What are stretch wrapping machines? And how do you use them?

Technology has transformed a great deal over the past few decades. And due to this, so has the ways in which companies’ package and ship their products. Before pallet wrap technologies were invented, most processes were done slowly by hand. Nowadays, these processes are handled by specialised equipment, making the packaging process easier, faster, and more precise than ever before.

There are many benefits to using stretch wrapping machines, in your warehouse – including but not limited to boosted production levels, and increased protection of your products.

So, what exactly are stretch wrapping machines?

Stretch wrapping machines are a piece of equipment that automatically wraps pallets with stretch wrap, keeping the products contained in a pallet and safe from potential damage. The main purpose of using a stretch wrapping machine is to make products easier to transport in bulk, and to protect the individual products from any damage during shipping. Although pallets can be wrapped by hand, using a machine is a much faster, more reliable, and accurate method.

How do they work?

Although all stretch wrappers are created with the same finished goal in mind, which is to wrap something with stretch wrap, the visual appearance, and functionality varies depending on their design, and if they are automatic or semi-automatic.

Automatic

Automatic stretch wrapping machines, as the name suggests, does everything automatically. It carries a pallet to the wrap zone using roller conveyors. Once the machine has finished wrapping the pallet, it will then send it to the end of the packaging line down the exist of the conveyer. The next pallet is then transferred to the wrap zone, and then the process is repeated.

Semi-Automatic

Semi-automatic stretch wrapping machines work similar to the automatic ones. However, the main difference between the two is that the semi-automatic wrapping machine requires an operator to be present to load and unload the pallet, as well as making any manual adjustments throughout the process.

So, why should you use a stretch wrapping machine?

It is often assumed that hand-wrapping will save businesses money, as you wont have to spend on machinery. Yet, wrapping something by hand is both inefficient and unreliable, ultimately costing you more in the long run. Small businesses may get away with manually hand wrapping goods, however if your business is wrapping more than ten pallets a day, it is much more efficient and timesaving to automate the process.

It is difficult to reach the consistency of machines. Your employees may struggle to wrap the correct amount of containment force or end up using more stretch wrap than needed. Machines guarantee that your products remain safe during transit. Wrapping machines are programmed to know exactly the amount of to stretch the film, getting the most out of your pallet wrap investment. Machine wrapping provides you with anywhere from 200 to 300 percent of stretch, whereas hand wrapping will only give you from 10 to 20 percent stretch of the film.

By investing in automatic or semi-automatic stretch wrapping machines you will be saving money on film. This is because you will be using the right technology allowing you to get more down with less and stretch the use of a single roll of film further.

At FROMM Packaging, we have built and maintained a reputation as the trusted packaging supplier in Australia. If you are searching for the finest stretch wrapping solutions, contact us today on  1800 940 356 and one of our friendly team members will help you.