When shopping for industrial machinery it can be very difficult to know just how well the machine in question will cope in your factory until you see it in action. By then it could be too late to deal with any problems should they arise. This article will attempt to guide you towards making the right decision when it comes to buying a pallet wrapper.

First and foremost you need to make sure you choose the right type of pallet wrapping machine for your products and production process. Do you need a fully automatic pallet wrapping machine to be built into a production line so that your pallet load of product is powered onto the pallet wrapped, wrapped in film and automatically powered off? Or are you looking for something a little more simple, and cheaper, where a semi-automatic pallet wrapper will suffice? Fully automatic pallet wrapping machines are more suited for high throughput production line environments.

Ensure that the pallets you use to pack your products on are going to be suitable to use with the pallet wrapper in question. It would be a disaster, as well as extremely embarrassing, to get a pallet wrapping machine in to your factory only to find that your pallets do not fit! As pallets come in all shapes and sizes it would be a wise decision to let any potential supplier know what size pallets you use so that they can advise accordingly. In particular they will want to know the dimensions of your largest pallet, the highest stack of product likely to be on the pallet and the general weight. Standard pallet wrappers tend to come with a base diameter of around 1700mm which is suitable for most standard, UK, pallets sizes. The height of masts on most standard stretch wrappers is around 2000mm though it is generally possible to get higher masts if necessary.

Speak to any potential supplier to see if it is possible to arrange any trials with your products or even give you a machine for a week so you can see how well it works with your products. A good pallet wrapping machinery supplier should be able to test your product with a multitude of different stretch wrapping films so that they can advise you on which is best and what potential costs are likely to be for film.

Be wary of companies offering bargain basement prices. Don't get me wrong, everyone loves to get something for a bargain price but you should be extra diligent when checking it's suitability as there is usually a reason it is cheap. If the pallet wrapper is used you are going to want to know what work, if any, has been down to re-condition the machine. One thing to note is there are some companies who offer pallet wrappers for well under the normal market price with the condition that if you buy it you are committed to buying all of you stretch wrap film from them too. If this is the case you will probably find that the film is a lot more expensive than you can get elsewhere and any savings you made from buying the machine cheap are quickly lost.

Confirm what kind of warranty period you get with the machine, what the recommended service intervals are and what, if any, breakdown cover they offer. An industry standard warranty period for a simple pallet wrapping machine would be 12 months, it is important that you get something in writing to this effect when you purchase the machine. It is also well worth discussing with the supplier how often they would recommend servicing the machine, given the level of work you intend to put the machine through. If you do not have the maintenance capability in-house to service the equipment yourself you will want to know what they will charge to come in and service the equipment for you. Finally, if the machine is likely to be an essential step in your packaging process and any delays to goods going out the door will be costly you are going to need to know if they offer a breakdown service and, if so, what levels of cover they offer as part of your purchasing agreement and what upgrades to this service they might have.
By following the 5 helpful hints above you should have a much better understanding of the questions to ask potential suppliers and the pitfalls to avoid when it comes to buying a pallet wrapping machine.