When it is time to upgrade to a new pallet wrapper, you may not even know it. Let’s face it, the old one is still doing the job, it still seems to be wrapping okay, you aren’t having any hassles with it, except for the occasional maintenance it needs, and you are wondering if you should keep using it, or perhaps getting a new one would be a better option.
Of course if your old wrapper just isn’t running like it used to or it keeps breaking down every time you use it, it’s obvious that you need a new one. No problem there. But if the old one is still working, you may not see a real need for upgrading to a new one.
Well, you may not know it, but there are actually some unrecognized benefits for upgrading to a newer pallet wrapper that you may not even realize, and here are 3 of them that may never have crossed your mind.
#1 — Safety First
Depending on how old your machine might be, there may have been advancements in safety improvements on newer models, and perhaps those may be the biggest reasons to upgrade.
Think about this. Some older machines have more exposed wires or motors that could cause someone to trip and fall or otherwise get hurt. Most of today’s wrappers are very safe. The best will even cause the wrapper to stop in the event of a film break, preventing the operator from trying to reattach film to a moving load, which could have adverse consequences.
And that’s just one of the things that a newer machine gives you, fewer accidents, which in turn lead to fewer workman’s compensation issues, happier employees,and greater peace of mind.
#2 — Wasted Film Costs
One of the biggest advancements in stretch wrapping machines is the pre-stretch feature. Pre-stretching the wrap film means you’ll use less of it, and that translates to more wrapping per roll.
Consider that fact. If you wrap 100 pallets per roll with your old stretch wrapper, but can wrap 200 to 300 pallets with a new wrapper with prestretch, it doesn’t take Einstein to see the money that you’ll be saving.
Another way to look at it is that, if you have a 5000 foot roll and you can pre-stretch it to 15,000 feet, that makes for a very cost effective and economical improvement. And since film cost is a major monetary lay out for any stretch wrapping machine, the savings will be substantial.
#3 — Lower Labor Costs
Every business wants to cut labor costs, and by upgrading to a new wrapping machine, you have the opportunity to do just that. Simple automation is available for small stretch wrappers. It frees up valuable time, allowing people to perform other jobs that require critical thinking by automatically attaching and cutting the film, dramatically reducing the labor need to wrap a load.
The lower labor costs, coupled with less wasted film and better accident safety, are prime reasons for changing your old wrapper to a newer model. And if you have an older machine, as you can see, getting a new one is something to seriously consider.
You may be interested in these related posts:
- 5 Pallet Conveyor Specs That are Frequently Overlooked
- Pallet Management, Leasing, & Operations
- What Are the Trade-Offs to Wrap My Pallet Load Effectively?
This post was published on January 31, 2017 and updated on November 1, 2018.
January 31, 2017
