Benefits of Orbital Stretch Wrappers
Still using manual stretch wrap methods? That's alright for low volume applications where packaging equipment isn't needed. If you're looking for a better process for high volume applications, orbital stretch wrappers can help. These machines are ideal for securing over-sized, oddly shaped, and palletized loads. Orbital machines wrap the film all the way around the pallet by rotating the film. Compared to other stretch wrappers, orbital wrappers tend to get higher throughput speeds. This is because the palletized loads don't need to be rotated at high speeds, instead the machine wraps around the pallet.
5 reasons to change your stretch wrapping process
- Productivity
- Cost savings
- Safety
- Consistent application
- Load integrity
Productivity
Orbital stretch wrappers can work long hours, while maintaining a consistently high quality. Using these machines boosts your pack to ship performance while minimizing labor costs. Most loads are wrapped in under 3 minutes, think you can beat that time by manually wrapping the pallet? Stretch wrapping systems are one of the fastest ways to boost your end-of-line packaging efficiency. These machines eliminate the need for operators to manually attach the film tail to the load, then cut and secure the film tail at the end of the cycle.
Cost savings
If you're hand wrapping 20 or more loads per day, it's more cost-effective to use an orbital stretch wrapper than to apply stretch wrap by hand. You could see an ROI in as little as 6 months when investing in stretch wrap equipment. Material savings are huge with orbital stretch wrappers. They can reduce the cost of stretch film by up to 75% compared to the manual wrapping process. Also, by stabilizing the load and wrapping properly, you can recover nearly 50% of your potentially damaged products.
Safety
An orbital stretch wrapping machine eliminates side to side movements of hand wrapping that commonly lead to back injuries. Packaging equipment like stretch wrappers also eliminate injuries associated with metal banding strapping. The constant bending and twisting and lifting required to wrap a pallet is taken out of the equation, instead, just press a button and let the machine do the work for you.
Consistent application
Most machine applied stretch wrap is pre-stretched at least 200%. This results in a tighter load while using less product. Also, you know you're getting the same wrap each and every time. Compare that to an operator wrapping a pallet on a certain day, and a different operator wrapping on another day. They're not going to be the same and that leads to more damaged product and inconsistency in your packaging process.
Load integrity
The top, middle, and bottom layers of your load need to all have the correct amount of containment force. (The wrap force multiplied by the number of film layers) The right amount of containment force depends on the type of load you’re wrapping. Heavy loads may require more containment force and lighter loads may require less. With an orbital stretch wrapper, you'll get the correct about of containment force every single time you use the machine. The load integrity will stay the same from the 1st pallet wrap of the day, to the last.
Orbital stretch wrappers: Case studies
When it comes to packaging equipment like orbital stretch wrappers, you want to hear about actual results. How have these machines impacted other companies' operations? Here's some real facts.
Metal fabricator gets proven ROI
Their shipping challenges included:
- Reducing ergonomic related worker injuries
- Decreasing excessive labor costs
- Lowering shipping time and bottlenecks
Orbital stretch wrapper solution:
Installing a stretch wrapping machine triplex their shipping capacity and helped eliminate downtime. The metal fabricator went from wrapping 30 pallets a day to 90 pallets a day. Their proven ROI was delivered in just 6 months.
Appliance manufacturer triples their productivity
Their shipping challenges included:
- Damage free shipments of slippery, odd-shaped loads
- Reducing excessive labor costs and shipping time
- Elminating banding related worker injuries
Orbital stretch wrapper solution:
It used to take two workers to wrap a pallet in 15 minutes, now one operator can effectively wrap a pallet it under 5 minutes. The company tripled their pack to ship productivity with proven ROI of $1000 in savings each week. Installing the orbital machine successfully eliminated product damage during shipping and those banding related worker injuries.
Machine tool builder streamlines shipping operation
Their shipping challenges included:
- Streamlining internal packaging and shipping operations
- Minimizing labor requirements and costs
- Eliminating damages to parts
Orbital stretch wrapper solution:
IPS Packaging's installation of the ITW Muller Yellow Jacket led to nearly $20,000 in yearly savings. They improved their damage rates, and streamlined their internal packaging process. Their work was cut in half by using the machine, using a more efficient stretch wrapping process.
See also:
- Orbital Stretch Wrappers
- eBook: 4 ways to justify the cost of a stretch wrap machine
- 7 Step Guide To Choosing Stretch Wrapping Equipment
- Stretch Film Equipment
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