A platform for pallet wrapping machines includes a fixed base resting on the ground and a turntable which rotates relative to the base and in which a plurality of rollers is integrated, the rollers projecting from it in such a way as to support a pallet and provided with a movement device integrated with them, in such a way that the platform has a total thickness not greater than 10 centimeters.

A wrapping head for wrapping loads, particularly palletized loads, including a framework, connectable to the operating end of a handler, and supporting a reel of film made of extensible material, and diverting means, for transferring the film, unwound from the reel, towards the load. The head also includes means for cutting the film, along its feed direction, so as to obtain a first portion of film and a second portion of film that are distinct and separate from each other, and deflection means for the first portion of film, suitable to superimpose the first portion on the second portion, thus attaining, at the outlet of said wrapping head, a double-layer material band.

A containment force apparatus and method a containment force apparatus for measuring containment force on a load, the apparatus comprising a first element configured to contact the load; a second element configured to engage at least a portion of a packaging material on the load and move between a first position associated with the first element to a second position perpendicular to the first position and spaced from the first element a measured distance; an actuator configured to urge the second element to move between the first position and the second position; and a force sensor configured to measure a force exerted on one of the first element or the second element.

A method, apparatus and program product control a dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser of a stretch wrapping apparatus by utilizing a combination of a sensed rate of packaging material exiting the dispenser and a predicted geometric relationship between the packaging material dispenser and the load.

An apparatus and method for wrapping a palletized load are provided. The apparatus preferably includes a film dispenser for dispensing a film web, at least one guide rollers configured to engage the width of the film web, and at least one roping element. The at least one roping element may be a cable rolling roper configured to roll a portion of the film web into a rolled cable of film. The apparatus may also include means for providing relative rotation between the load and the dispenser to wrap a roped portion of the film web around a base of the load/top portion of a pallet supporting the load.

A method, apparatus and program product monitor a wrap force during a wrap cycle to dynamically control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser to meet a desired containment force to be applied to a load. A conversion may be performed between wrap force and containment force for the monitored wrap force or a containment force parameter to facilitate the performance of a comparison between the monitored wrap force and a containment force parameter associated with the desired containment force to be applied to the load. A wrap force parameter may also be dynamically adjusted, and in some instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored wrap force, and may be used to meet a load containment force requirement for a load. In other instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored packaging material breaks to reduce the occurrence of packaging material breaks.

Several embodiments of turntable systems for loaded pallets are disclosed. In some embodiments, a first ramp leads up to the turntable and a second ramp leads down from the turntable on the opposite side. In other embodiments, at least two turntables are positioned adjacent one another, optionally with a bridge surface connecting them so that a pallet lift can be driven from one turntable to the other to place one pallet on one turntable and another pallet on the other turntable according to a method disclosed herein. A validation system without a turntable includes a plurality of cameras about a periphery of a platform weight sensor.

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize various approaches for adapting stretch wrapping to accommodate lower quality packaging materials such as packaging materials including recycled content, including heating a web of packaging material prior to or during pre-stretching, utilizing multiple pre-stretch zones and/or reducing surface adhesion of one or more pre-stretch rollers used by a load wrapping apparatus.

A wrapping machine with a rotary platform to wrap products with at least one band of wrapping material has a base, a rotary platform, which defines a support surface for at least one product and is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis, and a support slide, which is configured to receive and hold a spool of the band of wrapping material and is movable along a guide upright, which is mounted so as to rotate around the rotation axis with a rotation direction that is contrary to a rotation direction of the rotary platform.

Several embodiments of turntable systems for loaded pallets are disclosed. In some embodiments, a first ramp leads up to the turntable and a second ramp leads down from the turntable on the opposite side. In other embodiments, at least two turntables are positioned adjacent one another, optionally with a bridge surface connecting them so that a pallet lift can be driven from one turntable to the other to place one pallet on one turntable and another pallet on the other turntable according to a method disclosed herein. A validation system without a turntable includes a plurality of cameras about a periphery of a platform weight sensor.