Automated pallet-wrapping machinery is the way forward in industrial businesses.
The days of relying on stretch wrapping pallets by hand in order to secure your product for freighting is fast being replaced by cutting-edge automation technology that delivers high-performance film and packaging solutions to increase yield, security, speed and produce quality pallet packaging. Hand wrapping is simply an inefficient method that costs money in labour, time and unnecessary stretch film usage.
We have outlined and justified why it’s time to upgrade from manually wrapping pallets to an integrated automated pallet-wrapping process that increases your business profits.
Automation offers higher Productivity
If your industry manufactures and packages high volume, manual wrapping in your production line is not efficient for workers at the end that remain under pressure to palletise goods that constantly roll off the production line. It is possible to see increases of 100% or more in output even with the slightest of automation such as the implementation of a semi-automatic pallet wrapper which will reduce labour and material costs significantly.
Increased security and protection
Automated pallet wrapping machines wrap more tightly and consistently to secure and protect products compared to hand wrapping. It’s not possible for a person to effectively manually balanced loads and consistently apply pressure to evenly stretch film in order to safely provide adequate load containment every time.
The opportunity for human error means constant double checks on pallet security before loading for shipment which results in lower productivity, higher labour costs and time-consuming repetitive tasks. Manual wrapping increases the potential for work-related injuries and employees have less protection which necessitates the coverage of costly comprehensive insurance protection. An automated machine will deliver consistent wrapping capabilities, a lower potential for a work-related injury on the plant floor and noticeably less film usage.
Greater cost reductions
Automated pallet wrapping machinery offers greater wrap potential due to their capability of maximizing the amount of stretch that is achieved, much more than can be done by hand, reducing the amount of film waste and minimising your business’s environmental impact.
Statistically, you can expect to see on average 25%-40% stretch when manually pallet wrapping, compared to an automated or semi-automated pallet wrapper where an average of 250% or more stretch can be achieved.
Automated machines have the ability to pre-stretch each roll of stretch film which means you are saving on material costs. The capital investment in automation speaks for itself. On average you can expect to save on film costs with the upgrade to automated wrapping between 25-40% and in optimal cases you will see an approximate 66% savings on film.
Reduced Load Damage
The actual cost of freight damage resulting from hand wrapped and poorly secured loads are not always quantifiable because many of the related expenses are not calculated into the final number including costs of supplemental shipping insurance to cover compromised loads. If consideration is given to the cost of damaged goods, labour, cost of the pallets, wrapping, replacement and re-shipping of damaged products, this hidden cost may be more than anticipated.
Automating your pallet wrapping process undoubtedly reduces the load damage you experience due to the machines reliability and consistency in protecting products. In order to achieve a secure load, there are specific wrap forces or load containment guidelines specific to each type of palletised shipment. If you don’t know what these are for your pallets, there are tools available that can help you determine them. What is more important than the number of times a pallet is wrapped, or the gauge of the stretch film used is containment force. Knowing this makes the process of hand wrapping seem inefficient and unrealistic if you intend to grow your business.
New technologies in automated pallet wrapping means machinery is engineered for precision high-speed and high-payload operation and maximum reliability enabling you to maximise your return of investment.
For more information and advice about a wide range of pallet wrapping machines visit www.melbpack.com.au
