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.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a coil-wrapping system (30) that simultaneously employs separate multiple film rolls (FR1, FR2) to simultaneously wrap separate films around a single coil while the coil is rotated about its longitudinal axis.

An adaptable spacer roping installation method includes providing a robot for positioning adjacent a palletizing surface, and a rope-positioning bar for positioning adjacent the palletizing surface. The robot is equipped with a tool head that allows receiving and dispensing a plurality of ropes from different dispensing positions along the tool head. The rope-positioning bar includes at least a same number of grippers than the number of dispensing positions along the tool head. The grippers are so positioned along the rope-positioning bar to allow grippers thereon gripping in unison the plurality of ropes dispensed by the tool head. The robot is moved from a first position, wherein the tool head is so positioned relative to the rope-positioning bar that each of the dispensing positions is registered and adjacent one of the grippers, to a second position, wherein the tool head is positioned distanced from the rope-positioning bar, parallel thereto, above the palletizing surface.

A self-propelled wrapping machine has an anchoring element including a base adapted to abut a supporting plane and connected to an upper plate, and a locking element between the upper plate and the base. The locking element and base are movable relative to each other between closed and open configurations. The machine also has a first gripping unit movable and configured to position and release the anchoring element, associated with an initial flap of film blocked between the locking element and the base in the closed configuration, on the supporting plane adjacent to a load in an initial step of wrapping, and to grasp and lift the anchoring element and move the locking element and the base to the open configuration to release the initial flap of film after at least one turn travelled by the self-propelled wrapping machine around the load while wrapping it with the film.

A self-propelled wrapping machine has an anchoring element including a base adapted to abut a supporting plane and connected to an upper plate, and a locking element between the upper plate and the base. The locking element and base are movable relative to each other between closed and open configurations. The machine also has a first gripping unit movable and configured to position and release the anchoring element, associated with an initial flap of film blocked between the locking element and the base in the closed configuration, on the supporting plane adjacent to a load in an initial step of wrapping, and to grasp and lift the anchoring element and move the locking element and the base to the open configuration to release the initial flap of film after at least one turn travelled by the self-propelled wrapping machine around the load while wrapping it with the film.

A cutting head for cutting a film wrapping from palletized stacks of products, having a cutting element for cutting through the film, where the cutting element is disposed between at least two opposing contact elements and is set back with respect to the film contact plane formed by the opposing contact elements in order to form a cutting recess, and having a vacuum unit to suck the region of the film wrapping to be cut locally into the cutting recess for interaction with the cutting element. A device having the cutting head further includes a pallet place for the arrangement of the pallet correspondingly wrapped with film, where the cutting head is disposed on a support arm that is configured to travel such that the cutting head remains in contact with the film via the two opposing contact elements during cutting.

A portable wrapping machine comprising a movable frame for moving along a track of a facility, with the frame defining an interior space. A wrapping arm assembly is connected to the movable frame for encircling a full pallet located within the interior space to wrap the full pallet with wrap film. A fence system is connected to the movable frame for surrounding the interior space from before initiation of a wrapping process until the wrapping process is complete, the fence system including a pair of fixed side fences and a pair of movable gates. Each of the movable gates being raised during movement of the portable wrapping machine. Each of the movable gates also is lowered to thereby surround the interior space of the portable wrapping machine with the fence system while the wrapping arm assembly encircles the full pallet to wrap the full pallet in wrap film.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a coil-wrapping system (30) that simultaneously employs separate multiple film rolls (FR1, FR2) to simultaneously wrap separate films around a single coil while the coil is rotated about its longitudinal axis.

An inventory management system can include a workspace defining a plurality of loading zones separated by passages and each sized to contain a palletized item stack. A carriage suspended over the workspace may move above the loading zones. An accessory may be coupled with the carriage and extend at least partially downward into the passages. The accessory can include a main body; a boom extending at least partially upward from the main body toward the carriage; a dispenser coupled with the main body and arranged for supporting a spool of stretch wrap material; and a driving wheel extending from the main body. The driving wheel may rotate against the target palletized item stack and propel the main body and the boom within the passages and along a perimeter of the target palletized item stack so that stretch wrap material is deployed around the target palletized item stack.