Packaging Automation: Is It For You?
If your business ships goods in bulk on pallets, you will know how important it is to get the packaging process right.
Even one small mistake can risk an entire shipment, costing a business handsomely if products are damaged and returned.
That’s why so many businesses are turning to automation with pallet wrapping machines that ensure the safety and stability of shipped goods in the most efficient and economical fashion.
Benefits of automatic pallet wrappers
Pallet wrappers can be viewed in two main groups, semi-automatic or fully automatic. The type of automation you choose will depend on the specific needs of your business.
While there are many reasons to consider automation, the key benefit is consistency.
Pallets that are wrapped manually just cannot achieve the same consistency as a machine; a pallet wrapper will use far less film than someone wrapping the pallet by hand, and will complete the task much faster.
Wrapping pallets by hand also takes a good deal of energy, and workers can become tired and dizzy from the laborious nature of the work. This can lead to repetitive injuries, workplace accidents and lower employee morale.
As a result, an automatic pallet wrapper can make a big difference not only to the cost of each pallet load, but to their integrity and stability, and also to employees’ satisfaction in the workplace.
Would automation suit your business?
If your business wraps many pallets each day that are similar in size, weight and shape and come from the same source, robotic palletising, automatic stretch wrapping and automated handling are options your business should consider.
However, if you don’t have consistency in your production line, automation becomes a little more challenging.
Take for example a small batch manufacturer of soft drink or juice; using automated machinery in this instance may lead to multiple batch changes, which leads to multiple machine adjustments, which can be expensive, time consuming and just not worth the effort.
In the same way, if you have workers manually wrapping pallets in different areas of your warehouse, you have two options: to keep wrapping by hand which requires a lot of manpower, cost and the potential for workplace injuries, or to consider how you might reimagine your warehouse operations, coordinating them so specific areas are designated for semi-automatic pallet wrappers, reducing the amount of manual labour required and increasing the efficiency of your packaging process.
Determining whether automation is right for your business takes some thought and planning, such as what type of machinery you actually require and where the machinery will be situated.
However, with a little thought and perseverance, automation can transform your business, from enhancing your efficiency, reducing your costs, and supporting a much happier workforce.
The cost of automatic pallet wrappers
In the past, pallet wrappers were priced in the tens of thousands and considered cost-prohibitive by many businesses.
Today however semi-automatic or fully automatic pallet wrappers can be supplied for less than a quarter of what they retailed for in the 1980’s, meaning that most businesses can reap the benefits of automation in their warehouses.
Of course, depending on your specific business situation, the cost of a semi-automatic or fully automatic pallet wrapper is relative to the savings you can make from the greater efficiencies automation will bring to your business.
Talk to Vorteck for advice about automatic pallet wrappers
If your business is wrapping more than 10-15 pallets a day, it is time to consider automating your pallet wrapping process.
It is extremely important to get expert, qualified advice about which pallet wrapper you choose.
Investing in the wrong, and perhaps cheaper, machinery will only end up costing you more down the track when it doesn’t live up to your expectations and you end up replacing it with the model you should have purchased in the beginning.
As your partner in end-of-line packaging automation, Vorteck’s experienced team can assess your operations and provide recommendations for semi-automatic and fully automatic pallet wrappers that are a fit for your business.
We can also provide options for financing to help you choose the right machine for your business needs, rather than settling for a cheaper machine that doesn’t perform to your expectations.
While we encourage customers to make their own finance arrangements, we can offer a rental purchase agreement that is designed to suit your budget with a fixed repayment schedule so you can reap the benefits of automation without the initial capital investment.
Vorteck is backed by Stephen Miller Ltd’s 50 years of specialist end-of-line packaging expertise and offers customers a range of after sales services that support the continued efficient operation of their machines.
In particular, we are proud to offer customers free services on hot melt equipment where our experienced engineers will change machine filters, flush nozzles and clean out tanks with the highest quality cleaning agents.
Call Vorteck today on 01 685 2096 to speak to a member of our team and discover whether automation can product a healthy return on investment for your business.
