What You Need to Consider When Buying a Pallet Wrapper

27 Nov.,2024

 

What You Need to Consider When Buying a Pallet Wrapper

When your business relies on moving good fast, effective supply chain management and the ability to efficiently and securely package products is crucial.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Eopac Machinery.

Pallet wrappers play an indispensable role in this process by ensuring that goods are securely wrapped for storage or transportation, which helps in minimising damage and loss.

The choice of the right pallet wrapper can significantly impact operational efficiency, product safety, and overall cost savings.

In this article, we&#;re going to discuss the things you should think about when you&#;re considering getting a pallet wrapper for your business, including the types of pallet wrappers available and the key features you need to know about.

Understand your wrapping needs

Before diving into buying a pallet wrapper it&#;s important to take a step back and think about why you actually need one and if you do, if there are any special considerations you need to consider. Here are some key things you should think about:

Volume of Packaging

Analysing your current and future packaging needs is essential. If your business is growing, investing in a more advanced wrapper that can handle increased volume without significant upgrades may be prudent. If you&#;re under pressure with your current load, is a new pallet wrapper going to solve that problem and/or potentially increase your capacity?

Being aware of the number of pallets you&#;re wrapping on average in a day, week and/or month, can also offer guidance in terms of the type of machine that&#;s right for your needs.

Product Characteristics

Consider the variety of products you handle. Different products may require different types of film, wrapping patterns, and tension settings. For instance, fragile items need a wrapper that can apply film gently yet securely, or oversized, awkwardly shaped, or sharp products may need a stronger film.

To help you further understand your wrapping needs, we have a list of questions we ask all of our customers to help find the right pallet wrapper for them. You can read these here.

What are the different types of pallet wrappers?

There are different types of pallet wrappers that can suit various needs &#; which is why it&#;s important for you to have an idea of the volume of pallets you&#;re wrapping and the types of goods. Here are the most common types of pallet wrappers:

Manual Wrappers: These are the most basic form, where the operator manually applies the stretch film around the pallet. Ideal for businesses with minimal wrapping needs or as a backup option.

Semi-Automatic Wrappers: These machines typically involve the operator placing the pallet and initiating the wrapping cycle. The machine then applies the film based on preset parameters. They are great for medium-volume packaging and offer a good balance between automation and cost.

Automatic Wrappers: Designed for high efficiency, these wrappers can automatically wrap pallets without operator intervention, once the pallet is placed on the turntable. They often come with advanced features like conveyor systems for pallet loading and unloading, and programmable wrapping patterns. These are ideal for operations with high-volume, repetitive wrapping needs.

Key Features to Consider

In addition to different types of pallet wrappers, there are also a lot of different features that can enhance your wrapping capabilities and even save you money. Here are some of key features that can help improve efficiency and ensure you&#;re running a safe and effective operation:

  • Pre-Stretch Capability: Machines with a higher pre-stretch rate (up to 200% or more) can significantly reduce film usage. This not only cuts down on material costs but also is better for the environment.
  • Control Options: Consider wrappers with programmable control panels that can store multiple wrapping recipes. This is especially useful if you handle a variety of products with different wrapping requirements.
  • Load Capacity and Turntable Size: Ensure the turntable can accommodate the size and weight of your largest pallets. Overloading a pallet wrapper can lead to breakdowns and safety hazards.
  • Adjustable Speeds and Film Tension: These features allow for customisation according to the specific load &#; heavier loads might require tighter wraps at a slower pace, for instance.
  • Safety Features: Comprehensive safety features, like emergency stop, enabling buttons, warning alarms, and on larger machines, safety fencing are essential to protect operators and other workers.
  • Footprint and Layout Compatibility: Assess the space in your facility. Some wrappers can be quite large, so it&#;s crucial to choose a model that fits comfortably in your available space without disrupting other operations.

Maintenance and Durability of Your Wrapper

Like any machine, a pallet wrapper does require some maintenance to ensure it not only lasts a long time but actually maintains high performance too. When buying a pallet wrapper some things you should be aware of include:

Ease of Maintenance: Look for models that are known for their ease of maintenance. Quick access to parts and simple procedures for routine checks can reduce downtime.

Build Quality: The construction material (like steel frames), motor quality, and overall design contribute to the longevity of the machine.

Warranty and Support: A comprehensive warranty and reliable customer support are vital. Inquire about the availability of spare parts and the average response time for service calls.

Financial Factors and Budget Considerations

Pallet wrappers can create efficiencies and make a significant difference in the volume of pallets that you can shift in a day, however, there are costs to consider. Some of the important factors to consider include:

  • Initial Purchase vs. Operational Costs: While the initial purchase price is a significant factor, also consider operational costs like film, energy usage, and maintenance. A more expensive model might offer efficiencies that reduce these ongoing costs.
  • ROI Analysis: Conduct a return on investment analysis to understand how the pallet wrapper will contribute to cost savings over time.

Are you looking for high quality pallet wrappers in Australia?

Selecting the right pallet wrapper is a strategic decision that can affect multiple facets of your business, from operational efficiency to cost management and product integrity. So, it&#;s important that you get your pallet wrapper and packaging materials from a team that knows what they are doing.

Here at Melbourne Packaging Supplies, we&#;ve been supplying pallet wrappers and packaging solutions to businesses of all sizes Australia-wide for more than 40 years. We can offer guidance, support and of course a range of the highest quality pallet wrappers in Australia. Get in touch with us today by calling 396 835. 

5-Step Guide To Buying a Semi-Auto Stretch Wrapper

Are you thinking about making the switch from hand wrapping to machine wrapping your loads? That&#;s a choice you won&#;t ever regret&#;machine wrapping has countless benefits over hand wrapping. It lowers labor, material, operating, and maintenance costs, reduces workplace injuries, and decreases product damage.

For more paper roll wrapping machineinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Fortunately, the process of purchasing, setting up, using, and maintaining stretch wrapping machines isn&#;t as complicated as it might seem. This five-step guide to buying a semi-auto stretch wrapper is here to help you conquer the first step in automating the stretch wrapping process&#;picking out the best machines.

Determine What You Need

The first step in choosing the right stretch wrapping technology is to determine your warehouse&#;s needs. Machines are smart, but there are some things they&#;re just not able to do. They&#;re built one way, and they do things that way. If they aren&#;t compatible with your favorite kind of stretch wrap, for example, you&#;re out of luck&#;they can&#;t magically reprogram themselves to work with it.

You want to choose a machine that&#;s compatible with your preferred kind of stretch wrap and applies the right amount of containment force. Knowing what kind of products you wrap and what it takes to protect them against damage will help you choose the right kind of machine for your warehouse.

Ask Questions

Need help identifying your warehouse&#;s needs in terms of stretch wrapping? Here are some questions you should ask before beginning your search for the ideal machine:

  • What are you wrapping?
  • How do you currently wrap your products?
  • How many loads do you wrap per day (on average)?
  • What size pallet do you use?
  • What&#;s the usual height and weight of your pallets?
  • How much do your lightest pallets weigh? What about the heaviest ones?
  • How do you plan to load your pallets onto the stretch wrapper?
  • Are you experiencing frequent product damage? If so, what&#;s causing it?
  • Is it necessary to weigh your loads?
  • Do your pallets have overhanging products, partial layers, or any other out-of-the-ordinary qualities that require special consideration?

Find The Right Manufacturer

You&#;re probably not an expert when it comes to stretch wrappers, and that&#;s fine. Even if you are a fount of knowledge when it comes to stretch wrapping technology, you&#;re unlikely to know the ins and outs of particular machines as well as the manufacturer or supplier does. That&#;s also fine. As long as you purchase from the right manufacturer or supplier, you&#;ll have all the resources you need at your fingertips.

But how do you go about choosing the right manufacturer or supplier? Here are some tips for finding credible companies to purchase from.

They Have Safe and Efficient Machines

You might not get the chance to examine and test the machines before you purchase them, but there are many other ways to gauge the safety and efficiency of a manufacturer or supplier&#;s machines.

Does the company have an incredible reputation or a terrible one? You can gauge how customers feel about them by skimming through customer reviews. If customers are consistently raving about the quality of their machines, that&#;s a good sign. If customers talk nonstop about downtime, damage, and general inefficiency, steer clear.

You can also get a good idea about the quality of the machines by skimming through their user manuals. These are usually available online or upon request. The manual contains a trove of valuable information, including information pertaining to important features, such as safety measures that the machine employs.

They Are Easy to Install and Operate

Your new stretch wrapper should be simple to install and operate. For best results, contact your dealer or manufacturer to schedule your installation with a certified technician. This ensures that you machine is operating properly for best performance. Your semi-automatic stretch wrapper will come with detailed instructions on how to operate.

They Provide Ample Support

Let&#;s say you purchase a brand-new machine, and a couple of weeks in, you encounter a problem. This hiccup isn&#;t necessarily a sign that the manufacturer or supplier is bad. Sometimes, even the most advanced technology can fail abruptly.

However, what is a sign of the company&#;s competency is how they respond to problems of this sort. Do they provide extended warranties on their machines? Can they ship out replacement parts in a timely manner? Do they provide live tech service? If a company doesn&#;t seem like it will provide you with the support you need when things go awry, it&#;s in your best interest to purchase your machines from someone else.

Choosing Your Stretch Wrapper

You know that you want semi-automatic stretch wrappers&#;otherwise, you wouldn&#;t be reading the guide to buying a semi-auto stretch wrapper. But did you know that there&#;s more than one type of semi-auto stretch wrapper? Here are some of the most common and popular types of semi-automatic stretch wrappers and the applications they work best for.

Portable

Do you wish that your stretch wrapper would come to your loads instead of having to haul load after load across the warehouse? Portable stretch wrappers make that possible and open up valuable floor space. These wrappers are easy to move around and can handle loads of almost any width, length, and weight.

Turntable

As the name suggests, turntable stretch wrappers feature a table that rotates as a film delivery system dispenses and wraps the film around the load. These wrappers are the most popular type of semi-auto stretch wrappers&#;and for a good reason. They&#;re extremely versatile and easy to configure to suit a wide range of applications. You can quickly determine the turntable stretch wrapper you need based on weight, height, and other key factors of your pallet loads.

Rotary Arm

Do you have loads that are extremely lightweight or extremely heavy? A rotary arm stretch wrapper can handle the loads that other kinds of wrappers can&#;t.

Horizontal

Horizontal stretch wrappers are ideal for wrapping products that are too tall or wide for other wrappers, such as lumber, doors, windows, carpets, textiles, and piping.

Know Your Budget

It&#;s important to choose a stretch wrapping machine that works for you and your business. But many businesses need to consider budget alongside quality. Some kinds of stretch wrappers are more expensive than others. As one of the most common and popular types, turntable stretch wrappers tend to be on the more cost-effective side. More specialized kinds of wrappers, such as rotary arm or portable wrappers, can be double or triple the price of more common types.

But don&#;t let money influence your decision too much. These machines are one part of your warehouse that you should definitely splurge on. If you purchase a run-down and less-efficient machine just to save money, you&#;ll have to deal with slow, inaccurate wrapping and more frequent downtime. A new and highly efficient machine will cost you more upfront, but due to the increased productivity, accuracy, and safety it provides, you&#;ll make back the money you spent in no time flat.

Whether you need stretch wrapping machines, packers, palletizers, or laser-guided vehicles for your warehouse, Robopac USA has it all. Our high-tech machines come with innovative R-Connect and CUBE Technology and are designed to be durable and productive. Shop our full line of semi-automatic stretch wrappers and other secondary packaging equipment today!

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Horizontal Film Wrapping Systems.