If you are responsible for a pallet wrapping operation, you'll know only too well that your choice of machinery can make an enormous difference to your operational efficiency and costs, the amount of plastic film you use, and the load stability and safety standards you achieve.
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However, the wide choice of automatic and semi-automatic pallet wrapping machines available on the market today, and the huge amount of information provided by their manufacturers, can make it very challenging to identify the pallet wrapping machine that best meets your needs. This short guide aims to help you through the selection process by suggesting the questions you should consider and providing some of the information you'll need to help answer them.
So what is a pallet wrapping machine? In essence, it is a machine that holds a roll of plastic film and applies it to a pallet, either by circling around the pallet, or by rotating the pallet on a turntable. Pallet wrappers can be loosely divided into 2 main categories ' Core Brake machines and Power pre-stretch machines. You can read a lot more about their differences, and the pros and cons of each in our pallet wrapping guide.
Every pallet wrapping situation has its own challenges and nuances which, combined with the variety of different machines on the market, can make it hard to know where to start. We recommend that you begin by considering the following points:
Generally the cheapest pallet wrapping machine type, this option is entirely mechanical and requires no electrical supply.
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The most basic of all motorised pallet wrapper machines, this option has a couple of advantages but many drawbacks ' as you can see below:
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These are often the most efficient, and therefore popular, machines on the market. When optimised properly these machines take some beating ' as you can see from the pros and cons below:
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These machines have all the advantages of the Turntable Semi-Automatic Pallet Wrappers, but with the added benefit of having a very low profile, meaning that pallets can be placed on the turntable very easily.
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These models feature a machine head that circles the pallet, rather than the pallet turning on a turntable, so are great for situations in which pallets are transported on powered pallet trucks or when loads are very unstable prior to wrapping.
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With Rotary Arm machines, a machine head circles the pallet rather than the pallet turning on a turnable, which means they are great for situations in which pallets are transported on powered pallet trucks or when loads are very unstable prior to wrapping. The power pre-stretch head also delivers excellent load stability, but these machines do still have their pro's and con's:
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The latest in the pallet wrapping innovation ' the Robot follows the contours of the pallet and literally 'runs' round the pallet wrapping it as it goes in much the same way as a human would. Robot pallet wrappers have a lot more advantages than disadvantages.
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In the absence of strict wrap standards and regular testing, stretch wrapping can seem more like an art than a science. The items need to be stacked correctly and the pallet needs to be wrapped to contain the items, preventing damage while keeping the continuity of the pallet during shipping.
Still today, a very common, but least efficient and effective pallet wrapping method is hand wrapping. Generally 1 or 2 people with a wrapping gun simply walk around a stacked pallet, or rotate it on a carousel, and dispense the film over the packed goods.
It is a labor intensive activity with the chance of injury greater than with any type of machine wrapping, and, depending on volume, it could require more time, effort, and cost than using a machine wrapping method.
Additionally, hand wrapping is one of the worst ways for ensuring adequate containment force. Containment force, the hugging pressure of the stretch film that holds the load together, needs to be adequate everywhere on the load. When hand wrapping, it is difficult to wrap to a set containment force standard. Overall, hand wrapping is inconsistent and hard and tedious work.
Below is a list of the 4 most common pallet wrapping options explained to give an insight in how they work, what to expect and the specific reasons for using these methods.
To understand the common types of stretch wrappers, it is important to first discuss the difference between automatic and semi-automatic machines.
An automatic stretch wrapper takes a pallet from the beginning of the line, and automatically feeds it into the wrap zone where it is wrapped according the settings on the control system. When finished, the pallet is conveyed to the end of the line, while a new pallet is automatically being conveyed into the wrap zone.
A semi-automatic stretch wrapper, by contrast, requires an operator to load and unload the machine, start the wrap cycle, and make the appropriate adjustments to ensure the load is wrapped effectively.
In its simplest form, the pallet is placed on a turntable that rotates while a film delivery system dispenses the stretch film around the load. The film delivery system usually starts at the bottom of the load, wraps to its top, and then wraps back down to the bottom.
Turntable wrappers are the most prevalent type of stretch wrapper and can be configured to work effectively with a wide variety of applications.
Unlike turntable machines where the load itself is rotated, in straddle stretch wrappers the load remains stationary while film delivery system rotates around the load. These types of wrappers can handle unstable, light, and heavy load and can wrap from low to high volume.
A ringer or orbital wrapper wraps a pallet over and under, typically as the load moves on a conveyor through the machine. They are generally used for, flattened, or unwieldy loads like doors, pipes, carpet rolls, coffins, etc.
These are high speed wrappers that can handle up to 200 loads per hour. They're often found in the tissue, paper towel, and beverage industries. Ring Straddles are highly specialized machines and are only a small proportion the stretch wrappers in use today.
These are four basic, common stretch wrapping options. Each of these types of stretch wrappers has optional features and add-ons that expand their capabilities and flexibility. If you are unsure where to begin the process of choosing a stretch wrapper our Automatic and Semi-Automatic buying guides are great places to start.
This post was published on February 2, and updated on October 31, .
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Fully Automatic Pallet Wrap Machines. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.