How to Buy

While the fundamentals of wrapping a load are nearly universal, selecting the right wrapper for your specific requirements involves many variables.

The Machine

Finding the right wrapper doesn’t need to be complicated - in fact sometimes there are several appropriate solutions. But selecting at random, even just getting “another one like the last one”, skips some steps that we know from experience are important.

When choosing a stretch wrapper consider your:

• Load (pallet sizes and types, weights, dimensions, product, shipping considerations)
• Production environment (temperature, moisture, pallets/hour, loading and unloading, film thickness, forecasts for growth)
• Other related processes (weighing, labeling, tracking)

Typically there are 80/20 decisions to be made. For instance, if you normally wrap 20 loads/hour but during peak shipping hours in the afternoon production doubles, that’s important. If most of your loads are on 40” x 48”  pallets and are 60” tall, but one customer requires you to wrap 96” tall loads, that’s critical. If 20% of your shipments are non-standard loads that each require weighing to ensure accurate paperwork, that can introduce even more choices.

Considering the following will help to gradually exclude some machines:

• Is a turntable or straddle machine best? Or does it matter?
• Do speed or line requirements dictate efficient loading, unloading, starting and stopping?
• Will the machine exchange data with other factory or warehouse systems?

And then further to refine the selection and options.

• How might conveyor sections improve efficiency?
• What’s the benefit of weighing a load in-line?
• Does your company give operators control, or do they prefer to lock down the controls and rely on the machines to optimize wrapping?

The Manufacturer

There are many different stretch wrapper manufacturers. These include domestic or foreign, very small manufacturers or divisions of the F500 companies, family owned or publicly traded, and more!

Consider some key factors in evaluating them:

• Number of machines in the field
• Loyalty (how many customers return to buy another machine)
• Pricing
• Local support and service
• Warranty
• Availability of replacement parts

Wondering how Lantech compares? Learn more about us here.

The Vendor

You don’t always buy directly from the stretch wrapper manufacturer. Lantech relies on local distribution partners to sell and support our stretch wrappers. Our experience is that the local relationship not only provides a connection to supply film and other related supplies, but also ensures rapid response and continuity of service when technical support requirements arise.

Advice When You Want It

You may be a veteran stretch wrapper buyer and want to manage the process on your own. You may have machines already, but are wondering what’s new. Or maybe this is your first wrapper. In any case we’ve got application specialists (not salespeople) that are available to talk you through the selection process. You can request a quote if you’re ready, or call/email/contact us to reach someone who can help you find the best solution.