Short answer
Our minimum order for standard PE protective film specifications is 500 kg, shipped from our plant in Wuxi, China. What that means in practice depends on thickness and width: at 50 micron and 1,250 mm wide, 500 kg is roughly 8,700 linear metres — about 10,900 m² of protected surface. Custom printing, non-standard slitting and special adhesive grades are quoted separately, because each one adds a set-up step to the line.
This page explains why a minimum order exists at all, what 500 kg actually looks like on a pallet, which requests push the minimum up, and how buyers test a factory before committing to a full run. If you are comparing three suppliers and only one of them will tell you their MOQ logic clearly, that is already information about how the order will go.
Why protective film has a minimum order at all
Protective film is a coated product, not a cut-to-length commodity. Every order runs through the same sequence: resin and adhesive preparation, coating and drying, lamination, slitting to your width, winding and packing. Three of those steps create the minimum:
- Coating runs are continuous. The line does not start and stop for a few hundred kilos — cleaning down, threading the web and stabilising the adhesive coat weight all cost more than the film itself at small volumes.
- Slitting has a set-up cost. Each width needs the knives positioned and the tension tuned. Ten narrow rolls of different widths cost far more in set-up than one wide master roll.
- Colour and print runs are physical. A custom logo means a print cylinder or plate, mounted and registered before the first metre is good.
This is why every film factory has a floor, and why the honest ones publish it instead of hiding it behind “contact us for details”.
What 500 kg looks like in real numbers
Weight means nothing until it is translated into metres and square metres. PE film has a density around 0.92 g/cm³, so the weight per square metre scales almost linearly with thickness:
| Thickness | Approx. weight per m² | 500 kg covers (1,250 mm width) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 micron | ≈ 28 g/m² | ≈ 14,500 m — ≈ 18,100 m² |
| 50 micron | ≈ 46 g/m² | ≈ 8,700 m — ≈ 10,900 m² |
| 80 micron | ≈ 74 g/m² | ≈ 5,400 m — ≈ 6,800 m² |
| 100 micron | ≈ 92 g/m² | ≈ 4,300 m — ≈ 5,400 m² |
Two practical readings of that table:
- Thinner film goes further. The same 500 kg of 30 micron covers more than three times the area of 100 micron. Buyers who standardise on thin film for indoor protection get much more coverage per order — which is why thickness choice matters more to your cost per sheet than the per-kilo price does.
- 500 kg is not a small trial. It is a real production run: enough to protect thousands of sheets or dozens of coils. It is the right size for a first serious order, not for a laboratory test — that is what free sample rolls are for.
What pushes the minimum up
500 kg applies to standard specifications. These requests move the number, and it is better to know before you ask:
- Custom width. Slitting to a width far from standard (very narrow, or very wide) adds knife set-up and edge trim waste. Extreme widths on a single order often justify a higher quantity.
- Custom printing. A logo in 1–4 colours needs a cylinder, registration and a wash-up cycle. Print runs are quoted on their own basis.
- Special adhesive or tack grade. A non-standard peel value means a dedicated adhesive batch and a coating trial before production.
- UV-stabilised or colour grades. Dark, black-and-white and UV grades are separate formulations; a small volume of an unusual colour is the most expensive film per kilo you can order.
- Mixing many items in one order. Five thicknesses in one 500 kg order is five set-ups. Suppliers will ask for a higher total, or a minimum per item.
How to get the entry cost down without lying about volume
There are legitimate ways to start smaller than a bespoke run:
- Start from a standard specification. Standard thickness, standard width, standard tack grade, no print — this is where the 500 kg applies and where the per-kilo price is best.
- Combine your items into one order. One order of 500 kg split across two thicknesses is easier for the plant than two separate 250 kg orders.
- Test with samples, not with orders. Free sample rolls let you validate tack, adhesion build-up and residue before spending a production minimum. The cost of being wrong on a 500 kg order is a hundred times the cost of a sample.
- Ask what the next price break is. Per-kilo price typically steps down at higher volumes; knowing the breakpoint lets you decide whether the extra pallet is worth it.
- Buy the width you actually use. Paying for a wide roll and trimming it yourself wastes film and money; slitting to your real working width is part of the service, not an extra.
What the MOQ does not include
A few things buyers ask about that are deliberately outside the film quantity:
- Freight. Film is light for its volume: a 500 kg order is a manageable pallet, but sea freight, courier or air are quoted separately against your address and terms.
- Samples. Sample rolls are free; the only conversation is about delivery details.
- Print cylinders. Where custom printing applies, the cylinder is a one-off tooling cost, quoted with the print run.
FAQ
Can I order less than 500 kg?
For standard specifications, 500 kg is the production minimum. Below that, the set-up cost per kilo rises faster than the film cost falls. If your requirement is genuinely smaller — a specific width test, a colour trial, a customer approval run — say so and ask what is possible: sometimes a run already scheduled for another order can accommodate it. What we will not do is quote a minimum we cannot hold.
Does the minimum count per item or per order?
Per order, within reason. Two or three closely related items (same construction, different widths) combine well. Many unrelated items — different thicknesses, colours and tack grades — do not, because each one adds a set-up.
How long does production take after the order is confirmed?
Lead time depends on whether the construction is standard or custom, and on the current line schedule. We confirm the date in writing with the quotation rather than quoting a generic number here, so you are planning against a real commitment.
Is 500 kg enough for a container?
Usually not on its own — 500 kg is a pallet-scale order. Buyers shipping full containers typically combine several specifications or order at higher volume to make the freight per kilo work. If you are consolidating with other suppliers, tell us and we will plan the packing accordingly.
Can the order be split across deliveries?
Sometimes, when the production is one run and the shipments are scheduled. It is a commercial arrangement confirmed per order, not a standard option.
Related guides
- How to Choose PE Protective Film
- Protective Paper vs PE Film for Acrylic Sheets
- PE Protective Film Adhesion Grades Explained
- Protective Film for Glass: Transport and Installation
Get a quotation against your real volume
Send us the surface you protect, the width you slit to, the thickness you prefer and the monthly volume you expect. We will reply with the construction, the price per kilogram at your quantity, and the delivery terms — plus free sample rolls so the decision is made on film, not on a datasheet. Request a quote, or browse the full PE protective film range.
Not ready for 500 kg? Start with a free PE protective film sample roll — cut to your width, with the full data sheet. Request a free PE protective film sample.