Executive summary
An automatic drink bottle stretch wrapping bundle machine groups bottles on a conveyor and wraps the group in stretch film, so the bottles leave the line as one stable pack. It suits water and soft drink bottles as well as edible oil jugs. Stretch film is applied cold, so there is no shrink tunnel and no heating energy. Our bottle bundle wrapper is built to the bottle and pack format, so its sizes and output are confirmed at quote.
Bottles arrive via dual-lane infeed conveyors maintained by rigid lateral guide rails. An integrated pneumatic pusher transfers the collated matrix transversely into the orbital wrapping ring assembly. The motorized ring dispenses tensioned stretch film around the perimeter of the bottle bundle before an integrated pneumatic cylinder ejects the completed pack onto the discharge line and resets for the subsequent cycle. Operating pressure is controlled via an infeed pneumatic service unit with pressure regulation, while perimeter wire-mesh guarding isolates the wrapping zone.
Table of Contents
- Why drink bottles are bundled in stretch film
- How the bundle machine works
- Stretch bundling vs shrink bundling
- Worked example: six 5 L bottles
- Matching the filler output
- Selection checklist
- Safety: EN 415-10 and ISO 12100
- Engineering FAQ
- Next step
- Related reading
- Sources
Why drink bottles are bundled in stretch film
Large drink bottles, such as 5 L water bottles, and similar rigid jugs for edible oil are heavy and have smooth sides. Loose on a pallet, they slide against each other, scuff the labels and lean when the pallet moves. A film-wrapped pack of four or six bottles stands as one block, carries a handle-free grip for the buyer, and stacks in a regular pattern on the pallet. Film also keeps dust off the caps until the pack is opened.
How the bundle machine works
The cycle has four stages:
- Infeed and guiding. Bottles come from the filler or capper on a conveyor and are lined up in rows by side guide rails. For tall or light bottles that could tip on entry to the ring, an overhead guide is added, confirmed at quote.
- Grouping. A stop and a pneumatic pusher make up the group, for example two rows of three, and push it into the wrapping station.
- Wrapping. A ring turns round the group and lays stretch film over its sides. Overlap and the number of turns set how tight and how strong the pack is.
- Discharge. The film is cut, the pack is pushed onto the outfeed, and the pusher returns for the next group.
Our long-product orbital wrappers, such as the E200 horizontal stretch wrapper rated for package outer diameters of 50–200 mm and package lengths >1000 mm [manufacturer rating], require long products that can span the physical clearance gap between infeed and outfeed conveyors through the ring. Because a bottle bundle is significantly shorter than 1,000 mm, the bottle bundling machine utilizes a dedicated pusher mechanism to advance the collation through the wrapping ring rather than relying on dual conveyor transport.
Stretch bundling vs shrink bundling
| Point | Stretch bundling | Shrink bundling |
|---|---|---|
| Film | Stretch film, applied cold | Shrink film, sealed then heated |
| Heat | None | Shrink tunnel |
| Pack shape | Film on the sides of the group | Film sleeve or full wrap, tight on all faces |
| Energy | Ring and conveyor drives only | Drives plus tunnel heating |
| Best for | Heavy bottles, simple multipacks | Printed packs, retail display |
For comparison, a sleeve-sealing shrink bundling system (such as Model SK-080A) operates at 8–18 packs per minute using PE film with an electric heating tunnel drawing up to 20.5 kW [manufacturer rating]. If a printed, fully enclosed heat-shrunk pack is required, our bottle sleeve grouping and shrinking systems serve as the production alternative.
Worked example: six 5 L bottles
Take six 5 L drinking water bottles, grouped two wide and three long. Each bottle stands on a footprint of 180 × 140 mm and is 300 mm high (illustrative sizes).
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Group size | 2 × 180 wide, 3 × 140 long, 300 high | 360 × 420 × 300 mm |
| Bottle weight | 5 L × 1.0 kg/L | about 5 kg |
| Pack weight | 6 × 5 | about 30 kg (plus bottles and film) |
| Wrapped section | 360 wide × 300 high | perimeter 2 × (360 + 300) = 1,320 mm |
| Advance per ring turn | 150 mm film × (1 − 50%) | 75 mm |
| Turns over the length | 420 ÷ 75 = 5.6 | 6 turns |
| Plus reinforcing | 6 + 2 | 8 turns |
| Film per pack | 8 × 1.32 m | about 10.6 m (before pre-stretch) |
Result. The pack is about 360 × 420 × 300 mm and about 30 kg of product, which sets the pusher force, the conveyor build and the ring opening. About 10.6 m of film per pack is the figure to use when comparing film cost with a shrink sleeve.
Matching the filler output
The bundle machine must keep up with the filler. Output in packs per hour is 3,600 ÷ cycle time in seconds. A filler running 1,800 bottles per hour in six-packs needs 1,800 ÷ 6 = 300 packs per hour, which is a cycle of 3,600 ÷ 300 = 12 s per pack. The cycle our machine reaches for your bottle and pack size is confirmed at quote.
Selection checklist
- Bottle shape, footprint, height and filled weight.
- Pack format: 2 × 2, 2 × 3 or other.
- Filler output in bottles per hour.
- Film type and width; handle or label window needed.
- Infeed and outfeed heights, and the line direction.
- Air and power supply.
Safety: EN 415-10 and ISO 12100
The machine is built to EN 415-10, the safety requirements for packaging machines, with the risk assessment to ISO 12100:2010. The turning ring and the pusher are the main hazards, so the wrapping station is closed by welded mesh guards and the pusher stroke sits inside the guarded area. Guarding and CE documents are agreed per project.
Engineering FAQ
Q: Does stretch bundling need a heat tunnel? A: No. Stretch film is applied cold, so the machine needs only drives and air.
Q: Can one machine run several pack formats? A: Yes, if the guide rails, stop and pusher are set for each format. Changeover is confirmed at quote.
Q: Why not use a long-product orbital wrapper? A: Standard horizontal orbital wrappers, such as the E200, are engineered for product lengths >1000 mm [manufacturer rating] to span across conveyor transfer sections; a compact bottle matrix (e.g., 420 mm length) requires dedicated mechanical pusher integration to traverse the wrapping center.
Q: How much film does a pack use? A: For a 360 × 300 mm section and 8 turns of 150 mm film, about 10.6 m.
Next step
- Send your bottle size, weight, pack format and line speed to info@fhopepack.com.
- We design the grouping, pusher and ring for your pack.
- We reply within 24 hours with a proposal and quotation.
Related reading
- E200 horizontal stretch wrapper (product)
- Bottle bundle shrink wrapping machine | bottle packing
- Automatic bottle grouping and shrinking machine
- Automatic feeding, grouping and shrinking machine for small products
- Bottle turntable pallet stretch wrapping machine
- Bottle pallet strapping machine
Sources
- FHOPE product page: E200 horizontal stretch wrapper
- FHOPE product page: Bottle bundle shrink wrapping machine (SK-080A)
- EN 415-10; ISO 12100:2010
Last reviewed: 2026-10-29
