Lantech.com, LLC

Compressive forces are applied across opposing sides of a palletized load either before, after, or during stretch wrapping to generate a load having a desirable shape profile once wrapped. The compressive forces may be used, for example, in some instances to overcompress a load in one or more lateral directions beyond desired finished dimensions, such that once the load is thereafter allowed to recover or relax, the load assumes the desired finished dimensions.

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.

An apparatus and method for wrapping a load with paper-based packaging material include one or more of a paper-based packaging material holder, a paper-based packaging material roping mechanism and a paper-based packaging material pressing mechanism.

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.

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.

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.

An apparatus for wrapping a load may include a film dispenser for dispensing a film web including a film dispensing drive. The apparatus may also include a rotational drive system for providing relative rotation between the load and the dispenser during a wrapping cycle. The apparatus may further include a controller configured to operatively couple the film dispensing drive and the rotational drive system such that, for any portion of a revolution of the film dispenser relative to the load during the wrapping cycle, the film dispenser dispenses a selected length of the film web corresponding to the portion of the revolution.

A method, apparatus and program product perform automatic load profiling to optimize a wrapping operation performed with a stretch wrapping machine. Automatic load profiling may be performed, for example, to determine a density parameter for a load that is indicative of load stability such that one or more control parameters may be configured for a wrapping operation based upon the density parameter. Automatic load profiling may also be performed, for example, to detect a load with a nonstandard top layer, e.g., a load with a top or slip sheet, a load with an easily deformable top layer, a load with a ragged top surface topography and/or a load with an inboard portion, such that a top layer containment operation may be activated during wrapping to optimize containment for the load.

A method and load wrapping may utilize a flow device disposed downstream of a wrap position at which the load is wrapped to direct a flow of fluid towards a packaging material tail to increase adherence of the packaging material tail to the side of a load after the load has been wrapped and conveyed away from the wrap position.

A method and load wrapping apparatus in some instances may utilize a flow stabilized high speed axial fan blower to direct a flow of fluid towards a packaging material tail to assist in adhering a packaging material tail to the side of a load at the completion of a wrapping operation.