Pallet Strapping Machines - Strap Poka Range - Who buys them and why?
Who buys Strap Poka Pallet Strapping Machines and why?
All sectors of industry and utilities currently carrying out the manual strapping of pallets or other unit loads, that would either like to speed up the operation, or make the job easier and safer, but either have insufficient throughput to justify the high capital cost of automated strapping systems, or perhaps where plant layout and methods of production do not lend themselves to putting all production through a single machine, or of course because the capital is not available.
These user categories mean that most of industry can use a Strap Poka pallet strapping machine, particularly when it is realized that some purchasers already have an automatic/ automated strapping machine and require a cost effective back up system to ensure production is maintained when they break down, particularly those with J.I.T schedules to maintain.
There is one other category that is growing rapidly and that is those people that have already experienced the automated systems, and realize there is often a significant shortfall between perceived benefits prior to purchase and actual benefits and costs after installation. This fact coupled with the realization that Strap Pokas installed in a conveyor line can often be as productive, with significantly less after cost and downtime is responsible for the company manufacturing more and more bespoke systems for what has until recent times been the preserve of the traditional expensive solutions.
Got your doubts?… here’s food for thought.
With an automated system you need:
Capital to purchase the unit.
Premium grade straps to make the machine work reliably – premium grade strapping costs more than similar strapping that would also do the job.
Maintenance contracts or your fitters need to be trained – either way you pay and maintenance can easily amount to 25% of purchase price per annum.
Spares – Strapping machine suppliers normally mark up spares by 300% or more.
The biggest cost of all is – downtime. Loss of production can easily amount to thousands of $ per hour to which must be added loss of customer goodwill and often cost arising from delayed delivery.
Labour cost – there is frequently a man required to be in the vicinity of the strapping machine – either pushing buttons if it’s an automatic strapping unit or to correct any mal function if its an automated strapping system system.
In comparison…
A mobile pallet strapping machine needs very little capital to purchase, no maintenance contract or spares, no special premium grade straps. In fact if it saves just one hours downtime it’s usually paid for itself.
Used in conjunction with a friction weld tool there is
no complex strapping head to breakdown and cause down time – only the exchange of a tool that is accomplished in a minute or two.
With regard to speed, note no indexing – from one strap position to the next – of the pack is required as a Strap Poka can place up to four straps simultaneously around a pallet in 10 seconds and with all the hard work done it simply leaves the operator to quickly tension and seal the strap using a modern friction weld tool. Average time to complete a pallet with two straps ranges between 40 –60 seconds… there’s not much difference in speed but a colossal reduction in outlay and overhead to acheive almost the same result as an automated strapping machine.