A method for wrapping a load with a film, strip, band of extensible material comprises: unwinding a film of extensible material from a reel; making a pleat on the film by means of a pleating system; stretching the film by means of a pair of pre-stretching rollers; welding the pleat by means of at least one of the pre-stretching rollers; wrapping the load with the film provided with the pleat.

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

A method of wrapping a palletized load includes forming at least two composite stretch films, wrapping each of the composite stretch films around the palletized load, and leaving a gap between the first composite stretch film and the second composite stretch film as the composite stretch films are wrapped around the palletized load. Forming the composite stretch films includes narrowing stretch film from a first spool to create a first banded stretch film with a first width, narrowing stretch film from a second spool to create a second banded stretch film with a second width smaller than the first width, and overlaying the second banded stretch film on the first banded stretch film, with the second banded stretch film positioned between the top edge and bottom edges of the first banded stretch film. The gap may have a width that is equal to or larger than the first width.

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 of wrapping a palletized load includes providing an apparatus with a first wrapping system and a second wrapping system, banding a top edge and bottom edge of stretch film from each of the first wrapping system and the second wrapping system, overlapping the stretch film from the first wrapping system with the stretch film from the second wrapping system to create a composite stretch film, and wrapping the composite stretch film around the palletized load. The edges of the stretch film may be banded by passing the stretch film through a set of adjustment arms. The composite stretch film may have a plurality of sections, where each section is separated from adjacent section by a banded border, a first section, third section, and fifth section each has one layer of stretch film, and a second section and a fourth section each has two layers of stretch film.

A stretch wrap applicator includes one or more cutting members arranged, for instance, in parallel and designed to engage the stretch wrap to cut it into strips as it is dispensed from the roll. The strips are then gathered and stretched into strings that are wrapped around the object. The strings formed from the stretch wrap can stretch to an extended length while maintaining excellent tensile strength to secure heavy loads. In a further approach, an applicator can selectively gathers or not gather the stretch film in such a way as to create a solid string or a film during continuous application to an object so that the user can rotate from film to string and then back to film. Such approaches save on the volume of stretch wrap used to secure a load without significantly compromising strength.

A pallet wrapping system with at least two guides sets configured to narrow the width of stretch film to form a banded edge on the stretch film. A plurality of rollers is positioned adjacent to the plurality of guides to facilitate passing the stretch film through the plurality of guides. A first roll of stretch film positioned to pass stretch film to the first set of guides, and a second roll of stretch film positioned to receive banded stretch film from the first set of guides, layer the banded stretch film onto unbanded stretch film to form an unbanded composite stretch film, and then pass the unbanded composite stretch film to the second set of guides to form a banded composite stretch film having a banded first ply with a width equal to the first width and a banded second ply with a width equal to the second width.

A method, apparatus and program product may utilize packaging material quality compensation to sense changes in certain characteristics of a packaging material that can be associated with increased risks of film breaks, and automatically make certain changes in machine settings to mitigate the impact of those enhanced risks.

Pallet roping and wrapping machines having a plurality of spools of stretch film supported on one or more spools and guides that form ropes of stretch film without cutting. Specific implementations of guides include guides formed or rings and rollers. Positions of guides may be adjustable. A primary roll of stretch film may be positionally coupled to a primary spool core, and a plurality of secondary rolls of stretch film may be positionally coupled to one or more secondary spool cores. The wrapping machines may include a plurality of guides positioned to narrow the stretch film from the plurality of secondary rolls to form a plurality of ropes fully overlapping a web of the primary roll of stretch film when wrapped around a palletized load.

An unwinding apparatus (1) for wrapping machine (100) to wrap with a film (50) a load (30) on a pallet (40), comprising supporting means (2) for supporting a reel (60) of film (50), roller means (3, 4, 7) for unwinding and pre-stretching the film (50) and a guiding roller (6) that can be tilted for reducing a band width of the film (50) and/or deviating it towards the; first driving means (10) for continuously tilting the guiding roller (6) in a plurality of operating positions (P0, P1, P2) along an adjustment stroke; the guiding roller (6) comprises a first end portion (16) rotatably connected to the supporting means (2) and provided with a roll (8) able to roll up a longitudinal lower edge (50a) of the film (50) when the guiding roller (6) is tilted to form a longitudinal rolled portion (51).