A module builder includes a wrap floor system including a wrap floor belt wrapped around a front belt sheave and a first drive system coupled to the wrap floor system. The first drive system includes a main drive belt coupled to a rear belt sheave and the front belt sheave, wherein in an engagement mode of operation the main drive belt is tensioned to rotate the rear belt sheave, and in a disengagement mode of operation the main drive belt loses tension to cease rotation of the rear belt sheave. The builder includes a second drive system coupled to a baler belt to drive the baler belt into a module forming chamber. The first drive system further includes one or more of a rear lower gate roller, friction wheel, wrap box roller, electric clutch, or motor to engage and drive the main drive belt.

Packaging material may be profiled to generate an incremental containment force per revolution (ICF) attribute that is represented by a function that is variable as a function of wrap force. Moreover, the performance of different packaging materials, e.g., in terms of speed or cost, may be compared for a particular load through simulation of wrap operations based upon dimensions of the load and a desired load containment force requirement for the load.

A module builder includes a wrap floor system including a wrap floor belt wrapped around a front belt sheave and a first drive system coupled to the wrap floor system. The first drive system includes a main drive belt coupled to a rear belt sheave and the front belt sheave, wherein in an engagement mode of operation the main drive belt is tensioned to rotate the rear belt sheave, and in a disengagement mode of operation the main drive belt loses tension to cease rotation of the rear belt sheave. The builder includes a second drive system coupled to a baler belt to drive the baler belt into a module forming chamber. The first drive system further includes one or more of a rear lower gate roller, friction wheel, wrap box roller, electric clutch, or motor to engage and drive the main drive belt.

A machine is for packaging products, such as bottles and other containers, in bundles. An apparatus for packaging products in bundles includes a conveying system for the products, crossing in the following order: a separation station for separating the products into a sequence of groups, a wrapping station for wrapping the groups in sequence in a continuous tube of pretensioned extensible plastic film, a cutting station for cutting the continuous tube of pretensioned extensible plastic film to form bundles of the products wrapped in the pretensioned extensible plastic film. The separation station includes a spacing member for spacing products to form groups and a stabilization member for stabilizing spacing between the groups including a first gripper device and a second gripper device. The gripper devices are configured to move and insert spacers into the space formed by the spacing member between two groups of products.

An orbital wrapping machine includes a rotatable wrapping wheel and a drive system, with one or more roll mounts arranged circumferentially around the wrapping wheel and each configured to rotatably support a roll of stretch film. Rotation of the wrapping wheel about an object causes the stretch film to be wrapped around the object. A tensioning system applies a frictional resistance to rotation of each roll of stretch film as the firm is drawn off each roll during rotation of the wrapping wheel. The tensioning system includes a friction material and an adjuster that is capable of urging the friction material against an outer surface of the roll of stretch film at different levels of pressure to adjust the frictional resistance of each roll of stretch film.

A packaging method includes feeding products, ordered into two rows, into a first ring winding unit of extensible film and winding the products in a first film having a first rotation direction to form a continuous packaging or bundle; feeding the wound products to a second ring winding unit of extensible film in a second film having a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction to form a continuous packaging or bundle with two layers of film; and feeding the continuous packaging or bundle into a cutting unit, which moves in synchrony with, and cuts, the continuous packaging or bundle transversely into finished groups of products. A ring winding machine is provided at each of the two ring winding units, obtaining a continuous winding also when the film becomes exhausted in at least one of the two ring winding machines. A packaging machine is also provided.

An orbital wrapping apparatus for wrapping a cargo in a stretch film is provided and generally includes a base frame, a circular ring assembly mounted on the base frame, a stretch film dispenser mounted on the circular ring assembly, and a cutting assembly mounted to the base frame and extending through an opening defined by the circular ring assembly. The stretch film dispenser includes a roll of stretch film dispensing the stretch film by rotation of the circular ring assembly, a subframe fixed to the circular ring assembly and the roll of stretch film is mounted on a loading assembly attached to the subframe, and a first feed roller and a second feed roller are mounted to a portion of the subframe that is movable between a first position adjacent to an axis extending through the first and second end caps and a second position spaced further apart from the axis. The cutting assembly is adapted to cut and hold the stretch film.

A method for packaging piece good batches is provided. A transport device transports a plurality of piece goods in particular in the form of a piece good flow in a specified transport direction, and a first wrapping device wraps a film element around the piece goods, the film element having a specified first width. The first wrapping device has a dispensing assembly which circulates around the piece goods, and the piece goods are supplied to the first wrapping device in order to be wrapped with the film element. The piece goods are wrapped with a strip-like element by means of a strip application device, the strip-like element having a smaller width than the film element.

An orbital stretch wrapping apparatus is provided and includes a base frame, a circular ring mounted on the base frame and rotatable with respect to the base frame about an axis of rotation, a stretch film dispenser mounted on the circular ring and rotatable with the circular ring about the axis of rotation, the stretch film dispenser having a subframe fixed to the circular ring, a roll of stretch film mounted to the subframe and rotatable with respect to the subframe, a first feed roller mounted to the subframe and rotatable with respect to the subframe, a second feed roller mounted to the subframe and rotatable with respect to the subframe, and a brake member connected to the first feed roller and the second feed roller.

Provided is a method for packaging piece good groupings, in which a plurality of piece goods, particularly containers, are at least partially interconnected by a first connector, wherein at least two-piece goods of this plurality are directly interconnected by the connector. According to the embodiment, this plurality of piece goods connected by the connector is packaged with a second connector in the form of a second wrapping element, and said plurality of piece goods connected by a first connector is conveyed by a conveyor device to a packaging device and enclosed, particularly wrapped, with the second wrapping element by said packaging unit.