Rotary Arm Pallet Wrapping Machine: Turning the Film, Not the Load

Executive summary

A rotary arm pallet wrapping machine turns the film, not the pallet. The load stands still on a conveyor while an arm carrying the film carriage circles it, so light, tall or unstable loads are wrapped without being spun. Our automatic R200 wraps loads up to 1,200 × 1,200 × 2,000 mm at 15–18 rpm, feeds, cuts and wipes the film by itself, and is quoted at 35 pallets an hour.

A forklift delivers the palletized load onto the powered roller conveyor at the wrapping station. A heavy-duty gantry frame spans the roller line, allowing the rotating arm and film carriage mast to circle the stationary pallet. A separate line-side control cabinet houses the PLC and operating interface, after which the fully wrapped pallet is discharged onto the downstream conveyor.

Table of Contents

Why a rotary arm instead of a turntable

On a turntable the whole load spins. A tall stack of light cartons, foam blocks or loose bags can lean or shift under the spin, and a heavy load needs a turntable rated for its weight. With a rotary arm the load does not move during wrapping:

  • Unstable loads are not spun, so they do not lean or throw off top layers.
  • Weight is carried by the conveyor, not by a rotating table.
  • Line layout is straight through: the pallet enters, stops, is wrapped and leaves on the same conveyor.

The trade-off is the overhead frame. The arm needs headroom and a frame stiff enough for the arm to run at full speed.

How the automatic cycle works

  1. Infeed. The pallet is set on the infeed conveyor and runs into the wrapping position.
  2. Height. A photo-eye sensor on the carriage automatically scans and registers the top of the load [manufacturer rating].
  3. Wrapping. The arm starts with smooth acceleration via inverter frequency control and circles the load on a heavy-duty ring bearing drive [manufacturer rating]. The film carriage lays bottom, middle and top layers, each settable from 0 to 99 winds, with programmable re-wrap, overwrap and reinforcement wrapping at selected heights [manufacturer rating]. An arm safety blocker device triggers an automatic stop if an obstruction is encountered [manufacturer rating].
  4. Cut and wipe. An automatic pneumatic scissor-type clamp catches the film, an instant heating wire makes a clean cut, and a soft brush wipes the tail firmly onto the pallet load; the clamp holds the film end ready for the subsequent pallet cycle [manufacturer rating].
  5. Outfeed. The conveyor carries the wrapped pallet out.

Pre-stretch force and tension are controlled by a dedicated drive motor (the pre-stretch ratio is set per film type and confirmed at quote), while independent top, bottom and cycle counters track every pallet wrapped [manufacturer rating].

R200 rotary arm data

Item R200 (automatic)
Max load size L 1,200 × W 1,200 × H 2,000 mm
Arm speed 15–18 rpm, by inverter
Output 35 pallets per hour (quoted)
Film 500 mm wide, 76 mm core, roll about 15 kg
Carriage speed 2.9 m/min
Layers 0–99 winds bottom, middle and top
Control PLC, independent buttons, photo eye
Power 380 V, 3 phase, 50/60 Hz
Air 6–8 kgf/cm², clean and dry

Note: Arm rotation speed, lift speeds, and photo-eye parameters are inverter- and PLC-managed [manufacturer rating].

For lower output, our semi-automatic rotary arm wrappers run the arm at 3–12 r/min with the operator tying on and cutting the film.

Worked example: 1,800 mm load

Take a load of 1,200 × 1,000 × 1,800 mm, 500 mm film, arm at 15 rpm, 3 bottom and 3 top winds, one pass up and one down (illustrative calculation):

Step Calculation Result
Load perimeter 2 × (1,200 + 1,000) 4,400 mm
Carriage rise per turn 2,900 mm/min ÷ 15 rpm about 193 mm
Spiral overlap 1 − 193 ÷ 500 about 61%
Carriage up 1.8 ÷ 2.9 m/min 0.62 min, about 37 s
Up and down 2 × 37 about 74 s
Turns while travelling 74 × 15 ÷ 60 about 18.5
Bottom and top winds 6 turns ÷ 15 rpm 0.4 min, 24 s
Wrapping time 74 + 24 about 98 s

Result. A full up-and-down pattern takes about 98 s of arm time. The load fits the R200 envelope with 200 mm of height to spare.

Wrap pattern and pallets per hour

Pallets per hour are 3,600 ÷ total cycle time in seconds. If transfer, cut and wipe take 30 s (an illustrative figure), the full pattern above gives 98 + 30 = 128 s, or 3,600 ÷ 128 = about 28 pallets per hour.

The quoted 35 pallets per hour means a cycle of 3,600 ÷ 35 = about 103 s. That needs a lighter pattern: for example one pass up only (37 s) plus 6 end winds at 18 rpm (20 s), about 57 s of arm time. The pattern is therefore the main lever on output, and the right one depends on load stability. It is set with you at quote.

Selection checklist

  1. Load length, width, height and weight.
  2. Load stability: light, tall or loose layers.
  3. Pallets per hour and wrap pattern.
  4. Headroom and floor space for the gantry frame.
  5. Conveyor height and line direction.
  6. Air and power supply.

Safety: EN 415-6 and ISO 12100

Pallet wrapping machines are governed by EN 415-6, with the risk assessment to ISO 12100:2010. The circling arm is the main hazard, so the wrapping area is fenced or guarded and the arm starts only when the area is clear.

Our factory test runs are made before the site fencing goes up; interlocked perimeter fencing is fitted at commissioning, supplied by us or by the buyer as agreed per project. The machine has a red mushroom-head emergency stop and a lockable electrical disconnect. Guarding and CE documents are agreed per project.

Engineering FAQ

Q: Does the pallet turn on a rotary arm wrapper? A: No. The pallet stands still on the conveyor and the arm circles it.

Q: How tall a load can the R200 wrap? A: Up to 2,000 mm, on a footprint up to 1,200 × 1,200 mm.

Q: How many pallets per hour? A: 35 per hour as quoted; a heavier wrap pattern lowers it.

Q: Does it need compressed air? A: Yes, 6–8 kgf/cm² of clean, dry air for the film cut and clamp.

Next step

  1. Send your load size, weight and pallets per hour to info@fhopepack.com.
  2. We set the arm speed, carriage and wrap pattern.
  3. We reply within 24 hours with a proposal and quotation.

Sources

Last updated: 2026-10-29

Last updated: 2026-10-29

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