A bale wrapping apparatus configurable between a single bale wrapping configuration and an inline bale wrapping configuration. The bale wrapping apparatus comprises a bale wrapping support assembly including support rollers spaced apart from one another to drive a bale in rotation along a rotation axis, when the bale wrapping apparatus is configured in the single bale wrapping configuration; and a longitudinal bale support configurable between an extended configuration where it extends above the support rollers and a retracted configuration where it extends away from the support rollers. The longitudinal bale support is positioned in the retracted configuration when the bale wrapping apparatus is configured in the single bale wrapping configuration and is configured in the extended configuration when the bale wrapping apparatus is configured in the inline bale wrapping configuration.

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.

Control of a wrapping apparatus is facilitated by enabling an operator to input a load containment force requirement and/or a minimum number of layers of packaging material to be applied to a load, with a wrap control system automatically determining wrap force and other parameters required to meet user input requirements and/or parameters to minimize the expertise required of an operator and to provide more consistent and reliable wrapping of loads. In addition, a wrapping apparatus may be controlled to apply at least a minimum number of layers of packaging material to a load throughout a contiguous region thereof.

A beverage carton packing system includes an End of Arm Tool (EoAT). The EoAT is configured to lift one end and pull a beverage carton, package, or other container from a stack of cartons. Once pulled, the EoAT is configured to grab an opposite side of the carton and remove the carton from the stack. The EoAT is mounted to an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) via a robot arm. Through the EoAT, the robot arm is able to stack mixed pallets of the cartons on the AGV. The AGV has a funnel-shaped packing chamber where the mixed pallet is stacked and a stretch wrapper for stretch wrapping the mixed pallet.

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 wrapping machine includes a first moving device for conveying a plurality of separate products on a movement plane along a first direction, a wrapping unit for wrapping film around the products, once stacked and overlapped on a pallet, and a grouping unit that receives the products from the first moving unit, and arranges and ensures the products remain stacked and overlapped along a second direction on the pallet. The machine also includes a supporting platform to support the pallet, which can be moved during the wrapping phase along the second direction, so as to progressively extract and disengage the stacked and overlapped products from the grouping unit to enable them to be wrapped by the film. The grouping unit includes a hopper equipped with a plurality of movable side walls to vary the grouping volume of the hopper.

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 packaging apparatus (1) comprising: a wrapping material applicator (3) for helically wrapping articles (A); an inlet conveyor (2) for transporting unwrapped articles to the applicator; an outlet conveyor (4) for transporting wrapped articles away from the applicator; wherein the outlet conveyor comprises a first conveyor (11) and a second conveyor (12) adjacent to and downstream of the first conveyor (11), wherein the packaging apparatus (1) further comprises a controller (80) arranged to selectively vary the linear velocity of the second conveyor relative (12) to the linear velocity of the first conveyor (11) so as to separate, or increase the separation of, collations of one or more articles (A) on the outlet conveyor.

A forming and wrapping unit and method for forming material into a continuous bar and wrapping the material. The unit including a forming chamber for forming material into a continuous bar, a sheet wrapping device for wrapping the continuous bar, and a controller operating on the sheet wrapping device. The sheet wrapping device and the controller are adapted to be operable independently of a rate of feeding bulk material into the forming chamber. The method includes feeding material to a wrapping position while forming the material, wrapping a sheet around the material such that the sheet at least partly overlaps a previously wrapped portion of the sheet, and transferring the wrapped material from the wrapping position to a storage ready position. The feeding of the material to a wrapping position and wrapping a sheet around the material are separately operable.

An apparatus for producing wrapped bales comprises first and second wrapping material dispenser means for dispensing wrapping material on the bales. It also comprises a wrapping means for circulating the first and second wrapping material dispenser means in a first plane of rotation around said bale for wrapping said web of wrapping material around said bale. The apparatus is further configured to emerge the first wrapping material from the first wrapping material dispenser means and the second wrapping material from the second wrapping material dispenser means around the bale at least in two different areas so that the properties of the final wrapping of at least one of said first and/or second wrapping material provided onto the bale differs substantially at least in the second area from the properties of the final wrapping of at least one of said first and/or second wrapping material in said first area in order to make the bale wrapping stronger in said second area.