1) Consistent and uniform application:

An operator who wraps pallets with hand wrap stretch film is not able to wrap every load exactly the same way, time and time again. A load wrapped by one operator Monday morning will not be wrapped the same way as another operator on Friday afternoon. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

Here you can get an overview of the features and specification of different automatic and semi-automatic pallet stretch wrapper

2) Professional Package:

Wrapping a pallet using a stretch wrap machine produces a clean professional finished product. Pallet wrapping with hand wrap leaves a rather erratic and uneven look. The look of your pallet load on your customer’s floor must project the professional image you want for your company. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

Watch here videos of semi automatic and automatic stretch wrapper in different production environment and at the manufactory facility.

3) Training:

There is a right way and a wrong way to wrap a pallet with hand wrap. Applied incorrectly, hand wrap may crush the product or allow the product to shift during transport. Employee turnover or multiple operators mean that you must continually train employees on how to correctly wrap the loads to ensure customer satisfaction while ensuring they do not injure themselves. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

Operating a stretch wrapping machine is very easy, it takes little or no training at all. Watch the video on the right and see how easy it is to operate a stretch wrapper. All it takes is….pushing a button!

You can see many other videos of various models of pallet stretch wrappers here.

4) Employee Safety:

Hand wrapping pallets is an extremely difficult job if it is done correctly, and a common source of employee back injuries when performed incorrectly. The human form is not designed to walk hunched over manipulating an 8-10 lbs weight while also trying to pull enough tension into the film to hold the pallet load together. Then 20 seconds later you are holding the same roll of stretch film above your head to do the top of the pallet, again tugging on the film using only your back and arm muscles. Many accidents and work related injuries are caused by hand wrapping pallets. Review OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) stretch wrapping guidelines before making your pallet wrapping decision. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

Learn here how easy and safe is operating an automatic pallet stretch wrapper!

Easy as….Pushing a Button!

Frequent injuries are very common when hand wrapping…

5) Load Integrity:

No one likes hand wrapping. At some point the “good enough” syndrome takes over. Knowing what is required to keep your product unitized during shipping, and while it is on your customer’s floor, is essential in setting your stretch wrapping specifications for your operator’s to follow. When an employee is hand wrapping pallets the responsibility of meeting minimum tension requirements is left up to him. Fatigue, ignorance, training, or lack of motivation can affect the employee’s “good enough” point resulting in potential complaints or damage due to poorly wrapped product. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

6) Damage Control:

As employees deal with the difficulty of hand wrapping the goal becomes just wrapping it enough to get it out the door. Wrapping the load to eliminate damage during transit and at your customer’s warehouse becomes secondary. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue as it wraps the same way every time reducing the potential of a pallet being damaged during transit.

7) Customer Satisfaction:

Pallet wrapping your product is the LAST operation you perform and the FIRST operation your customer sees of your capabilities as a supplier. Your customer’s perception of your competence as a supplier starts the minute your pallet of product arrives at his dock. Inconsistently hand wrapped pallets can give the perception of a low-end manufacturer. Lowering your standards of production during this last operation can be costly. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

8) Film Savings:

Although the key to stretch wrapping is to make sure that we get the product to the customer intact, we all want to do it for the least amount of cost. With the machine set to wrap the loads with the least amount of stretch film required to hold the load together, you eliminate unnecessary extra revolutions of film being applied by well meaning operators. At a point, more film does not hold the load better, it is just waste. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

A good example of great film economic and efficiency is the Rotary Ring Wrapper. The Rotary Ring can save you thousands of dollars every year due to his ability to tart at the bottom of a load and finish at the top without having to return back down to the clamp fixed at the conveyor. Learn more about the PRRA Rotary Ring Wrapper series here

You can watch a video of the Rotary Ring in action on the right.

Learn here how your loads can be perfectly wrapped every time, while saving thousands of dollars in film cost.

9) Damaged Hand Wrap Rolls:

An expensive hidden cost of hand wrapping is the cost of all the rolls of stretch film that are thrown away because they have been nicked or damaged when thrown to the ground or left lying around. This cost can sometimes be as much as 15-20% of your hand wrap costs. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

10) Quality Control:

By definition, hand wrapping a pallet manually prevents you from obtaining any type of repeatability. Multiple operators, time of day, fatigue and many other variables prevents any type of QC standards. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine allows you to either eliminate, or preset these variables. This ensures repeatability, allowing loads to be wrapped to a set quality standard. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.