A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. An apparatus may be used to sense flaws in packaging material, and in some instances, to accommodate such flaws by temporarily increasing a dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser.

A winding machine comprises an upright column, a winding machine base, a rotary mechanism, and a membrane frame. The bottom of the upright column housing main body and the winding machine base are connected by means of a first upright column cover plate and a second upright column cover plate to form a column shape. The upright column internally has a hoisting apparatus supporting frame. The lower end of the hoisting apparatus supporting frame is connected to the bottom inner side connecting piece. The upper end is connected to a top mounting rack of a hoisting apparatus. A lower portion mounting rack of the hoisting apparatus is connected to the bottom inner side connecting piece. A groove opening for ascending and descending movement is reserved on the upright column housing main body between the first upright column cover plate and the second upright column cover plate.

An automated sandwich wrapping system is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an automated sandwich wrapping system includes a folding subassembly having a plurality of folding plates to inwardly fold side portions of sandwich wrapping paper extending past ends of a sandwich, a roller subassembly having at least one roller to rotate the sandwich to wrap the sandwich, and a controller preprogrammed to control and coordinate operation of the folding subassembly and the roller subassembly. The folding plates move between an idle position and an active position.

A method of packaging easel includes attaching an easel packaging fixture to a rotatable turntable of a stretch wrapping apparatus that includes a tower and a carriage movable along the tower. An easel bundle is positioned on the easel packaging fixture. Each easel bundle includes one or more easels with a lower portion inserted into a bottom cap and an upper portion inserted into a top cap. The turntable is rotated, causing rotation of the easel packaging fixture and the easel bundle with respect to the stretch wrapping apparatus. As the easel packaging fixture rotates, a wrapping material from the carriage of the stretch wrapping apparatus wraps around the easel bundle. The carriage moves along the length of the tower to wrap a length of the easel bundle.

A delivery system generates a pick sheet containing a plurality of SKUs based upon an order. A loaded pallet is imaged to identify the SKUs on the loaded pallet, which are compared to the order prior to the loaded pallet leaving the distribution center. The loaded pallet may be imaged while being wrapped with stretch wrap. At the point of delivery, the loaded pallet may be imaged again and analyzed to compare with the pick sheet.

A system for wrapping a material in a baler includes a feed element for feeding the material through a feed path. A drive element intermittently drives the feed element. A linking element couples the drive element with the feed element. A tensioning lever operates to vary tension on the linking element to intermittently drive or not drive the feed element. A knife mechanism operates to intersect the feed path to cut the material. An actuator is engageable with the tensioning lever and with the knife mechanism. The actuator operates to move the tensioning lever and the knife mechanism independent of one another.

A system for wrapping a material in a baler includes a feed element for feeding the material through a feed path. A drive element intermittently drives the feed element. A linking element couples the drive element with the feed element. A tensioning lever operates to vary tension on the linking element to intermittently drive or not drive the feed element. A knife mechanism operates to intersect the feed path to cut the material. An actuator is engageable with the tensioning lever and with the knife mechanism. The actuator operates to move the tensioning lever and the knife mechanism independent of one another.

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 plant for packing bottles or similar containers includes an operating unit carrying out a rapid assembly that includes a portable pack made by three straps: a first one applied on the lower half of the body of the bottles, a second one applied at the neck of the bottles, both arranged on planes perpendicular to the vertical axes of the bottles, and a third one applied loosely and perpendicularly to the other two straps and laying on a vertical plane passing through the center of gravity of the pack.