Stretch wrappers are ideal for delivery operations, especially when handling more than 50 packages per day. Proper stretch wrappers save working time, provide a safer environment for employees, and properly wrap pallets for safe and undamaged transportation to customers.
Whether you go beyond your current stretch wrapper or consider it for the first time, it’s important to carefully consider your options to find the one that best fits your needs and budget.
1. How many times a day do you wrap your luggage?
To get the most out of your stretch wrapping machine, you need to make sure it is rated to handle the number of loads you plan to stretch wrap every day. Some turntable stretch wrappers can only handle loads 20 times a day and will wear out quickly if pushed beyond the recommended capacity.
To expand your shipping work room, it’s a good idea to buy a stretch wrapper that’s more robust than you might need. For example, if you currently package and ship 20 packages per day, choosing a machine that can handle twice that capacity is a solid investment.
Also, keep in mind that many stretch wrappers with additional capacity may also offer additional features such as ramps and built-in scales.
2. Do you handle irregularly shaped loads?
Most stretch wrappers have a hard time wrapping irregularly shaped luggage. These may include items that need to be placed on longer pallets, forged metals, oddly shaped manufacturing parts, etc. Product wrapping example
The reason these items are so difficult to wrap is that they do not fit the same dimensions as regular pallets. Turntables or straddle stretch wrappers wrap your luggage around the pallet, so there is no way to secure strangely shaped items. Stretching a short, flat wrap object can also be difficult.
If you plan to stretch wrap any of these items and don’t want to handle the work manually, wrap your luggage from top to bottom to easily wrap your slender, short, flat, or “Orbital stretch wrapper” or “fhopepack.com”. Consider a fixed orbital stretch wrapper.
3. Is your product usually very light or very heavy?
Consider the general weight of the product you are shipping. Are many of them very light or very heavy?
The most common type of stretch wrapper uses a turntable that rotates the pallet during the wrapping operation. Turntable stretch wrappers are usually not suitable for very light items. This is because the rotating motion (typically 12 to 15 rpm) causes light loads to fall off the pallet.
Straddle stretch wrap machines that keep pallets stationary and apply stretch wrap with movable arms are suitable for shipping many light loads.
Turntable stretch wrappers are not suitable for loads above 5000 lbs unless the machine is rated to handle the extra weight. Straddle-style stretch wrappers and orbital wrappers are suitable for handling heavy loads. Normally, when shipping large or heavy items, be sure to check the load capacity of the stretch wrapper you are considering.
