Stretch film machines may take up needed floor space, but the time, cost of film, and labor it requires, not to mention injury, from hand wrapping your loads could be taking a major chunk out of your bottom line. Besides these points there is also, as mentioned in the previous article, the issue of inconsistency in the manual wrapping of each load as the day draws on. The inconsistency factor leads to damage while being loaded, in transit, and off loaded. This results in more money being lost through replacement, added freight (besides that of the original freight), or worse yet the loss of a customer.
The upside of acquiring a stretch wrap machine is efficiency. As opposed to manual wrapping, you could save up to 50% more stretch film. Along with a higher production rate as well as assuring a load of being uniformly wrapped, the advantages are substantial. Loads are sure to arrive to their destination as they were when you loaded them which deletes the domino effect regarding damaged material.
There are several styles of stretch wrap machines. A rotary arm machine which leaves the pallet stationary as the arm rotates around the the load as the film rises and lowers. A Full web turntable to where the pallet spins, but the wrap is stationary and uses a roll of film the same height of the load. Last, but not least, there is the most common unit known as a spiral stretch wrap machine in which the film carriage moves up and down while the pallet is spun.
All are useful in their own way, but which one is right for you?