Executive summary A fabric roll has to be wrapped round its whole outside without flattening it or pulling the cloth out of line. Our fabric roll stretch wrapper lays the roll on its side in a cradle and turns it slowly. A film carriage on the top beam travels along the roll and lays stretch film around it in a spiral. Film overlap and the number of passes are set in the program per roll size.
Table of Contents
- Cradle radial wrap layout
- How radial roll wrapping works
- Estimating roll turns and film
- Protecting the roll
- Controls and safety
- Selection checklist for a roll stretch wrapper
- Engineering FAQ
- Next step
- Related reading
- Sources
Cradle radial wrap layout
The radial roll packaging station uses a heavy-duty gantry frame with an integrated drive cradle at floor level and an overhead linear traverse beam:
- Horizontal drive cradle: The textile roll rests horizontally between motorized cradle rollers. These turn the roll smoothly about its central axis at controlled surface speeds without imposing vertical crush forces.
- Overhead linear traverse beam: A rigid cross-beam guides the film carriage along the longitudinal axis of the roll.
- Spiral film deployment: As the roll rotates in the cradle, the carriage travels horizontally from one end to the other, dispensing stretch film in a continuous, consistent spiral wrap pattern.
- Single-pass surface coverage: The automated cycle covers the entire outside roll diameter and wraps over both edges in a single programmed pass or multi-layer cycle.
How radial roll wrapping works
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cradle | Holds the roll on its side and turns it smoothly during wrapping |
| Top beam | Carries the film carriage linearly along the length of the roll |
| Film carriage | Travels along the roll and feeds stretch film at controlled tension |
| Control panel | Sets roll turns, carriage traverse speed, and film overlap |
The roll turns while the film carriage traverses along the top beam, laying film in an overlapping spiral across the outer circumference.
The machine supports an adjustable overlap rate between 10% and 90% [manufacturer rating]. The carriage traverse speed and cradle drive are linked through inverter-driven soft start and soft stop control [manufacturer rating], which prevents jerking or edge telescoping. Because the roll rests horizontally in the cradle, delicate fabrics are never stood on end, and heavy rolls do not require loading onto an elevated vertical turntable.
Estimating roll turns and film
The carriage moves a set linear distance for each revolution of the roll. The following is an illustrative example for a roll 1,600 mm long and 400 mm in diameter, using 500 mm wide film at a 50% overlap rate:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Roll length | 1,600 mm |
| Advance per roll turn, 500 × (1 − 0.5) | 250 mm |
| Roll turns to cover the length (1,600 ÷ 250) | about 7 |
| Roll circumference, π × 400 mm | 1,257 mm |
| Film laid on the roll surface, 7 × 1.257 m | about 8.8 m |
Note: Values shown are for engineering illustration. Power pre-stretch systems can deliver up to 250% pre-stretch ratio (with 100% to 300% regulation range) [manufacturer rating], substantially reducing raw film resin consumption.
Extra turns at each end reinforce the film tails, secure loose edge flaps, and fold protection around the roll margins. These end-wrap reinforcement turns are set directly in the recipe parameters.
Protecting the roll
| Concern | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Flat spots on the cloth | The roll lies supported in a dual-roller cradle, distributing load instead of resting on a flat bed |
| Surface marking and scuffing | Cradle rollers are lined with polyurethane (PU) sleeves to prevent scuff marks [manufacturer rating] |
| Dust and damp in storage | Full spiral film coverage protects the entire outside diameter |
| Loose cloth end | Initial base wraps lock the tail down without requiring tape or staples |
| Roll ends | Extra programmed end turns fold film over the roll edges |
Film tension must be precisely adjusted on the control interface. Excessive wrap tension on a soft roll can create pressure ridges, compress interior cloth layers, or stretch sensitive knit fabrics out of shape. For delicate materials, the carriage feed tension is minimized to protect product integrity.
Controls and safety
The main control cabinet features an integrated PLC and operator HMI for configuring wrap recipes, roll rotation speed, carriage travel, and film tension [manufacturer rating]. A high-visibility emergency stop button (red mushroom push button) [manufacturer rating] and standardized warning plates provide operational safety.
- Clearances: Personnel must stay clear of the turning cradle rollers and the overhead traverse carriage during automatic operation.
- Safety architecture: The electrical and mechanical design complies with market-specific packaging safety standards. In CE markets, risk assessments are governed by ISO 12100, and overall safety and hygiene requirements follow EN 415-10. Optical safety light curtains and safety fence interlocks can be integrated for automated cell safety.
Selection checklist for a roll stretch wrapper
- Roll diameter and length, smallest to largest.
- Roll weight.
- Fabric type and how easily it marks.
- Film cover only, or film plus end caps.
- Rolls per hour.
- How rolls are loaded: crane, forklift or conveyor.
Engineering FAQ
Q: Does the roll stand up during wrapping? A: No. It lies horizontally on its side in the cradle and turns, while the carriage travels along the top beam. This prevents core telescoping and crushed roll ends.
Q: How many turns does a roll need? A: Roll length divided by the advance per turn gives the traverse turns, which is about 7 turns in our 1,600 mm example. Reinforcement end turns are added at both ends in the wrap recipe.
Q: How much film goes on one roll? A: Approximately 8.8 m of film is laid on the surface in our worked example (for a 400 mm diameter roll using 500 mm film at 50% overlap, before accounting for pre-stretch expansion and extra end turns).
Q: Will the film mark soft fabric? A: High film tension can crease or mark soft fabrics. The carriage tension should be set low via the HMI recipe, and tested on sample rolls to confirm surface protection.
Q: Are the roll ends covered? A: Extra programmed turns at each end overhang and fold film around the outer roll edges. For complete moisture-tight sealing against long-term storage conditions, separate circular end discs or protective caps can be added before wrapping.
Next step
We plan your roll stretch wrapper in three steps:
- Submit your layout drawing with roll sizes, weights, and required hourly output to info@fhopepack.com.
- Receive a proposal within 48 hours, including frame sizing, cradle roller specifications, and wrap cycle calculations.
- Book a site survey to check infeed roll loading clearances and available floor space.
Related reading
- Horizontal orbital stretch wrapper
- E300 horizontal stretch wrapper
- Video: horizontal stretch wrapper for light paper products
Sources
- Machine content: FHOPE engineering team, 2026-10-04
- Coil wrapping systems technical reference (FPS-300 horizontal coil wrapper platform)
- Stretch carriage control specifications (A300 stretch wrapper program platform)
- Turns and film calculation: Worked engineering example, illustrative values
- Standards compliance: ISO 12100:2010, EN 415-10:2014
Last reviewed: 2026-10-29
