A semi-automatic pallet wrapping machine requires minimal user interaction with the pallet. From the user’s side, they will attach the stretch wrap film to the pallet or goods and start the machine, which will then do the rest of the work. The wrap will move through the predetermined cycle it has been set to.
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Once the device has completed wrapping the pallet, including the top wrap cycle, the user will cut the film off before taking the pallet off the turntable. Upgrades are available that simplify the process further, if required. One option includes a turntable system that allows the user to tie the wrap to the turntable itself through a webbing device.
The following semi-automatic machines are available, and are suitable for different outputs:
A automatic machine will automatically attached wrap to the pallet, set to the top of the pallet, and wrap it without any manual input.
Typically semi-automatic pallet wrapping machines are suitable as a more entry-level unit and recommended if you have targets of around 20 to a hundred pallets a day. They are available for about $6500 whereas an entry-level automatic machine is upwards of $20,000.
A semi-automatic machine can be used to compliment your current infrastructure too. So, you may have a fully automatic machine with a conveyor for high volume pallet wrapping, but still have use for a semi-automatic machine for repacking pallets and other ad-hoc jobs. You may also have extenuating circumstances that you need to factor into your decision, such as an employee with a bad back that will benefit from having a semi-automatic machine to assist them with their work.
Automatic pallet wrappers are more suitable for high volume users to improve productivity because they eliminate the need for their operators to get off the forklift. They can put the pallet on, press the remote button on the forklift and the machine will attach the film and start wrapping.
However, semi-automatic machines are very popular with high volume users too because they can invest in two or three semi-automatic machines versus one automatic machine, with a lower investment. This comes with benefits. Semi-automatic machines are versatile and can be useful whether you work with high, medium, or low volumes. In terms of maintenance and servicing, they are less complex and therefore need less maintenance than a fully automated machine.
Get in touch with us today and one of our friendly staff will assist. We stock a wide range of pallet wrappers, both semi automatic and fully automatic and would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Melbpack have been in the business for almost 50 years, so you’ll have total confidence in the support you get from us.
We look forward to working with you.
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.
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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, 2016 and updated on October 31, 2018.
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