Stretch Wrap Machine Specification & Justification

A guide to stretchwrapper machinery

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Stretch wrappers are one of the easiest pieces of packaging machinery to justify, use, and maintain -  if you understand the basics of specifying the correct stretch-wrap machine for your needs. This guide helps you understand the factors in this decision.

Cost Justification

Use less stretchwrap

Because of its engineered properties, stretch film has greater holding ability, much higher puncture and tearing resistance when it's stretched.

Stretch-wrap machines are cost justified on material, labor savings, and load unitization improvements. Correctly applied, most machines pay for themselves in a year or two.

Today's high-performance machines pre-stretch film by 250% or more. This means that every foot of stretch film covers 2.5 times more area than unstretched film. Stretchwrap film works better when pre-stretched, and it costs less. That's a win-win for any operation that must wrap pallets and other loads.

The material savings is optimized when an operation upgrades from manual wrapping, which provides only 10-20% stretch, or from an older stretch wrapping machine to a new semiautomatic or automatic machine capable of pre-stretching film 250% or better.

Reducing labor costs

Manual hand wrapping involves 100% direct labor. In semiautomatic stretch wrapping, a worker attaches the stretch wrap to the pallet load, starts the machine, and then cuts the film tail when it's finished. He's free to do other productive things while the pallet is wrapping.

Fully automatic wrapping equipment requires virtually no direct labor. After the load is delivered (typically via conveyor), the system automatically wraps the load, cuts and weighs down the film tail, and transports the wrapped load to a staging area ready for pickup. Little human interaction is required.

Productivity gains

Productivity gains from faster stretch wrapping and the operational advantages of freeing workers for more value-adding duties should be part of your stretchwrapper justification. Machine wrapping can also reduce damage during shipment because the pallet is wrapped more expertly.

Don't forget ergonomics

Manual stretchwrapping is one of the warehouse workers' least favorite tasks in no small part due to the physical demands.

Manually stretchwrapping a pallet requires bending, stooping, and rolling the carriage around - all things that can contribute to injuries and strains.  Utilizing machine stretchwrappers can reduce repetitive motion injuries and the worker compensation claims that can follow.

Customer satisfaction and stretchwrap operations

A vital consideration is the improvement in customer and channel partner satisfaction from the quality and consistency from machine wrapped pallet loads.

Types of stretch wrappers

Turntable and rotary tower are the two basic designs of stretch wrapping equipment. (There are also orbital and motorized-manual machines).

Rotary tower and turntable units are available as either semi or fully automatic. Many manufacturers offer a hybrid of these models called portable automatics that combine the economy price of semiautomatic models with the automated film-tail treatment of fully automatic machines.

Turntable key features

Pallets are processed on the machine's turntable. As the turntable revolves, the pallet load is wrapped according to a predetermined cross-spiral pattern. Wrap pattern maximizes holding power while minimizing material use. Turntables come in two basic configurations: low profile or high profile.

Low-profile machines are ideal in situations where pallets are primarily loaded by pallet jack - the load is rolled up a ramp to the turntable, which is only about three inches off the floor.

High-profile turntables are designed for loads delivered by forklift. The platform on high-profile machines is 10" to 14" above the floor. The added height, which is above the level of forklift wheels, helps protect the equipment from damage due to forklifts rolling over the turntable. High-profile turntables are square shaped with rounded corners, which allows the forklift to drive closer and more easily center a load.

When specifying a turntable machine, make sure it can handle the weight of the heaviest load to be wrapped. A key component of a turntable machine is its load-bearing base frame, which should be fully constructed of structural steel components running the full length of the frame. This feature gives the machine more rigidity and better stability on uneven surfaces.

Rotary tower key features

When using rotary tower machines, the load is wrapped on the floor or on a conveyor. A rotary arm travels around the load, wrapping it in a cross spiral pattern. Rotary tower machines are ideal for unstable loads that might come apart if rotated on a turntable or for extremely heavy loads because the pallet can be placed on the floor under semiautomatic wrappers. Customers also use semiautomatic rotary tower machines in areas of the plant requiring frequent wash downs because the floor near the machine is accessible.

Rotary tower machines can be placed over a weigh scale so that the load can be weighed and wrapped at the same time. They can also be placed over conveyors and other equipment for greater operational flexibility. During operation, rotary tower machines have a larger footprint than turntable machines, although when the rotary arm is not in operation they take up less space. When choosing semiautomatic or fully automatic equipment, look for structural steel construction, adequate safety features, state-of-the-art control, and easy access to service components.

Automation is the key to efficiency

Inline automatic stretch wrappers are integrated into the packaging line and are the most advanced in terms of control, communication, film delivery, and load handling. This solution is ideal for higher throughput production rates from 50 to 100 pallets per hour. These machines require the stretch-wrap equipment supplier to work closely with the end user and/or distributor to ensure optimum use of automation for high productivity.

A rule of thumb for stretch wrappers is that the higher the performance and the number of features, the higher the cost. Semiautomatic stretch wrapping turntable machines range from $6,000 to $12,000 on average. Semiautomatic rotary tower machines range from $14,000 to $18,000. Fully automatic machines - turntable and rotary tower - range in price from $35,000 to $100,000.

Additional key features include:

• High stretch from the power pre-stretch feature
• High performance Automatic Film Force-to-Load Control for optimized holding strength and protection against crushing
• Reliability in film delivery to minimize wrap tearing
• Heavy duty structural steel construction
• Easy loading of stretch film onto the machine
• An easy-to-use and understand operator interface
• Flexibility in terms of wrap patterns
• Low-maintenance AC-motor technology
• Straightforward maintenance procedures
• Same-day or overnight parts delivery
• A supplier with a reputation for excellence in customer service and support