TECHNOLOGY BEHIND PACKAGING

Published On - 04/22/2026

denelpack

DENELPACK’s Packaging Service Center

Since September 2021, DENELPACK Industry has operated the only Packaging Control & Evaluation Center in Greece and the second of its kind in Europe. Certified by an independent body, the center is authorized to perform audits in accordance with the European Standard EUMOS 40509 regarding cargo safety. Equipped with machinery valued at €500,000 and staffed by specialized scientific personnel, the Packaging Center provides a holistic approach to all issues related to stretch film application.

What does the DENELPACK Packaging Center do?

The audits performed at the packaging center capture the Current Stability Status of the pallet, thereby determining the risk level of an accident during transport. Consequently, they shield and further safeguard the client by reducing risk and preventing unpleasant accidents during the transportation of their cargo.

How is pallet stability evaluated at DENELPACK’s Packaging Center?

The DENELAVAS S.A. laboratory is equipped with a horizontal acceleration platform (Bench Accelerator). This platform simulates sudden changes in speed that may occur during cargo transport on a truck bed. Specifically, the pallet under evaluation is subjected to incremental acceleration values such as 0.2g, 0.3g, 0.4g, 0.5g, up to 0.8g.

During each of these acceleration stages, the elastic and plastic behavior of the load is recorded. The resulting values are compared against the pallet stability criteria set by the international standard EUMOS 40509 for road cargo safety.

Based on the findings, the DENELAVAS S.A. Packaging Centre is certified by an external independent accredited body to issue an Attestation Letter to the client, confirming whether their pallet meets the EUMOS 40509 criteria.

“The 40509 Norm was issued as a precursor to the European Directive 2014/47/EU, which continues the White Paper titled ‘Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system’ and aims for the ‘Vision Zero’ goal (zero losses).”

“Based on these standards, a safe pallet is defined as one that can withstand lateral acceleration of 0.5g and forward acceleration of 0.8g (transport simulator) without the product shifting more than 10% from its central axis. To achieve this, however, we must have a clear picture of how much force we are ‘leaving’ on the pallet through the use of film. For this reason, modern equipment is now used to monitor the force applied to the pallet.”

The 4 Key Pillars of Packaging Science

Packaging Science is not just about “wrapping” a pallet; it is the precise combination of physics, engineering, and material chemistry.

1. Type of Machinery and Materials

Performance depends on the synergy between the machine and the film:

  • Machinery: Use of systems with pre-stretch capabilities. The more advanced the carriage head, the more it can stretch the film without breaking it, saving material while increasing stability.

  • Materials: Modern stretch films are multilayered (cast or blown). The science focuses on elastic recovery—the force the film exerts to return to its original form, tightening the load.

2. Understanding and Analyzing Forces

Three main forces act upon a pallet:

  • F1 (Containment Force): The total holding force applied by the film to the load.

  • F2 (Retention Force): The force “felt” by the product at each layer.

  • G-forces (Accelerations): During braking (forward 0.8g) or turning (lateral 0.5g), the load tends to shift due to inertia. Science analyzes whether F1 exceeds the displacement tension.

3. Pallet Type

Not all pallets are the same. Analysis takes into account:

  • Load Shape: Homogeneous (boxes), irregular (e.g., machinery), or flexible (e.g., bags).

  • Center of Gravity: The higher the center of gravity, the more vulnerable the pallet is to tipping or collapsing.

  • Base Connection (Pallet Bonding): Science examines how the film “locks” the goods onto the wooden pallet so that the entire load does not slide off its base.

4. Application Issues

Common errors identified by the Packaging Center:

  • Over-tension: The film is so tight that it crushes the corners of the cartons.

  • Under-tension: The pallet looks fine, but at the first turn, the load “balloons” and shifts.

  • Incorrect Number of Wraps: Excessive film in the middle of the pallet but insufficient at the base or top. Critical factors include the number of wraps (e.g., 12, 15, 32, etc.), the distribution (top, bottom, middle with spiral movement), and the overlap (the degree of layer-by-layer coverage).