You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Eopac Machinery.
Turns out a lot &#; because efficiently finding the right solution for your material handling challenge may turn upon searching for and using the terms that are common in the industry. The hard part is that those terms may not be intuitive.
Similar to the conversation a colleague of mine had recently with a small business owner who wasn&#;t sure if he needed a shrink wrapper or a stretch wrapper (it turned out he needed the latter to unitize pallet loads with the proper containment force), we often field inquiries from buyers that are wondering whether they need a semi-automatic of fully automatic stretch wrapper.
This post is designed to provide some background information to help you focus your initial research.
Confusion sometimes arises from context. For instance, the company that hand wraps loads and is considering their first stretch wrapper might understandably refer to a simple, semi-automatic wrapper as &#;automatic.&#; It sure seems it, after all, compared to the laborious, unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous task of walking circles around pallets.
On the other end of the spectrum, an otherwise &#;lights out factory&#;, which has a material handling process that requires a fork truck driver to pick up a wrapped load as it exits a high speed pallet wrapper, might think of that operation as semi-automatic compared to other operations within their facility.
So how do you draw the line? There&#;s a lot of grey area that we&#;ll touch on below. General industry parlance though focuses on the processing of the load. So if a load is conveyed in and out of the &#;wrap zone&#; autonomously, wrapped and has the film tail secured without operator intervention, that&#;s an automatic pallet wrapper.
In contrast, if a load must be placed in or removed from the wrap zone by an operator, or if there are functions required to start or complete the wrapping process, then it&#;s considered semi-automatic. Examples of functions which require operator involvement include connecting the film to the pallet and pushing a start button, cutting the film, and securing the film tail to the load.
And then having said the definition was simple &#; now we complicate it a bit. There&#;s an intermediate category which is included in the semi-automatic world by Lantech but deemed automatic by some other manufacturers &#; particularly those who include a film tail wipe down element. For the sake of this discussion we&#;ll call these simple automation. These machines may have sections of conveyor incorporated which allow staging of unwrapped and wrapped pallets.
There&#;s a common misconception that the distinction is based on speed. Higher output often correlates to automatic stretch wrapping. Often automatics are bigger and faster, but it&#;s not a defining characteristic.
Similarly it&#;s often assumed that &#;automatic&#; wrappers are only appropriate for inline operations. That&#;s not necessarily correct. Stand-alone automatics are common &#; often in work cells where lean staffing and quality/process standardization of automatic wrapping indicate it.
Examples you ask? Distribution centers are a common location for a number of semi-automatic wrappers. Numerous remote wrapping locations, inconsistent load types and sizes, and throughput trends often indicate numerous semi-automatic wrappers &#; each of which might be able to wrap up to 20 loads/hour.
Some applications require sophisticated WMS (warehouse management system) or MRP (materials requirements planning) system integrations &#; to scan codes and print-and-apply address labels automatically to a wrapped pallet, for example. In those situations, an automatic wrapper is better suited because it provides a controlled environment to reduce opportunities for operator error. So, while an automatic wrapper may be capable of running up to 100 loads/hour, the additional capabilities may make it the right choice for an application of only a few loads/hour.
Not every company needs blazing speed or integrated systems capabilities &#; but they focus on reducing waste in their material handling operations. From that perspective a stand alone automatic may be a perfect fit. And there are some handy workarounds that help transform semi-automatic machines into the category of simple automation.
Common types of inefficiency in the wrapping process (along with workarounds) include:
You&#;ll find an overview of the entire range of Lantech stretch wrap machines on this page. We think that helps illustrate the range of solutions.
Yes!
Jokes aside, one or the other will be properly suited to your requirements. In fact, you may be able to meet today&#;s requirement with either.
But both finding complete information to make an informed decision, and selecting a machine that will meet tomorrow&#;s potential requirements as well as today&#;s known ones, require an understanding of the terminology and range of options which exist.
Want to dig in deeper? We offer free downloadable buying guides for both semi-automatic and automatic stretch wrappers. Get yours today!
This post was published on September 13, and updated on October 31, .
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit paper roll wrapping machine.
Tags: Packaging
In the packaging industry, stretch film is essential for securing products, organizing shipments, and reducing worker injury during shipping and handling. Made from linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), stretch film is a sturdy yet thin plastic with a strong cling. Its elasticity acts as a rubber band, tightly securing products to pallets for easy shipment.
When it comes to stretch film and stretch wrap equipment, there are many different styles, gauges, and methods of application to choose from. Below is a rundown of common types of stretch wrap equipment that can cater to your operation.
Ideal for smaller operations that wrap up to ten pallets a day, manual wrapping is done by hand. The stretch film is applied around palettes by an operator who loads, wraps, and unloads everything themselves. While time consuming, hand wrapping stretch film can be more cost effective for smaller operations, rather than investing in a stretch wrap machine.
Semi-automatic wrapping requires operators to interact with a pallet stretch wrapper machine at the beginning and end of the wrapping process. The operator must attach the stretch wrap to the pallet load so that the machine can wrap the entire pallet securely and make appropriate adjustments depending on the load profile. Once the stretch wrapper machine is finished, an operator must secure the tail of the stretch wrap and move the wrapped pallet to its next location to make way for the next pallet load.
This equipment is great as a transitional machine if your operation is growing and moving away from a manual stretch wrapping system. This is ideal for operations that wrap ten or more pallets per day.
Besides the amount of pallets your operation may be handling, there are three different styles of semi-automatic stretch wrap machines for pallet wrapping you should consider.
High Profile: This machine uses a turntable which is higher off the ground to make forklift use easily accessible. With the additional height of this style, forklift operators can easily move pallets on and off the turntable.
Low Profile: In contrast, the low profile style has a turntable that is lower to the ground. Ramps are used to load and unload each pallet load from the turntable instead of a forklift.
Rotary Arms: The third style utilizes a rotary arm that can move around the pallet, instead of the pallet moving around the stretch wrap. This is ideal for heavy pallets that can not be moved using a forklift or ramp.
Depending on the size and scale of your packaging operation, one style of stretch wrapping equipment may be more beneficial than another.
Automatic stretch wrapping does not require any operator interaction with the machines. Pallets are loaded, wrapped, and unloaded automatically. An automatic stretch wrap machine will increase efficiency, cutting down on time and cost of labor. These are ideal for larger operations that handle and ship large quantities of palletized loads.
Automatic pallet wrapper equipment offers two different styles to fit the needs of your operation.
Floor Automatics: These machines are ideal for warehouse use where products are being moved from warehousing to shipping. Floor automatics are more economical than conveyorized automatics.
Conveyorized Automatics: These machines function at the end of a conveyor line where the stretch wrapping machine sits above the conveyor line and wraps pallets as they move down the line.
While automatic pallet wrap systems may be ideal for larger operations, small businesses can benefit from an automatic stretch wrapping machine as well.
In one instance, a small Wisconsin operation was struggling to find workers to palletize their product. After an assessment, it was determined that an automatic stretch wrapper would be beneficial in the operation&#;s success. Ultimately this automated pallet wrapping machine was able to apply stretch film, dispense pallets, and increase productivity and efficiency to deliver their products on time.
There are three types of stretch wrap systems used in the wrapping process. These systems can be incorporated into semi-automatic or fully automatic systems depending on the scope of your operations.
Turntable: The turntable system involves a pallet being placed on a rotating platform that spins the pallet load as stretch film is applied to the pallet. The stretch film is usually applied from the base of the pallet to the top and then back down again for additional security. These are the most common types of stretch wrap systems and can be versatile to fit your unique operational needs.
Rotary Arm: Also called the straddle wrapper, this system uses a stretch wrap delivery system that wraps around a stationary load. The stretch film is applied horizontally and is ideal for loads that are unstable, fragile, or heavy.
Orbital: This system is also referred to as ring wrapper and is similar to the rotary arm in which the pallet is stationary while the stretch wrap delivery system moves. The stretch film in the orbital system wraps the pallet over and under usually as the load moves through a conveyor. This system is ideal for flat loads like doors or pipes.
Whether you wrap two pallets or 200 pallets a day, finding the right stretch wrap equipment is essential to ensure successful business operations.
With so many different types of stretch wrap equipment available, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. Group O can help your business assess your needs to determine which type of stretch wrap equipment is right for you. For more information call (866) 476-.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of orbital stretch wrap machine. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.