Pallet Wrapping Machine Suppliers & Manufacturers

Pallet wrapping machine types and pre-stretch

A pallet wrapping machine (stretch wrapper) wraps a palletised load in stretch film to secure it for transport and storage — preventing product movement, protecting against dust and moisture, and maintaining the pallet pattern integrity during handling. The three main machine configurations are: turntable stretch wrapper — the pallet rotates on a rotating turntable while the film carriage travels up and down the fixed mast, wrapping the film helically around the pallet; the most common type for standard pallets on a production floor or distribution centre; requires the pallet to rotate, which is suitable for stable, well-stacked loads; not suitable for very heavy or very unstable loads that cannot safely rotate. Rotary arm stretch wrapper — the pallet stays stationary on the conveyor and a rotating arm carries the film carriage around the pallet; better for unstable, top-heavy, or very heavy loads (bulk bags, drums) that cannot safely rotate; slightly more complex and expensive than a turntable; available in semi-automatic and fully automatic inline versions. Ring-type stretch wrapper — the film carriage is mounted on a large rotating ring above the pallet; very fast wrapping cycle (high throughput for high-speed beverage and FMCG lines); the pallet travels through the ring on a conveyor; the film is applied from the ring as it passes through. Pre-stretch systems: a pre-stretch unit on the film carriage stretches the stretch film before it is applied to the pallet — typically 150–300% pre-stretch. Pre-stretch has two major benefits: it reduces film consumption (a 200% pre-stretch means less film mass is used per pallet, reducing material cost and waste); it improves load containment (the stretched and rebounding film exerts higher clamping force on the pallet load than unstretched film). Modern pallet wrappers all include an electronic powered pre-stretch system.