In Best Packaging’s home state of Illinois, we have recently returned to full capacity following the coronavirus pandemic. Situational obstacles in production are rebounding, yet lead times on new packaging equipment remain upwards of 16 weeks, causing manufacturers from all sectors to trip at the finish line in terms of recovering from production loss. While nothing beats that “new car smell,” i.e. the smartest automatic packaging equipment straight from its production floor to yours, Best Packaging offers a number of transitional solutions to assist in the present supply chain bottleneck and future scarcities.
Over the past year, our certified refurbished equipment proved to be a clutch play for many operations managers who were in dire straits as they awaited the arrival of their OEM orders. Our machines are available for rent or purchase, so regardless of whether it is needed as a patch or a permanent fixture, Best Packaging has a solution. Our like-new packaging equipment must pass a five-point inspection to ensure optimal function before leaving our facility.
Best Packaging’s responsive, continuous support provides an added layer of security against mechanical malfunction. We offer comprehensive ongoing assistance for all machines we sell. For local customers, that means a service visit within 48 hours of your request. We are also happy to assist customers over the phone to troubleshoot technical difficulties with their machine.
Not in a bind yet? Let’s keep it that way! In addition to whole-machine solutions, Best Packaging also has options to maximize the lifespan of your existing equipment and prevent OEM delays from affecting you. The best way you can ensure your packaging equipment does not cause unwanted downtime is through a preventative maintenance program. With our help, new parts can be ordered before the old ones have reached the end of their lifecycle, reducing or eliminating the wait for OEM parts. Our technicians diligently take notes with each service and monitor components that are showing signs of wear and tear. No replacement parts are ordered without customer approval, so you’re never on the hook for something you don’t need.
As a machinery dealer/distributor, we look to the same OEMs to supply the factory-original parts used in our repairs and refurbishments. We have been in constant communication with our OEMs to monitor the status of lead times and what mitigations are being enacted to remedy the increasing turnaround time. Our goal is to be as transparent as possible regarding any potential delays due to the availability of parts. Undoubtedly, we are all sick of hearing “we’re all in this together,” as no two situations are truly alike, but we are optimistic that this period of tribulation is nearing an end. If OEM delays are threatening your production line in ways that could not be improved by the aforementioned stopgaps, please do not hesitate to contact Best Packaging. As a medium-sized service provider we take a personalized, custom approach to your line. And, as an independent distributor, there are no hidden agendas, insuring the absolute best solution for you.
What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.
Have you ever seen pre-stretch represented as a percentage and wondered ‘What does that really mean?’ If you’re just getting familiar with pallet wrap lingo, you might not know what it means when a stretch wrapper boasts “variable pre-stretch up to 450%” or why that’s such a great feature.
When a stretch wrapper is used to apply stretch film to a pallet, the film is elongated using a pre-stretch carriage on a wrapper. The film gets pulled between the rollers, thus stretched prior to being applied to the load. This is called pre-stretch.
Why is this important? 
Film that is stretched properly will hold the load more securely, be more cost effective, and lead to a more productive plant. This is because properly maintained pre-stretch tends to minimize film breaks when wrapping skids. As you can see, there are a variety of reasons why you would want to replace your pre-stretch rollers.
What are some signs that your rollers need to be replaced (in order of amount of occurrences):
- The rollers contain debris, cuts, and rough edges.
- The rollers are bald. Similar to a car tire, after much use the tread or grooves tend to smooth out.
- The roller shafts are worn where they spin in their top and bottom bearings.
What are the common causes for having to replace your rollers?
When the film gets stuck around the rollers, many machine operators tend to cut the film on the pre-stretch rollers using a pallet knife. What the machine operators don’t realize is, as they are cutting film from the rollers, often times they end up cutting the roller as well. If your pre-stretch rollers have cuts or gaps on the surface, it will puncture holes into the film as the film is pulled tightly across the rollers. Once film encounters a snag, the tear tends to run like a stocking until it ultimately breaks.
If rollers are worn down to a smooth surface, they should be replaced. The rubber on the rollers should be soft and should have ridges. Like tires or shoe treads, some rollers have a specific pattern that is proprietary to the manufacturer. The purpose of the ridges is to grip the film to stretch it. If the pre-stretch rollers are worn or smoothed out, the rollers in the pre-stretch carriage cannot grip the film properly. Instead of being stretched, the film slides across the rollers causing friction and heat. When film slides across pre-stretch rollers, the risk of film breaks is dramatically increased. Film that slides (rather than stretches) across the rollers causes inconsistent pre-stretch, therefore the ultimate amount of stretch applied to the load is less than the ideal 70%. When the amount of stretch applied to a load is not consistent, additional stretch film may be used, or damages occur during shipping. Either way, it’s not good for your bottom line.
Why is this a problem?
When pre-stretch rollers are cut, damaged or worn, operators will notice the film breaks more frequently. When this happens the most common response from machine operators is to reduce the force-to-load by dialing it back on the control panel or in the touchscreen. However, reducing the force-to-load doesn’t actually solve the problem since the origin of the issue is the rollers. Reducing the force-to-load eventually presents a bigger problem, because often the loads don’t have enough holding force to say together.
Bottom Line: If you experience issues with your stretch wrapper or your loads, check your pre-stretch rollers, and if you suspect your rollers are due for a swap, it’s best not to delay. Give us a call at (888) 930-BEST
What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.
The Best Packaging team recently completed a full refurbishment, taking a severely damaged stretch wrapper and restoring it to like-new condition.
This Q300 Turntable Stretch Wrapper arrived at Best Packaging in considerably rough condition. In its previous operation, it had suffered a forklift collision that left the turntable base compromised. Due to a lack of care and preventative maintenance, it developed considerable rust in the structure and key-wear components. The pre-stretch rollers, which are instrumental in creating appropriate stretch elasticity and containment force, were inoperative.
Upon refurbishment, all of Best Packaging’s resale equipment receives a 5-point inspection. This guarantees that our “gold star” machinery has undergone:
- Safety inspection and testing
- Electrical component assessments
- Mechanical assessments
- Pneumatics testing
- Esthetic enhancements (fresh paint, rulers, and labels)
After much hard work and attention to detail, the Q300 is now fully restored and ready to wrap pallets in its new production facility home.
The refurbished machinery market is both economically and environmentally friendly. It allows used equipment to elongate its useful life. Sellers are provided with positive cash flow and purchasers receive cost savings.
You can help Best Packaging recycle idle machinery by contacting us when you’re looking to update or liquidate your inventory.
If you are interested in selling, please contact our sales team at sales@bestpackaging.com.
If you are looking to purchase certified refurbished equipment, please visit our refurbished inventory page.
What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.
We recently did a PM on a Customer with 9 stretch wrappers. After performing an assessment on all the machines, we realized some of the pre-stretch rollers needed to be replaced. You may be wondering what pre-stretch rollers are. Pre-stretch rollers are located in the carriage of a stretch wrapper. The main job of pre-stretch rollers is to “stretch the film.” Film is elongated using a pre-stretch carriage on a wrapper. The film gets pulled between the rollers and is stretched prior to being applied to the load.
Why is this important?
Film that is stretched properly will hold the load more securely, be more cost effective, and lead to a more productive plant because properly maintained pre-stretch tends to minimize film breaks when wrapping skids. As you can see, there are a variety of reasons why you would want to replace your pre-stretch rollers.
What are some signs that your rollers need to be replaced (in order of amount of occurrences):
- The rollers contain debris, cuts, and rough edges.
- The rollers are smooth. Similar to a car tire, after much use the tread or grooves tend to smooth out
- The roller shafts are worn where they spin in their top and bottom bearings.
What are the common causes for having to replace your rollers?
When the film gets stuck around the rollers (see our article on how a PM can help with this problem), machine operators tend to cut the film on the pre-stretch rollers using a razor blade. What the machine operators don’t realize is as they are cutting film from the rollers, often times they end up cutting the roller as well. If your pre-stretch rollers have cuts or gaps on the surface, it will puncture holes into the film as the film is pulled tightly across the rollers. Once film is punctured, it tends to zipper causing a film break.
You should replace your rollers if they are worn smooth. The rubber on the rollers should be soft but still, have ridges. The ridges are a special pattern that can be proprietary to the machine manufacturer. The purpose of the ridges are to grab the film to stretch it. If the pre-stretch rollers are worn or smoothed out, the rollers machine can’t grip the film properly. Instead of being stretched, the film slides across the rollers causing friction and heat. When film slides across pre-stretch rollers, the risk of film breaks is dramatically increased. Film that slips off the rollers doesn’t achieve 70% of ultimate stretch thus producing an un-secure load. In addition, if your film is not stretching enough you can expect to use more film per pallet which is not cost effective.
Why is this a problem?
When pre-stretch rollers are cut, damaged or worn operators will notice the film breaks more frequently. When this happens the most common response from machine operators is to reduce the force-to-load by dialing it back on the control panel or in the touchscreen. However, reducing the force to load doesn’t actually solve the problem since the origin of the issue is the rollers. Reducing the force-to-load eventually presents a bigger problem, because often times, the loads don’t have enough holding force to say together. After a thorough assessment, our Best Packaging technicians were able to replace the rollers and bring all the wrappers back to good working condition. Since the customer chose to repair vs. buy new equipment, they ended up spending less money than they would have on just one machine.
Bottom Line:
If you experience issues with your stretch wrapper or your loads, check your pre-stretch rollers, and if you suspect your rollers are due for a swap, it’s best not to delay. Give us a call at (888) 930-BEST.
What’s your take? We welcome guest bloggers! E-mail socialmedia@bestpackaging.com if you’d ever like to collaborate.