Packaging Equipment Operations

Executive summary

For continuous packaging of linear metal and polymer stock—including steel tubes, structural bars, and extruded profiles—the horizontal orbital stretch wrapper serves as the primary inline protective unit. The bundle advances longitudinally through an orbiting annular ring that applies a tightly tensioned helical stretch film envelope. Engineered for medium-duty industrial bundles, the FHOPE E400 series accommodates cross-sectional outer dimensions of 100–400 mm, lengths exceeding 1,200 mm, and payload capacities of 15–100 kg. System throughput is governed by dual frequency inverters controlling an orbital ring speed of 20–90 r/min and a synchronized conveyor velocity of 6–12 m/min.

During orbital packaging operations, bundled stock traverses the motorized roller beds into the rotating center of the structural ring frame. High-grade polyurethane dual friction wheels ensure vibration-dampened ring rotation, feeding pre-stretched wrapping media uniformly over the product perimeter. Downstream pneumatic clamping and automated cut-off devices operate via dedicated compressed air regulation to ensure clean cycle termination.

Table of Contents

• Operation step by step
• Main parts of the wrapper
• Applications
• E400 specifications
• Worked example: 6 m tube bundle
• Selection checklist
• Safety: EN 415-10 and ISO 12100
• Engineering FAQ
• Next step
• Related reading
• Sources

Operation step by step

1. Infeed & Alignment. Bundles or individual tubes are transferred onto the powered infeed roller conveyor via crane, manual loading, or integrated upstream handling tables.
2. Optical Detection. An industrial optical through-beam/diffuse photocell detects the leading bundle edge, triggering conveyor deceleration and initiating ring start at the programmed index point.
3. Synchronized Orbital Wrapping. The ring accelerates smoothly around the linearly advancing bundle. The continuous pitch ratio between horizontal conveyor velocity and orbital rotational speed determines the film overlap, programmable via PLC HMI from 10% to 90%.
4. Tail Cut & Clamp. At the trailing bundle edge, the ring completes reinforcing tail revolutions and returns to its home index position. The optional pneumatic cut-and-clamp unit severs the film and holds the leading tail for the next cycle without manual intervention.
5. Outfeed Discharge. The wrapped bundle transitions to the powered outfeed conveyor for subsequent inline steel/PET strapping, batch staging, or crane offloading.

Main parts of the wrapper

• Orbital Ring and Drive Transmission. Fabricated from precision-machined solid steel, the ring is driven by heavy-duty dual polyurethane friction drive wheels. The closed-loop mechanical transmission utilizes an inverter-controlled AC motor providing programmable S-curve acceleration/deceleration to eliminate mechanical shock.
• Film Delivery & Tension Carriage. Outfitted with a mechanical friction core brake, the carriage accepts stretch film, VCI anti-corrosion film, crepe paper, or woven PP tape. It accommodates rolls with 100–200 mm web width, 100–200 mm roll outer diameter, and standard 50 mm or 76 mm inner core diameters.
• Conveyor Handling Systems. The machine features standard 2,000 mm infeed and 2,000 mm outfeed motorized roller conveyors driven by independent helical gear motors with VFD synchronization. Roller tubes are encased in polyurethane sleeves or non-marking rubber to protect finished bundle surfaces. For workpieces exceeding 2,000 mm (such as 6 m stock), extended powered conveyors or modular idle roller extension benches must be integrated.
• Pneumatics and Control Architecture. Siemens or Delta PLC architecture paired with an industrial touchscreen interface. Monitors cycle timing, photoelectric positioning, safety interlocking, and system fault diagnostics.
• Civil & Foundation Requirements. Designed for installation directly onto a flat, non-cracking industrial reinforced concrete floor with a minimum bearing capacity of 10 kN/m² (1.0 t/m²).

Applications

E400 specifications

Note: For bundle profiles ranging from 200–600 mm and bundle loads up to 200 kg, the heavy-duty E600 series integrates pneumatic vertical press-down rollers and lateral guide rollers to stabilize stock during helical rotation.

Worked example: 6 m tube bundle

Consider a bundle of seven (7) cold-finished round steel tubes of dimensions Ø40 mm × 2 mm wall thickness, each 6,000 mm long, packed into a close-nested hexagonal bundle and wrapped using 150 mm film with a target 50% overlap.

Engineering Assessment: The bundle dimensions and mechanical loading fall cleanly within the continuous operating envelop of the E400, completing a single 6-metre cycle in roughly 53 seconds.

Kinematic Overlap Boundary Analysis: Conveyor linear feed pitch is governed by: Pitch = V_conveyor / N_ring Overlap is governed by: Overlap % = [1 - Pitch / W_film] × 100%

At the lower limit of continuous conveyor operation (6.0 m/min) combined with maximum orbital speed (90 r/min): Pitch_min = 6,000 mm/min ÷ 90 r/min = 66.7 mm/rev

• With 150 mm film width, maximum continuous overlap is: 1 - (66.7 / 150) = 55.5%.
• With 200 mm film width, maximum continuous overlap is: 1 - (66.7 / 200) = 66.7%.

To achieve extreme high-density wraps (>70%–90%) or localized reinforcement wraps at bundle ends, the system PLC executes a momentary conveyor crawl or dwell while the ring maintains rotation.

Weight Limit Verification: If the bundle were comprised of heavier Ø60 mm × 3 mm tubes (linear mass 4.22 kg/m per tube), the 7-tube bundle would reach approximately 177 kg. This exceeds the structural bearing limit of the standard E400 roller assembly; such duties require a reinforced conveyor frame and higher torque reducers, confirmed during application engineering.

Selection checklist

1. Workpiece Dimensions: Minimum/maximum width, height, outer diameter envelope, and total cut length.
2. Payload Loading: Mass per linear metre (kg/m) and gross single-bundle weight (kg).
3. Consumable Media: Material substrate (PE stretch, VCI, PP woven), roll width, and target overlap ratio.
4. Line Rate & Upstream Layout: Required bundles per hour, conveyor passline height, and inline vs. offline feeding interface.
5. Cycle Automation Level: Manual trailing edge cut vs. fully automated pneumatic clamp, cut, and wipe.
6. Auxiliary Site Utilities: Electrical supply specification (voltage, frequency) and compressed air availability.

Safety: EN 415-10 and ISO 12100

All FHOPE orbital wrappers are engineered in strict compliance with EN 415-10 (Safety of Packaging Machines: General requirements for pallet wrappers and orbital wrapping machines) and undergo comprehensive hazard mitigation under ISO 12100:2010. The high-inertia rotating ring represents the primary operational hazard:

• Enclosed interlocked perimeter fencing or optical light curtains are integrated around the rotating assembly.
• Category 4 / PL e safety interlocks immediately arrest ring momentum via regenerative braking upon perimeter breach.
• Complete CE certification documentation, electrical schematics, and risk assessment files are provided per client installation.

Engineering FAQ

Q: Does the tube bundle rotate while moving through the machine? A: No. The bundle is carried longitudinally on a non-rotating linear path by the conveyor rollers while the wrapping ring orbits around it.

Q: How is the film overlap percentage regulated during high-speed runs? A: Overlap is controlled by the electronic synchronization ratio between the ring rotation motor (VFD) and the conveyor feed motor (VFD). Adjusting this frequency ratio on the HMI directly modulates the advance pitch per revolution.

Q: What is the primary throughput bottleneck for long linear bundles? A: Rotational ring speed (maximum 90 r/min). At higher overlap settings (e.g., 50% with 150 mm film), the maximum permissible conveyor feed rate is physically constrained to 6.75 m/min to maintain film layer continuity.

Q: Can the E400 wrap individual tubes rather than bundled packs? A: Yes, provided the tube outer diameter meets or exceeds 100 mm. For individual bars or small tubes under 100 mm OD, vertical pneumatic hold-down rollers or smaller frame variants (such as the E300) are required to prevent stock shifting.

Next step

1. Submit Project Parameters: Forward product cross-sections, bundle weights, and target throughput to info@fhopepack.com.
2. Engineering Layout Review: FHOPE packaging engineers simulate the envelope clearance, calculate cycle pitch, and size required conveyor extensions.
3. Quotation Delivery: Receive a formal layout drawing, mechanical specification, and commercial quotation within 24 business hours.

Related reading

• E400 horizontal stretch wrapper (product)
• Orbital stretch wrap packaging machine
• Automatic bar wrapping machine
• Aluminum rod material wrapper
• Automatic horizontal orbital wrapping machine for pipes and bundles

Sources

• FHOPE Packaging Machinery Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Manual: E400/E600 Series
• EN 415-10: Safety of Packaging Machines – Wrapping Machines
• ISO 12100:2010: Safety of Machinery – General Principles for Design – Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction

Last updated: 2026-10-29