For example, good stretch foil pallet machines cost thousands of levs and it is tempting to continue packing by hand. In the long run, however, the delay may cost us more.
We present to you several indicators, supported by calculations, to tell you when is the right time to buy a palletizing stretch machine. If you notice one or more of these signals in your company, you can think about such an investment.
- Packing more than 10 pallets of stretch foil per day
Some companies with far smaller volumes use automatic machines to save manual labour. At 10 pallets per day, this is more than 1 hour per day that a worker spends on pallets., The machine can do things faster. Everything is done at the push of a button and the worker can take on other tasks to be useful while the machine packs the pallet. This increases the overall efficiency in the working environment.
- More than 2 pallets permonth damaged by falling production
Staing and turning a pallet during transportation can be caused by quite a lot of things: inappropriate choice of stretch foil, incorrect arrangement of pallets, improper packing of pallets. When pallets are packed manually, this is also the most common cause of their disintegration.
In order to use stretch film as efficiently as possible, at least 85-90% stretch ability must be achieved. The well-stretched stretch is what holds the pallet firmly. The stretch is directly related to the memory of stretch foil. If it is as stretched as possible, it saves its position. In case it is not well stretched, it continues to stretch during transportation. When wrapped manually it is difficult to constantly and evenly achieve good stretch ability. Something that can’t happen with the automatic stretch machine, which provides an even tensile of stretch foil.
Also, the palletizing machine evenly packs the pallet everywhere in its height, while in manual labor mistakes can be made that lead to weak spots and falling production.
Depending on the type of cargo being carried, several damaged cargo may prove more expensive than the investment for a sharpening machine.
- Higher packaging price
As we said, if it is packed manually, the worker fails to achieve the stretch ability that a stretching machine can perform. Usually, the maximum stretch ability that an employee can achieve according to personal qualities and physical strength is 100-150%.
At the same time, the machine achieves constant stretch ability between 225-250%, which allows packing more pallets for the same price. Savings from material accumulate and would pay off an investment for a similar machine.
- Disgruntled employees
As mentioned, manual packing of several pallets daily leads to dizziness and back pain. Employees often become frustrated and tired after packing several pallets. If employees complain about the amount of time they spend packing, it may be time to consider investing in a palletizing machine.
It’s hard to measure employee satisfaction, but a machine can make the workplace much more enjoyable, boosting productivity.
- Pallet higher than 150 cm
Manual wrapping of a pallet with stretch foil above the level of the worker’s head is extremely difficult. It is almost impossible to achieve good stretch ability when the roll is held above the head.
The shooting machine solves this problem. Most machines pack up to over 2m. height.
- More than one palletisation injury per year
Injuries in the workplace can be very bad. An injury and the loss of an employee for a while can easily overreach the price of a shooting machine, depending on the severity of the injury. Manual packaging of high pallets, as well as bending around low pallets can lead to such injuries.
Generalization
If you notice any of these 6 indicators in your company, you may need to think about buying a stretch machine. It increases efficiency, reduces labor costs, reduces scrapped/damaged output and increases employee satisfaction.
