New and Used Pallet Wrappers
Pallet wrapping machines, pallet wrappers or shrink wrapping machines are designed to reduce overall packaging, waste, labour and maintenance costs. Pallet wrapping machines apply a flexible packaging material, (usually plastic film but sometimes aluminium or paper), around a product or group of products.
Semi-automatic turntable wrapping machines represent the entry level for many applications and for many companies when looking for pallet wrappers, they offer a very cost effective method of wrapping product(s). The way these machines operate is the load is placed on to the wrapper turntable by a pallet truck or forklift and the stretch film is attached to it. Then an operator will start the machine and the wrapping process begins, at the end of the cycle the operator simply cuts the film and removes the freshly wrapped load.
Buying new or used pallet wrapping machines?
A second hand or refurbished pallet wrapping machine can provide excellent performance while greatly reducing your capital expenditure. However, it is important to fully understand that while used pallet wrappers can offer great value, not all of them will have aged well or have been particularly well looked after by their previous owners. Like buying a used car, some used packaging equipment depreciates quickly and they can be very expensive to maintain after the initial warranty period has expired.
Choosing the right pallet wrapper
Choosing a pallet wrap machine for a manufacturing facility or distribution center requires careful attention and consideration. Choosing the wrong type of equipment at the outset can result in further financial outlay further down the line due to production slowdowns, over use of stretch film, and increased maintenance and parts replacement. Below are a few tips to help in the selection process:
Firstly you should bear in mind that a pallet wrapper is a long term investment and as such you should be selecting something that is not only suitable for the here and now but for further down the line too. Pallet wrappers often remain in active service for upwards of four or five years, even in high throughput operations. With that in mind, purchasing decisions should not be made strictly on the basis of a cheap price or a short lead time.
You need to make sure the wrapping machine can manage future as well as present production requirements, otherwise you are going to find yourself shopping for another machine in a few years time. If you are currently wrapping “x” amount of pallets per shift but expect to increase that to “xxx” number of pallets then you need to be basing your purchase on future volumes rather than current.
Pallet wrappers, like any piece of machinery, are going to require ongoing maintenance and at times the replacement of spare parts. For this reason it is a good idea to buy from a well known manufacturer with a good reputation in the market place. By looking at cheaper options and buying from a more obscure manufacturer you may end it up running into problems when it comes to servicing and repairing the equipment.
See the stretch wrapper in action, and test it if possible. Since every packaging environment is unique in one way or another, it is prudent to inspect or, if possible, field test pallet wrappers in advance of a purchase.
Types of pallet wrapper available
Semi-Automatic Turntable Pallet Wrapper
Semi-Automatic turntable pallet wrappers represent the entry level of the market for most applications, ideally suited for lower throughput operations they offer very good value for money. The machine works by manually loading the pallet onto the pallet wrapper turntable, this is usually achieved through the use of a forklift truck or pallet truck, the stretch film is then manually attached to the pallet. The operator can then, through the press of a button, start the wrapping cycle. Once the pallet has been completely wrapped the operator cuts the film and removes the load from the turntable. These machines come with various sizes of turntable and mast so you should be able to find one to suit your specific requirements.
Fully Automatic Pallet wrappers
Fully automatic pallet wrapping machines are usually integrated into automated production lines and are designed to minimise manual labour whilst providing a highly efficient solution to high throughput operations. The majority of automatic pallet wrappers are used with powered roller conveyor, the pallets are moved into position by the conveyor (usually a combination of sensors and PLC logic control ensures the pallet is loaded into the correct position), they are then automatically wrapped with packaging film and moved away from the wrapping area once complete. These systems can be a lot more expensive than basic semi-automatic pallet wrappers but for high throughput operations they provide an extremely cost effective way of wrapping multiple products.
Reasons for buying a pallet wrapping machine
Consistent and accurate application of packaging film:
A human operator applying packaging film by hand would not be able to wrap every load exactly the same way, every single time. A load wrapped by one operator on one shift will not be wrapped the same way by another operator on the next shift, using a pallet wrapping machine gets rid of this problem.
Integrity of the pallet load:
When you are manually wrapping pallets the responsibility of the pallet wrap integrity is down to the employee carrying out the work, this can obviously be affected by lack of training, poor motivation, fatigue or ignorance. Insufficiently wrapped product can result in damage or complaints and returns from customers, a pallet wrapping machine gets rid of this problem.
Customer satisfaction:
The wrapping of your products is the final operation your factory performs prior to shipping and the very first thing your customer sees when the products arrive, the perception of your company of a supplier starts as soon as your product arrives with your customer. Poorly wrapped product can give your customers the wrong impression of your company and effect any future business that you may get. By trying to cut production costs by reducing the standard of your product wrapping could be a costly mistake, a pallet wrapping machine would provide quality product wrapping cost effectively.
Employee training for manual wrapping:
There is a certain level of training required to make sure your employees are wrapping your products correctly, poorly applied packaging material could end up damaging your product or allowing it to move in transit. Manually wrapping pallet loads of product is often a high turnover position so you could end up needing to continually train employees on how to correctly wrap the load. Buying a pallet wrapping machine elimates the need for manual labour and gets rid of the training costs.
Safety of employees:
Manually wrapping pallets can be an extremely difficult and physically demanding job if done correctly, and can be a source of a number of work related injuries like back strains. If your production throughput is potentially putting tens of pallets per hour into the wrapping area it is going to be a lot of work for human employees. A pallet wrapping machine removes the need for excessive manual labour involvement and removes the risk of work related injuries.
Packaging material savings:
Manually hand wrapping pallets is never the most efficient way of doing things, well meaning operators could potentially use much more packaging material than is necessary to ensure the product is wrapped sufficiently. Pallet wrapping machinery apply just the right amount of packaging to make the load stable thereby getting rid of excess packaging and reducing packaging costs, this is why major companies use pallet wrappers.
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