Choosing the Right Stretch Wrapper

To decide which type of stretch wrapper is best suited for you, there are several factors to consider:

• Your sector of activity.
• The desired production capacity: number of pallets to be packed and packing speed.
• The type of products to be wrapped in the pallet: cardboard boxes, bottles, bags, drums, etc.
• The weight and dimensions of the products.
• The desired mobility of the machine depending on the space available in the packaging area.
• Whether or not you plan to integrate the wrapper into a production line.
• Environmental operating conditions: the possible presence of dust, humidity in the air, significant temperature variations, etc.
• The equipment used to move the pallets: forklift, electric pallet truck, manual pallet truck, etc.

Using a stretch wrapper offers numerous advantages over manual pallet wrapping:

• Reduction in the amount of film used, as the stretching carried out by the machine is more effective.
• Increased productivity due to higher application speed.
• Reduction in musculoskeletal injuries in operators, thanks to mechanized involvement.
• More uniform film application, resulting in better packaged and better-protected pallets.

A turntable stretch wrapper consists of a column with film and a motorized platform where the pallet is placed. While the platform rotates the pallet, the roll of film moves vertically, wrapping the load to its full height.

ROBOPAC SPA turntable stretch wrapper

This type of stretch wrapper offers several advantages:

• It is more affordable than machines with rotating arms and robots.
• Both the automatic and semi-automatic versions are easy to operate.
• It is compatible with all types of pallets.
• It is the most suitable for wrapping fragile products without damaging them.
• It can properly secure the load even if it extends a little beyond the limits of the pallet.
• It’s quite fast.

However, the turntable stretch wrapper also has some disadvantages:

• Its maximum capacity is no more than 2 tons.
• Not suitable for unstable or excessively light loads.
• It takes up a lot of space.

A rotary arm wrapping machine also known as a rotating arm wrapper is fixed to the ground. In general, the pallet to be wrapped is placed directly on the ground and the arm with the film moves around the load. When the machine is integrated into a production line, the pallet is packed on a continuous conveyor.

THIMON rotary arm stretch wrapper

This type of wrapper has certain advantages:

• It allows light or unstable loads to be packed, unlike the turntable wrapper.
• It is more compact than the turntable wrapper, so it can be installed in places where there is less space available.

It also has some disadvantages:

• It must be fixed to the floor.
• The height of the pallet must not exceed 2.75 m.

A robotic stretch wrapper applies the film by automatically moving around the pallet. This type of wrapper has several advantages:

ITALDIBIPACK robotic stretch wrapper

• It can wrap larger loads that are incompatible with other types of wrappers, as well as unstable loads.
• It is mobile, offering great flexibility in terms of where it can operate.
• It is very compact and does not require a permanent installation space.
• It is compatible with different types of film, including stretch film and pre-stretched film.

Its main disadvantage is its price, which is much higher than that of other types of stretch wrappers.

ISG PACK semi-automatic turntable stretch wrapper

If you need to pack at a high rate, we recommend opting for a semi-automatic or automatic stretch wrapper.

Below are the main characteristics of each of these types of machines.

Semi-automatic wrapping machine:

• Easy to use.
• Perfectly protects the load.
• It can wrap up to 25 pallets per hour.
• Requires the intervention of an operator. The operator must attach the film to the pallet before the automatic wrapping starts and cut it at the end.

Automatic wrapping machine

THIMON automatic wrapping machine

• Works completely autonomously, without the need for an operator.
• It protects loads well, even the most fragile ones.
• It’s fast and precise.
• It further optimizes the amount of film used.
• It can wrap up to 60 pallets per hour.
• It’s bigger than a semi-automatic machine.
• It is generally intended to be integrated into an automated production line. In this case, the operator has to place the pallet on the conveyor, which takes it to the stretch wrapper. When it detects the pallet, the machine starts the wrapping cycle and automatically cuts the film at the end.
• Not suitable for small spaces.

Wrapping machines can be equipped with a motorized pre-stretching system, capable of stretching a technical film by between 150% and 400% of its initial length. Pre-stretching is possible with all types of wrapping machines. However, it is particularly recommended for industries with a particularly high production rate (50 pallets or more a day) or where light (up to 40 kg), fragile or unstable loads need to be packed.

The main advantage of pre-stretching is that it considerably reduces film consumption, thanks to a stretching capacity of up to 400%, depending on the model. Generally, a stretch of 250% is chosen. This means that with 1 meter of film, you get 3.5 meters to wrap the load.