To improve the secondary packaging giving better visibility to the products, to optimize the warehouse spaces, to add greater stability to the load: are three needs that drive the pellet industry manufacturers to look for efficient packaging solutions.
Officina Bocedi, a company that since 1966 produces packaging equipment, was able to understand these needs, by introducing on the market, more than 30 years ago, the automatic stretch hooding packaging machines, a significant improvement to the traditional existing industry packaging standards.
Stretch Hooder Bocedi: a world of benefits
To better understand how this packaging system fulfil the pellet producer’ needs, it might be useful to compare it with the more traditional wrapping packaging system. To guide us in the comparison we have asked Cristain Bocedi, Officina Bocedi Export Sales Manager, to tell us four decisive key point that differentiate the two packaging systems.
Waterproofing
When using a wrapping machine, the load is packed with many film layers overlapped on the four vertical sides (with the possibility to add a top). The load, due to the film overlapping, is not 100% water -proof. Stretch hooding, instead, uses tubular films reels, packing the load on four vertical sides and top, with a single layer of film, granting a 100% water resistance. Stretch hooding also avoids moist and humidity infiltration, which are very common with the multi layers wrapping packaging system.
Reduces plastic wastes
With the traditional wrapping machines the quantity of plastic to be used on each load varies based on the number of wraps done around the products, while with stretch hooding the quantity of plastic is tailor made and set on each load type. Stretch hooding allows to do precise end of the line packaging budgeting, and reduces significantly the packaging material wastes.
Optimization of the storage spaces
This point has a double value: on one side there is a saving for the film reel storage, single reel for the stretch hooding, multiple for the wrapping (one for the top, one for the vertical sides); on the other side stretch hooding also allows outdoor storage thanks to the waterproof packaging and greater load stability.
Cycle time optimization
Stretch hooding also optimizes the packaging cycle time, thanks to its flexible packaging capacities that varies form few load per hour up to more than 120 pallets/hour. This cycle time optimization is possible as the stretch hooder is a fully automated packaging machine, that once set during installation, does not require the presence of an operator. The loads are identified automatically, and packed with set programs. Each film reel has an average autonomy of 900 loads.
Improve, save with a stretch hooder
Stretch hooding has clearly unquestionable advantages compared to the other packaging systems.
One more point to be highlighted is the load stability. The stretch hood, works with a cartesian system that evenly distributes the stretch forces horizontally and vertically. The result is a greater stability to the load without squeezing the products (which is common if using a wrapping machine). Stretch hooding allows a higher number of bags on the pallet, with important saving in terms of space and transport costs.
By using stretch hood the pellets manufacturers also improve the overall look of the goods, the bags and the brand are more visible, as well as the colour of the pellets.
In conclusion, there are plenty of good reasons to choose a stretch hooding packaging system. It is technologically advanced, it is greener with the latest generation of environmental friendly polymers and it is spreading fast thanks to the real advantage it can offer.
