End of the year and time to buy that stretch wrapper.
When you spend your company’s money, spend it wisely. When
it comes to buying a stretch wrapper, you’ve got to do some research in order
to make the right decision.
Here are five simple rules that will point you in the right
direction:
1. Buy a machine
that’s made by a well-established supplier.
Would you rather buy equipment made by a manufacturer that
only has a handful of machines in the field? Or, would you rather buy equipment
made by a large, well-established manufacturer that has thousands of machines
in the field?
We bet you’d prefer the latter. Manufacturers that have
designed, engineered and tested stretch wrappers for decades usually create the
highest quality machines.
2. Look for a machine
that’s sold by a reliable supplier who can provide service, training and
support.
When you’re ready to buy a new wrapper, turn to your local
packaging distributor for help. But make sure they’re affiliated with a
well-established manufacturer. That will make it easy to get replacement parts
if needed. Also, once your new machine arrives, your distributor can arrange
startup, training and continued assistance for as long as you have the machine.
3. Understand what
you’re buying. All machines are not created equal.
In order to get a durable machine that will hold up to wear
and tear for many years (and be safe to operate) you may have to pay a little
more for it.
Keep in mind the capital cost of a machine is fixed at the
time you buy it and your new wrapper will eventually convert into an operating
expense.
Also, if you spread the cost of a semi-automatic wrapper
over thousands of loads and its economic life it yields a low machine cost per
load wrapped. For example, if you wrap 50 loads a day over 10 years on a
$15,000 stretch wrapper, you’ll only spend 12 cents per load.
So it makes sense to invest in a quality machine.
4. The lowest cost of ownership for semi-automatic stretch
wrappers is what really matters.
Keep in mind how a stretch wrapper can influence the five
major stretch wrapping cost drivers:
Damage: With a stretch wrapper, you’re able to wrap loads
effectively, reducing the risk of expensive shipping damage.
Labor: Productivity-enhancing features reduce labor costs
associated with hand wrapping or using an inefficient machine.
Materials: A film delivery system with powered pre-stretch
can reduce film costs by at least 50 percent.
Maintenance: Good machines require little-to-no preventive
maintenance to keep the machine up and running.
Machine cost: The amount you spend on a piece of equipment
is spread over its economic life (IRS guideline is seven years).
Damage, labor and material are the highest cost drivers when
it comes to owning and operating a stretch wrapper. Look for one that will help
you drive down those costs. Adding certain productivity features, like an
automatic cut and clamp unit, could save machine owners around $50,000 just in
five years. And powered pre-stretch not only stretches the film, but also your
dollars, cutting material costs by over half.
5. Safety is
paramount.
People are the most important asset of a company. Buy a
machine that’s designed with safety features to prevent problems. A few things
to look for are:
All wires and motors are completely enclosed.
The film delivery system and control panel are on the same
side.
The rollers of the film delivery system are guarded.
The load’s footprint can fit entirely within the turntable’s
circumference without overhang.
These features were designed to protect operators and reduce
the risk of workplace injuries.
See the lineup of stretch pallet wrappers here: https://quickpakinc.com/stretch-wrappers
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