Robopac Masterplat Plus PGS – Is a Powered Pre-Stretch Pallet Wrapper Right for Your Operation?

If you are regularly wrapping pallets, the cost of stretchwrap can quickly become a significant part of your packaging spend.

Moving from hand wrapping to a semi-automatic pallet wrapper can improve consistency and reduce the physical effort involved, but there is another decision to make: do you need a standard pallet wrapper, such as the Robopac Ecoplat Plus, or is it worth investing in a powered pre-stretch machine such as the Masterplat Plus PGS?

The answer depends on how many pallets you wrap, how much film you currently use, the types of loads you wrap and what you want to achieve.

Below, we answer some of the most common questions.

What is the main difference between the Masterplat Plus PGS and the Ecoplat Plus?

The biggest difference is how the stretchwrap is delivered to the pallet.

The Ecoplat Plus FRD uses a mechanical brake to create tension in the film as the pallet rotates. It provides a consistent machine wrapping cycle, but the machine does not mechanically pre-stretch the film before it reaches the pallet.

The Masterplat Plus PGS has a powered pre-stretch film carriage. Motor-driven rollers stretch the film before it is applied to the load.

This means the Masterplat can obtain considerably more usable film from each reel and gives much greater control over the amount of film being applied.

For businesses wrapping pallets regularly, this reduction in film consumption can make the Masterplat an economical option despite its higher initial cost.

What does 250% powered pre-stretch actually mean?

The Masterplat Plus PGS is supplied with a 250% fixed pre-stretch system as standard.

A 250% pre-stretch means that 1 metre of film coming from the reel is stretched by a further 2.5 metres, producing approximately 3.5 metres of stretched film before it is applied to the pallet.

This is different from simply pulling the film tightly around the pallet. The film is mechanically stretched between powered rollers before application.

The result is that considerably less film by weight can be required to wrap a pallet.

Does that mean the Masterplat will automatically reduce our stretchwrap use?

The potential is certainly there, but the machine is only part of the equation.

The amount of film required depends on factors including the film specification, pallet dimensions, load weight and stability, number of rotations, film overlap and the amount of containment force required.

This is why we recommend looking at film consumption per pallet, rather than simply comparing the price of different rolls of stretchwrap.

A correctly specified high-performance film combined with powered pre-stretch can often allow a business to move to a thinner film while maintaining the load stability required.

How do I know whether we use enough stretchwrap to justify a Masterplat?

There isn’t one pallet quantity that applies to every business.

A company wrapping relatively few light, uniform pallets may find that an Ecoplat Plus provides all the benefits it requires.

As pallet volumes and stretchwrap consumption increase, however, the economics of powered pre-stretch become increasingly important.

The best way to assess this is to establish:

• how many pallets you wrap;

• how many rolls of stretchwrap you currently consume;

• the weight and specification of that film;

• how much you pay for it; and

• approximately how much film is currently being applied to each pallet.

Agritel can use this information to calculate your current film weight and cost per pallet and compare it with a suitable machine-film combination.

When would I choose the Ecoplat Plus instead?

The Robopac Ecoplat Plus is an excellent option where the primary objective is to move away from hand wrapping and achieve a more consistent wrapping process without the additional investment in powered pre-stretch.

It may be the more appropriate choice where:

• pallet volumes are relatively low;

• stretchwrap consumption is not particularly high;

• loads are straightforward and consistent;

• reducing operator effort and improving consistency are the main objectives; or

• the additional film savings from powered pre-stretch would take a long time to recover the difference in machine cost.

You still gain the important benefits of machine wrapping: a repeatable wrapping cycle, controlled turntable speed and carriage movement, and considerably less reliance on the operator physically walking around the pallet.

What you don’t get is powered pre-stretch.

When does the Masterplat Plus PGS become the better option?

The Masterplat should be considered where film consumption and cost per pallet are important parts of the purchasing decision.

It is particularly suited to operations wrapping pallets throughout the working day, businesses consuming significant quantities of stretchwrap, and companies actively looking to reduce the amount of plastic packaging they use.

It can also be beneficial where different operators currently produce very different results when wrapping pallets by hand.

Once the wrapping programme and film tension have been established, the machine can reproduce the wrapping process far more consistently.

Will the Masterplat make every pallet use exactly the same amount of film?

For pallets of the same dimensions using the same programme, film usage becomes much more predictable than hand wrapping.

With hand wrapping, one operator may use considerably more film than another. Even the same operator may wrap differently depending on the load.

A machine allows parameters such as turntable speed, carriage speed and the number of top and bottom wraps to be controlled.

The Masterplat additionally controls the pre-stretch of the film before application, making film consumption considerably easier to manage.

Is powered pre-stretch only about saving money?

No. There are three main reasons businesses normally consider it:

Lower packaging cost – obtaining more usable metres from the film can reduce the amount of film required per pallet.

Reduced plastic consumption – less film by weight can help businesses working towards packaging reduction and sustainability targets.

Consistency – the wrapping process is much less dependent on the strength, technique or judgement of individual operators.

For higher-volume operations, all three can be important.

Does using less film mean the pallet will be less secure?

Not if the film and machine settings are correctly specified.

The objective isn’t simply to put as little film as possible onto a pallet. It is to achieve the required load containment using the appropriate amount of film.

Applying excessive quantities of a poorly specified film doesn’t necessarily create a better wrapped pallet.

The correct combination of film, pre-stretch, tension, overlap and wrapping pattern is much more important.

This is one reason we recommend testing the proposed film rather than selecting it purely on thickness or price per roll.

Can the film tension be changed even though the pre-stretch is fixed?

Yes.

The standard PGS carriage has a fixed pre-stretch ratio of 250%, but film tension to the load is adjustable from the machine control panel.

These are two different things.

Pre-stretch determines how much the film is stretched before application. Film tension determines how firmly that stretched film is applied to the load.

This allows the Masterplat to accommodate different types of palletised products without having to change the pre-stretch ratio each time.

What if 250% pre-stretch isn’t suitable for our film?

Alternative pre-stretch gear sets are available.

The Masterplat PGS can be configured with different fixed pre-stretch ratios, including 150%, 200%, 250% and 300%, depending on the film and application.

The important point is that the stretch film needs to be specified to work with the machine’s pre-stretch system.

Agritel can advise on the appropriate combination of film and pre-stretch rather than treating the machine and stretchwrap as two separate purchases.

Can I use high-performance film on the Masterplat?

Yes, and this is where powered pre-stretch can become particularly effective.

Modern high-performance films can provide excellent strength and puncture resistance at much lower thicknesses than conventional machine films.

Using the appropriate high-performance film with the Masterplat can therefore provide an opportunity to downgauge the film, reducing the weight of plastic used per pallet.

The important measurement is not simply whether one film is 7, 12, 15 or 20 micron. What matters is whether it provides the required pallet stability at the lowest practical film weight and cost per pallet.

We already have a pallet wrapper. Could the Masterplat still save us money?

Potentially.

An older or brake-type pallet wrapper may still provide a consistent wrapping cycle but may be applying substantially more film than a powered pre-stretch machine.

Before replacing a working machine, however, we would recommend measuring what it is actually costing you.

We can assess the film currently being used and establish its consumption per pallet. This gives you a meaningful comparison against a powered pre-stretch machine rather than replacing equipment based on assumptions.

What size pallets can the Masterplat Plus handle?

The standard Masterplat Plus has a 1650mm diameter turntable and is suitable for loads up to 1000mm x 1200mm, covering standard UK and Euro pallets.

The standard maximum load weight is 2000kg, with a maximum standard wrapping height of 2200mm.

Options are available for larger or taller loads, including an 1800mm turntable, increased load capacity and extended columns.

If you have unusually large, tall or heavy pallets, speak to us before specifying the machine and we can check the appropriate configuration.

What if we load pallets using a pallet truck rather than a forklift?

A loading ramp can be added to allow pallets to be moved onto the turntable using a hand pallet truck.

If pallets are normally handled by forklift, they can simply be positioned directly onto the turntable.

The correct arrangement will depend on your warehouse layout and normal pallet handling process.

Can the Masterplat weigh the pallet as well?

A weighing system is available for the Masterplat Plus.

This can be useful where pallet weights are required for transport, despatch or internal control purposes and avoids having to move the pallet to separate weighing equipment.

Other options are also available, including a larger turntable, extended columns and a pneumatic top press for stabilising particularly light or unstable loads.

What happens if our pallets are light or unstable?

The Masterplat has adjustable film tension, allowing the force applied to the pallet to be reduced where necessary.

For particularly light or unstable loads, a pneumatic top press is also available. This holds the load from above while it is being wrapped and can prevent products from moving as the turntable rotates.

We would recommend discussing unusually light, unstable or irregular loads with us before specifying the machine.

Is the Masterplat difficult for operators to use?

No. Once the appropriate wrapping parameters have been established, normal operation is straightforward.

The Masterplat Plus uses a 3.5-inch colour graphic display with a JOG selector, allowing wrapping parameters to be set through the control panel.

One of the advantages of establishing a machine wrapping process is that operators no longer need to decide how much film they think each pallet needs. The required wrapping programme can instead be set according to the load.

Is the Masterplat suitable if we only wrap a few pallets per day?

It can be, but this is where we would look carefully at whether the additional investment in powered pre-stretch is justified.

If you only wrap a small number of pallets and film consumption is low, an Ecoplat Plus may provide a more economical route into machine wrapping.

If those few pallets are particularly large, heavily wrapped or use a substantial amount of stretchwrap, however, the calculation may be different.

This is why we prefer to look at actual film consumption rather than setting an arbitrary minimum number of pallets per day.

Masterplat Plus or Ecoplat Plus – how do I decide?

Think about what you are trying to achieve.

If your priority is primarily to stop wrapping pallets by hand, improve consistency and reduce operator effort, the Ecoplat Plus is well worth considering.

If you also want to substantially improve film efficiency, reduce plastic consumption and control your cost per pallet, the Masterplat Plus PGS is likely to deserve closer consideration.

The higher the volume of stretchwrap you currently consume, the more important the powered pre-stretch calculation becomes.

Rather than automatically recommending the more expensive machine, Agritel can look at your existing wrapping operation and compare the options.

Can Agritel calculate whether a Masterplat would actually save us money?

Yes.

This is the best place to start if you are unsure whether the additional investment in powered pre-stretch is worthwhile.

We can look at your current stretchwrap, pallet volumes and film consumption and establish an approximate cost and plastic weight per pallet.

We can then compare this with a suitable high-performance machine film and pallet wrapper.

This can help answer the most important question:

Will the additional investment in powered pre-stretch provide a worthwhile return for your operation?

Not sure whether you need an Ecoplat or Masterplat?

You don’t need to decide based solely on the machine specification.

Tell us what film you currently use, how many rolls you consume and approximately how many pallets you wrap. We can help establish your existing cost per pallet and advise whether a standard semi-automatic wrapper or powered pre-stretch machine is the more appropriate solution.

Call Agritel on 01691 671496 or send us an email for advice.