Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Packaging Equipment

Shrink and stretch wrappers optimize efficiency, protection

Suppliers release new equipment to provide higher throughput

By Barbara Harfmann
Signode Stretch Load
The rise of eCommerce and the “new normal” to have packages wrapped and delivered within a few days is facilitating a more rapid adoption of stretch wrappers, Signode’s Joe Albert says. (Image courtesy of Signode Industrial Group)
September 3, 2019

As beverage warehouses take on more SKUs and distribution centers consolidate, single-source centers must be equipped to handle high throughputs and mixed pallet scenarios. In turn, stretch wrapping equipment must ensure the product’s integrity.

Covering these types of supply chain challenges is all in a day’s work for Signode Industrial Group, according to Joe Albert, vice president of sales and marketing for global wrapping technologies for the Glenview, Ill.-based company.

“What remains constant is the need for reliable, safe and efficient transport that ensures brands are protected throughout their journey,” Albert says. “For the beverage industry, a single case of beer or soda will travel thousands of road miles and within multiple facilities (i.e., manufacturing facility, distribution centers, retail store, etc.) A poorly secured pallet load can easily result in irreversible product damage whereby the product and upstream value investment are now lost.”

To optimize efficiencies throughout the supply chain, Signode offers its Octopus line of rotary ring stretch wrappers designed to cover a wide spectrum of needs and to meet diverse throughput and load-containment demands.

“[We’re] also improving film usage and overall consumables waste/cost,” Albert says. “One of the virtues of working for a large multinational corporation with decades of experience is that our ongoing innovation in terms of equipment and materials — and how they optimally interact — is larger and more important than any particular trend.”

In May, Signode unveiled its redesigned Octopus Compact 20/Compact TSI series that provides optimal load containment while optimizing film usage in space-limited warehouses and distribution centers.

A cost-effective and reduced-footprint solution, “the new Octopus Compact 20/Compact TSI series enables bottom-to-top or top-to-bottom automatic rotary ring stretch wrapping,” Albert says.

“It wraps up to 40 loads per hour depending on load size and wrap pattern … and comes fully equipped with Muller’s patented Easy S Film Carriage, which enables simple film loading, maximizes pre-stretch performance and minimizes wear,” Albert explains.

At the opposite end of the Octopus spectrum is the high speed, high capacity Octopus “T,” which can wrap as many as 150 loads an hour, Albert says. Equipped with a double film carriage and a seaming unit solution, both film carriages simultaneously and independently apply film. In addition, beverage-makers can utilize an optional Fast Cycle conveyor solution to cut traditional conveying time in half, he adds.

To keep beverage operations humming along, Alexandria, Minn.-based Orion, a division of ProMach, manufactures rugged and reliable stretch wrapping machines. Depending on the product and pallet wrapping needs, the company offers semi-automatic and fully automatic models in turntable, rotary tower and orbital configurations, the company’s website states.

For instance, the Rotary Tower Automatic (RTA) automatic stretch wrapping system boosts end-of-line packaging efficiency as it eliminates the need for operators to manually attach the film tail to the load, then cut and secure the film tail at the end of the cycle.

 

Driving innovation

To differentiate themselves, some craft brewers are using the outer stretch wrap as a canvas to market their products and drive sales.

For instance, Midland, Mich.-based Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., is collaborating with craft beer brewer Oskar Blues, a part of the CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, along with plastics converter Berry Global and Ampacet to produce printed collation shrink packaging for the brewer’s 24-can variety cases.

In addition to marketing and sustainability motivators, the rise of eCommerce and the “new normal” to have packages wrapped and delivered within a few days is facilitating a more rapid adoption of stretch wrappers, Signode’s Albert says.

“It’s less a question of redesign but of more rapid market adoption, particularly in North America, where we introduced our unique tray packaging solution that incorporates our H. Böhl automatic orbital stretch wrapper and Loveshaw Little David Case Sealer SP-304 to improve product integrity and increase sustainability with greater packaging efficiency,” Albert says.

 

Advancing automation

Experts note that technological advancements in shrink and stretch wrapping equipment is evolving as trends in the beverage industry drive suppliers to manufacture new equipment to meet higher automation and throughput demands.

For example, in more sensitive applications, like dairy or other cold-storage scenarios, where stretch wrap might suffocate products, Glenview, Ill.-based Signode Industrial Group is developing varying methods for automatically applying film to the load so that it provides proper ventilation while ensuring optimal pallet protection, according to Joe Albert, Signode’s vice president of sales and marketing for global wrapping technologies.

To keep pace with large multinational beverage manufacturers, Albert suggests that technological advancements for stretch wrappers must be global in nature particularly because beverage-makers require machines whose data centrally can be communicated and monitored across multiple worldwide plants.

Oskar Blues First Shrink Pallet.

Craft beer brewer Oskar Blues, a part of the CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, along with plastics converter Berry Global and Ampacet are printing collation shrink packaging for the brewer’s 24-can variety cases. In addition to marketing benefits, the new packaging is providing a 40 percent cost savings. (Image courtesy of Oskar Blues)

To differentiate themselves, some craft brewers are using the outer stretch wrap as a canvas to market their products and drive sales. For instance, Midland, Mich.-based Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., is collaborating with craft beer brewer Oskar Blues, a part of the CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, along with plastics converter Berry Global and Ampacet to produce printed collation shrink packaging for the brewer’s 24-can variety cases.

The brand’s new packaging has generated a 40 percent cost savings, a 64 percent reduction in secondary packaging materials usage and 73 percent fewer trucks delivering packaging materials to Oskar Blues, the company says.

Automation, speed, high throughput and shrink and stretch wrap equipment that can equally produce and communicate worldwide will be integral tools now and in the future, experts note. “Automation will continue to proliferate all facets of the manufacturing environment, especially in high throughput industries like beverage,” Albert says. “In addition, greater consolidation and more vertically oriented warehouses will increase material handling requirements and challenges.

“Stretch wrap solutions will need to evolve with increasing demand,” he continues. “Equipment will likely continue to become faster and more flexible. One challenge for equipment manufacturers will be to look for greater ways to optimize its floor footprint. In the future, we will likely see more robust machines fitting in tighter spaces.” BI

KEYWORDS: beverage equipment eCommerce plant efficiency SKU proliferation Warehouse

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Barbara h200x200

Barbara Harfmann, managing editor of Beverage Industry, visits beverage companies for cover stories and facility tours, and writes and edits for the magazine’s print and online components. She also represents the magazine at trade shows and events. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications and Public Relations from Illinois State University.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • top 100 beverage companies

    Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

    For the global beverage market, mergers and acquisitions...
    Sports Drinks
  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Alternative Drinks
    By: Lauren Sabetta
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

Sting Energy

PepsiCo, Sting Energy unveil global partnership with Formula 1

top 100 beverage companies

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

people drinking Wynk

Mindful drinking prompts growth for THC beverages

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

June 26, 2025

FAST. FOCUSED. FUELED: Delivering Energy Consumers Can Feel

Learn how to formulate products that deliver the energy experiences that people want, and keep them coming back for more.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • CP Flexible Packaging C-FiT - Beverage Industry

    Shrink and stretch labels maximize shelf appeal

    See More
  • Krones manufactures Varioline, a robotic pick-and-place packer - Beverage Industry

    Case packers and wrappers deliver flexibility, speed

    See More
  • Glenmore Distillery Distribution Center.

    Warehouse management and control systems optimize fulfillment strategies

    See More
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing