It's a fact of life - pallet movements cost time and money ... and are resource hungry. One of the biggest culprits is stretch film or stretch wrap as it's commonly known. Ideally when pallets are first loaded with product and secured onto the pallet the next pallet movement destination should be to despatch bays or storage but far too often there are intermediate movements e.g. to and from stretch wrap turntables requiring a FLT and driver - doubling up on movements and cost.
All too frequently companies using stretch wrap turntables become focussed on the speed of wrap - its quick when compared with manual film application, but they do overlook the fact that when loading and unloading movements/time are taken into consideration the operation may be no quicker than a manual application.
Stretch film benefits quoted include protection from dust but as manufacturing , loading, load securement, storage and despatch generally all occur under cover it is questionable if dust protection really is vital ('Nice' but not essential) particularly where product has inner and outer cartons to protect it.... and where there are more economic means of securing loads that fall into this category.
Manual application of packaging materials is well worth consideration provided that it can be done safely and plastic strapping is a good example of this concept.
If loads are secured with plastic strapping it can be applied very quickly using mobile Strap Pokas - wherever the pallet happens to be located - there is no need to ferry the pallet back and forth to/from packaging machinery and pallet movements are kept to an absolute minimum enabling a faster throughput. Pallets can be strapped in as little as 40 seconds from start to finish i.e. quicker than it takes to load and unload a stretch wrap machine.
Strap Poka pallet strapping machines are manufactured by The Plastic Strapping Company Ltd Nottingham UK and are used by many of the well known international 'Brands' indicating mobile pallet strapping machines really are worth consideration.
