roller, wherein the perforation roller contains pins configured to puncture both top and bottom layers of the continuous tube of stretch film and create perforations throughout the continuous tube that have a diameter of at least 1/16 inch to create a continuous perforated tube of stretch film;
• and
• winding the continuous perforated tube of stretch film around a spool core after passing the continuous tube of stretch film over the perforation roller.