How Equipment Is Packaged By Automated Palletizer?

Generally accepted state standards and individual technical conditions. On the one hand, their diversity unifies the packaging processes, but on the other hand, it introduces some confusion manifested in the choice of materials and equipment for packaging a wide variety of devices, engineering systems, and automated palletizer machines.

Correctly selected and manufactured packaging is the key to the safety of equipment during its transportation and storage, which often take a considerable period of time. Also, packaging saves money and time.

Equipment packaging standards today are set by numerous documents. In particular, generally accepted state standards and individual technical conditions. On the one hand, their diversity unifies the packaging processes, but on the other hand, it introduces some confusion manifested in the choice of materials and equipment for packaging a wide variety of devices, engineering systems, and machines.

Rigid automated palletizer container

The main functions performed by the packaging of an instrument or equipment are to preserve its integrity, protect it from moisture and seal it. Whether one or several types of packaging will perform all these functions depends on the characteristics of the equipment, its value and fragility. All other functions of boxes and cardboard boxes have practically equalized with the development of technology. On sale you can find cardboard with a thickness of 1 to 7 mm with various types of corrugated profile. Many manufacturers offer waterproof boxes (where water can seep through cracks in the box). Strong multi-layer automated palletizer cardboard is able to withstand a large weight (up to 50 kg – boxes made of three-layer corrugated cardboard, up to 2 tons – boxes made of seven-layer corrugated cardboard). Cardboard is able to absorb shocks, minimizing their impact on the products inside the container.

The indisputable advantage of boxes is that they are convenient and inexpensive to print on. It is also convenient to stack them on pallets, storage racks or in the bodies of vehicles.

The lid is sealed with adhesive tape or glue, tied with plastic tape, packed in shrink or stretch film. To pass customs control without damaging the container,. Its boxes are equipped with a lid, and the boxes are equipped with a retractable wall.

No matter how reliable and durable modern cardboard is, it is necessary to prevent the movement of equipment inside the container. The packaging market offers three types of solutions to this problem: foamed polymer materials (polystyrene, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, etc.); paper and cardboard tapes, windings, gaskets, etc.; air cushion (pillows and bubble films).

Styrofoam and polystyrene foam are similar in properties.

They not only prevent spontaneous movement of products in containers, but also protect devices from temperature and humidity changes. Most often, one of these properties is decisive when choosing. Both materials have a cellular structure, they fix the products quite rigidly and have the property of absorbing shocks (damping their force).

Polyurethane foam is a more modern analogue of expanded polystyrene and polystyrene foam. It has a more monolithic fine-bubble structure, which gives it insulating, shock-absorbing and fixing properties. From it, you can form the desired shape by pressing the device (or its model) into the foam. This achieves an exact match between the shape of the container and the automated palletizer product and, therefore, absolute fixation.

Foam rubber is a soft, porous material, from which it is very easy to cut out lodgements. It has low rigidity, but even fragile objects can be wrapped in it.

Multi-layer paper tape and soft paper are much more practical in this regard. You can wrap all the protruding parts of the device with tape, place it in a container and additionally cover it with paper. And the device itself will not spontaneously move inside the container. Cardboard partitions are a rather rough protection against moving the parting inside the box.

The air cushion fits on four or six sides of the appliance. If the automated palletizer object to be packed has a geometrically correct shape, then use large pillows. If you need to wrap small parts, then they resort to bubble wrap. Modern manufacturers offer several types of it: small- and large-bubble, increased strength and puncture-resistant (corners of equipment).

Depending on the value of the cargo, adhesive tape. The film casing also perfectly indicates damage to the integrity of the container (especially if it is not transparent and its color differs from the color of the box / box).

Film automated palletizer packaging

The use of shrink wrap is very common in group and pallet packaging of food and non-food products, but today we can safely talk about the shrink packaging of equipment. The shrinkage of the film occurs evenly, but gently enough so as not to damage the product.

In addition to performing standard packaging functions (protection from moisture, dirt, scratches, etc.), shrink wrap serves as an indicator of tampering and indirectly reduces its likelihood. With the same success, it is possible to pack both a box and equipment without containers in film.

It is important to note that, unlike boxes, shrink wrap does not have the ability to absorb shock. For the safety of the equipment during transportation and movement. Packing devices in boxes is almost indispensable, but if the equipment has a solid case, then cardboard overlays on the corners will be enough. The film fixes them in the correct position, and they perfectly prevent chips, scratches and damage to the film itself at the corners. Even the simplest paper wrapping can significantly reduce the likelihood of product damage.

If we are talking about the packaging of precision instruments, gas turbines, industrial machines, etc.

When shrinking, the film absorbs up to 90% of the heat, but even slight heating can render precision instruments unusable. In such cases, thermal packaging is not applicable by automated palletizers. Another drawback of any dense heat-shrinkable film is the ability to mechanically displace parts of the device (if there is no rigid container).

Condensation often accumulates under the film and can damage the equipment. This and some other disadvantages of the shrink film can be minimized by its automated palletizer metallization, as well as the use of vacuum packaging technology.

Vacuum packaging is made from both conventional single-layer and multilayer and metalized films. As well as from heat-shrinkable materials. The essence of the method is that air is pumped out of the package. Which serves as a medium for the development of unfavorable processes. Air is pumped out with the help of compressor units and even with the help of vacuum cleaners. Vacuum packaging is relatively new for the automated palletizer Russian market but very promising. But the heat shrinkage fixes the result. Even if the seal is depressurized, the shrink film will not inflate and the package will not turn into a loose cover.