Aluminum Horizontal Wrapping Machine with Spacer Feeder

Executive summary

An aluminum horizontal wrapping machine with spacer feeder wraps bundles of extruded profiles in protective stretch film while automatically positioning wooden spacer blocks under the load in the same pass. The blocks create fork clearance, so tines lift the bundle without point-loading the bottom profiles. Bundle cross-sections run from 70 × 450 mm to 300 × 450 mm, with cut lengths of 5,650 to 6,500 mm. Because spacer placement is part of the wrapping cycle, the line removes the second crane lift and manual strapping that a post-wrap spacer step would need.

Table of Contents

Why aluminum profile bundles need spacers and film

Extruded aluminum is rigid but cosmetically fragile: anodised, powder-coated and mill-finish surfaces scratch under inter-profile friction, and a bundle resting flush on the floor gives a forklift nowhere to enter. Driving steel tines under a ground-level pack point-loads the bottom profiles and bends them.

Wooden runners under the pack create defined fork pockets. Fitting them after wrapping costs an extra crane lift, a second handling step and manual strapping. Integrating an automatic spacer feeder into the orbital cycle solves both problems at once:

  1. No second lift: spacers are bound into the pack during the primary wrapping cycle.
  2. Surface preservation: the multi-layer wrap limits air infiltration, relative movement between lengths and water-stain corrosion.
  3. Dispatch readiness: bundles leave the outfeed conveyor unitised and skid-mounted, ready for rack storage or flatbed loading.

How the spacer feeder works

The feeder is synchronised with the horizontal orbital ring. Wooden blocks sit in an adjacent magazine; the operator selects a recipe for the bundle length and sets the spacer count on the PLC interface. The feeding arm places the blocks under the profile bundle at the final wrapping stage, so the revolving film carriage captures both the profiles and the timber runners in one tight assembly.

Evaluation Metric Manual Spacer Placement Integrated Automatic Spacer Feeder
Insertion point Post-wrap; needs a hoist or second crane lift In-line during the wrapping cycle
Fastening Loose placement or manual strapping Captured inside the orbital stretch film wrap
Positioning accuracy Operator-dependent Programmable via HMI, equidistant index per recipe
Labour Several operators on timber and hoist 1–2 operators, depending on profile feed

Film covering plus orbital wrapping

A plain orbital wrap seals the body of a bundle but leaves both ends open to moisture, condensation and dust. In marine export or open-yard storage, water entering profile cavities causes localised oxidation and white rust.

The line therefore pairs pre-stretch orbital winding with a sheet-covering mechanism:

  • Six-sided protection: a film applicator lays a continuous poly sheet across the top, leading head and trailing tail before orbital binding.
  • Ring containment: the orbital ring wraps stretch film over the sheet, sealing the edges and anchoring the cap against wind and transit vibration.
  • Configurable finish: open-ended binding, intermediate dust covering or fully enclosed export-grade containment, per logistics demand.

Bundle range and wrapper data

Lines are built from standard orbital wrappers, panel wrapping units or heavy-duty profile systems with an integrated timber magazine.

Profile Packaging Line with Timber Feeding (Standard Specifications)

Technical Parameter Specification Range
Minimum bundle cross-section 70 mm (H) × 450 mm (W) × 5,650 mm (L)
Maximum bundle cross-section 300 mm (H) × 450 mm (W) × 6,500 mm (L)
Standard product lengths 5,650 mm / 6,000 mm / 6,500 mm
Operating pneumatic pressure 6–8 bar
Infeed labour allocation 1–2 operators (workpiece dependent)
Functional cycle Infeed alignment, timber feeding, film covering, orbital wrap

Platform Comparison (Engineering Reference)

Machine configuration Heavy-duty profile system Wide panel orbital wrapper Timber feeder and strapping system
Electrical supply AC 380V / 50Hz (or customised) AC 380V / 50Hz Per plant specification
Installed drive power 4.8 kW Per layout Per layout
OD / cross-section OD 300–1500 mm 1000–1500 mm (W) × 300–1400 mm (H) Min 300 × 300 mm / Max 500 × 500 mm
Length capacity 2000–8000 mm 2000–3000 mm Up to 6500 mm
Maximum payload 100–2500 kg Per panel load Per bundle load
Wrapping material PE, stretch film, woven belt, VCI paper Stretch film, PE (20–40 microns) Stretch film, timber runners
Film roll Standard machine rolls OD 100–180 mm, width 300–500 mm, ID 76 mm Heavy-duty orbital spools
Ring speed 30–60 r/min Synchronised inverter drive Matched to feed
Conveyor speed 2–16 m/min Synchronised inline transport Indexing conveyor
Film overlap 10–90% (programmable) 10–90% (programmable) 10–90% (programmable)

Light bundles (under 200 kg, OD 200–600 mm) can use compact orbital units such as the E600 series (4.5 kW, 10–90 r/min ring, 3–12 m/min conveyor); loads approaching 2,500 kg need the heavy-duty 4.8 kW structure.

Worked example: a 6 m profile bundle

Take a 450 mm (W) × 200 mm (H) × 6,000 mm (L) bundle, wrapped with 250 mm film at 50% overlap:

Calculation step Formula and inputs Engineering value
Section diagonal √(450² + 200²) 492.4 mm (ring opening must exceed 600 mm)
Perimeter per ring wrap 2 × (450 + 200) 1,300 mm
Effective linear pitch 250 × (1 − 0.50) 125 mm per revolution
Revolutions required 6,000 mm ÷ 125 mm 48 revolutions
Conveyor speed at 60 r/min ring (125 mm × 60 r/min) ÷ 1,000 7.5 m/min
Winding time 6.0 m ÷ 7.5 m/min 0.8 min (about 48 seconds)
Net film applied 48 revolutions × 1.3 m About 62.4 m

The 492.4 mm diagonal sits comfortably inside intermediate and heavy-duty ring envelopes (OD 300–1500 mm), and the pure winding phase takes under 50 seconds. The 62.4 m figure is film laid on the package; roll depletion is lower once the pre-stretch carriage ratio is applied, and the exact ratio should be confirmed for the chosen carriage.

Selection checklist

Provide these parameters when specifying an integrated wrapping and spacer line:

  1. Dimensional envelope: minimum and maximum bundle cross-sections (height × width) and length range (for example 2,000 to 8,000 mm).
  2. Payload: minimum and maximum pack weight, so conveyor drives and support rollers are sized correctly (up to 2,500 kg).
  3. Spacer geometry: runner height, width and length, magazine capacity, and the required placement positions.
  4. Barrier level: perimeter stretch wrap only, top-and-end weather sealing, or full six-sided export wrap.
  5. Upstream output: bundles per hour from the cooling and stacking cell, which sets conveyor speed (2–16 m/min).
  6. Utilities: clean dry air at the pressure your machine specifies, plus a 3-phase AC 380V 50Hz feed.

Safety: EN 415-10 and ISO 12100

Systems are designed under EN 415-10 (safety of packaging machines, general requirements) with a hazard assessment following ISO 12100:2010.

  • Guarding: fixed and interlocked guards separate the ring and carriage envelope from the walkway; the exact guarding arrangement is fixed by the site risk assessment.
  • Hold-down: overhead press rollers stabilise light or flexible bundles so they do not shift during ring rotation.
  • E-stops: emergency-stop circuits are laid out per the risk assessment, with reset points at the operator stations.

Engineering FAQ

Q: How are the wooden blocks held to the bundle? A: The feeder pushes blocks under the bundle during wrapping, and the orbital ring lays film tension over both profiles and runners, binding them into one shipping unit without loose hardware or separate strapping.

Q: Can the spacer count change with bundle length? A: Yes. Operators select a stored recipe or enter the length on the PLC panel; the feeder indexes the set quantity at proportional intervals along the pack.

Q: Do the bundle ends stay dry? A: With the covering option, a poly sheet is applied over the top and draped down the leading and trailing ends before orbital wrapping, closing the open profile cavities against water, grit and moisture.

Next step

  1. Send your bundle data: width, height, length, maximum weight and timber spacer dimensions to info@fhopepack.com.
  2. Get a layout: our engineers configure ring diameter, film carriage and spacer feed sequence to your extrusion output.
  3. Receive the quote: line layout, component specification and commercial proposal within 24 to 48 hours.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-11-05

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