Use Case – Rotary Arm Stretch Wrapper RA-1

The Challenge

A mid-sized food producer located near Graz handles chilled goods shipped on tall, unstable pallets that can reach heights of up to 2m. The facility was manually stretch wrapping about 120 pallets per day, often dealing with mixed and irregular loads.

Hand wrapping each pallet took 4–5 minutes, causing delays for forklift operators and putting workers at risk for repetitive strain injuries. To address pallet instability, staff would use extra film, which increased material consumption, yet film breaks and occasional load shifts still occurred during handling.

Manual Process

The previous process required one dedicated worker, with forklift drivers lining up to access the wrapping area. Pallets were wrapped directly on the floor using manual film rolls, with the operator walking around each load several times.

Before Automation:

• Daily output: 120 pallets/day
• Time per pallet: 4.5 minutes (includes walking, roll changes, and labeling)
• Total time per day: 120 × 4.5 = 540 minutes (9.0 hours/day)
• Labor cost: 9.0 hours × €25/hour = €225/day
• Rework/issues: Roughly 4 unstable pallets/day needed to be rewrapped or had extra film applied

The lengthy cycle time limited throughput to just 13–15 pallets/hour and led to frequent forklift traffic jams during busy periods. To keep tall pallets secure, operators added more film layers, averaging about 1.2 kg of film per pallet, with little ability to standardize application.

Automated Solution

The company implemented the Rotary Arm Stretch Wrapper RA-1 next to the outbound conveyor, so pallets could be set directly on the floor without the need for ramps. The rotary arm design keeps tall, unstable pallets stationary during wrapping, addressing both safety and quality issues found with turntable systems.

After Installing Rotary Arm Stretch Wrapper RA-1:

• The machine is run at 60% of its maximum output for consistent performance
• Updated cycle time: 2.4 minutes per pallet (includes automatic cycle start and film cutting)
• Total time per day: 120 × 2.4 = 288 minutes (4.8 hours/day)
• Labor cost: 4.8 hours × €25/hour = €120/day
• Quality gains: Rework dropped to less than 1 pallet/day and film breaks are now rare

At this pace, the RA-1 handles about 25 pallets/hour, well within its rated 25–30 loads/hour range. One operator can now oversee wrapping and other packaging duties, while forklift drivers can drop off loads without waiting.

ROI Calculation

The project evaluated both labor and material reductions. By utilizing the RA-1’s 250% pre-stretch feature, film use was cut by approximately 50%, from 1.2 kg down to 0.6 kg per pallet.

Investment:
Machine price: €7,899

Daily labor savings:
Before: 9.0 hours/day × €25/hour = €225/day
After: 4.8 hours/day × €25/hour = €120/day
Labor savings: €225 − €120 = €105/day

Daily film savings:
Film reduction: 0.6 kg/pallet × 120 pallets = 72 kg/day saved
At €1.60/kg film cost: 72 × €1.60 = €115/day

Total daily savings:
Labor €105/day + Film €115/day = €220/day

Monthly savings (22 working days):
€220/day × 22 days = €4,840/month

Payback period:
Machine cost €7,899 ÷ €4,840/month = 1.63 months ≈ 1.6 months

Conclusion

Switching from manual hand wrapping to the Rotary Arm Stretch Wrapper RA-1 enabled the food manufacturer to boost actual throughput to 25–30 pallets per hour, eliminate forklift waiting lines, and reduce daily wrapping labor by over fifty percent. Additionally, the optimized pre-stretch system cut film use in half while enhancing load stability for tall or unstable pallets.

“The RA-1 reduced our manual wrapping from 9 hours with frequent forklift delays to less than 5 hours of supervised machine operation and almost no need for rework. Saving about €220 each day on labor and film allowed us to recoup our investment in less than two months.” — Martin H., Operations Manager, AlpenFrisch Foods / Graz, Austria