Automated Stretch Wrapping System for Small Heat Sensitive Products and Aerosols

Shrink wrapping is widely used as secondary packaging to unitise individual items into a
larger unit load. However, there are some issues associated with the use of shrink wrapping,
particularly for aerosols. Of all packaging machines, shrink wrappers are one of the heaviest
energy users. The process requires running the pack through a heat tunnel at temperatures
over 220°C to shrink the polyethylene film onto the product. The opportunity for Trak-Rap is
the development of an automated wrapping system that uses virtually no heat and uses thin,
linear low density polyethylene, recyclable “stretch” film to secure the pack. It provides a cost
effective wrapping solution for small heat sensitive products like aerosols without the need of
collated trays. It will thus provide an alternative to shrink wrapping by offering the same
benefits but with considerable energy and cost savings. It will reduce heat and energy
requirements by 95% and reduce the use of plastic materials by >60%. It will eliminate the
risk of explosion during the wrapping process of aerosols (at no time the products will be
exposed to heat), simplify HSE requirements, lower insurance premiums, reduce the amount
of safety equipment and reduce product changeover times (one size of film fits all packs) as
well as packaging costs.