Executive summary Export crates need a cover on top, corner boards and film round the sides, and doing those by hand takes extra people and floor positions. Our cell in this video lays a top sheet over a wooden crate, places four corner protectors and wraps the crate with rotating arms, all at one station. Material per load follows from the load size and the sheet overhang. We set both per project.
Table of Contents
- What the video shows
- How the three-in-one cell works
- Top sheet size and corner boards per load
- What we set per load
- Controls and safety
- Selection checklist for a top sheet, corner and wrapping cell
- Engineering FAQ
- Next step
- Related reading
- Sources
What the video shows
An operator stands at the control cabinet on the left while a wooden crate on a pallet waits under the yellow gantry. The yellow beam lowers and film from a roll above drapes over the top of the crate. A caption reads “pallet top sheet + corner placement + rotary arm wrapping”.
Clamping units on both sides, with air cylinders and grippers, place four light-brown corner protectors on the crate corners; a caption says the machine picks the four protectors automatically. The arms then come down, close in and rotate, winding clear stretch film around the crate, and lift away at the end.
How the three-in-one cell works
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Infeed | The crate arrives on the roller conveyor |
| Top sheet | The beam lowers and film drapes over the top |
| Corners | Side units place four corner protectors |
| Wrap | The rotating arms wind film round the crate |
| Outfeed | The arms lift and the crate moves on |
The corner boards go on before the film, so the film holds them in place and spreads the load at the edges.
Top sheet size and corner boards per load
Illustrative example:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Load footprint (illustrative) | 1,200 × 1,000 mm |
| Overhang each side (illustrative) | 200 mm |
| Top sheet, (1,200 + 400) × (1,000 + 400) | 1,600 × 1,400 mm |
| Load height (illustrative) | 1,000 mm |
| Corner boards, 4 × 1.0 m | 4 m |
The overhang folds down the sides, so the film holds the top sheet when the arms wrap.
What we set per load
| Setting | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Sheet length | Covers the top plus overhang |
| Corner board length | Matches the load height |
| Arm turns | Film layers on the sides |
| Arm height range | Matches the tallest load |
We set these on trial with your crates and keep them as recipes. For a top sheet without corner placement, see our arm stretch wrapper with top sheet dispenser.
Controls and safety
The gantry beam lowers, the corner units close and the arms rotate round the load. Keep people outside the cell while it runs, and enter only with it stopped. For pallet wrapping machines, EN 415-6 adds the specific safety requirements.
The standards that apply depend on the destination market. For CE markets, ISO 12100 sets the risk-assessment method and EN 415-10 sets general requirements for packaging machines.
Selection checklist for a top sheet, corner and wrapping cell
- Load footprint, height and weight.
- Top sheet material and overhang.
- Corner board size and length.
- Film layers on the sides.
- Loads per hour.
- Compressed air supply at the cell.
- Conveyor height and floor space.
Engineering FAQ
Q: Why place corner boards before the film? A: So the film holds them in place and spreads the load at the edges.
Q: How big is the top sheet? A: Load footprint plus the overhang on each side: 1,600 × 1,400 mm for a 1,200 × 1,000 mm load with 200 mm overhang in our example.
Q: How many corner protectors does a load get? A: Four, one on each vertical corner; 4 m of board for a 1,000 mm high load.
Q: How is the top sheet held before wrapping? A: The overhang drapes down the sides, and the film wound by the arms holds it.
Q: How is the film wound? A: By rotating arms that close in over the load, while the load stays still.
Q: Which safety standard applies? A: For CE markets, EN 415-6 covers pallet wrapping machines.
Next step
We plan your rotary arm wrapping cell in three steps:
- Submit your layout drawing with load sizes, weights and output to info@fhopepack.com.
- Receive a proposal within 48 hours, with the sheet, corner and film plan.
- Book a site survey to check the conveyor layout and floor space.
Related reading
- Automatic pallet wrapping machine
- Video: FHOPE-R100 rotary arm pallet wrapper with film cutter
- Video: double rotary arm stretch wrapping machine
Sources
- Machine content: FHOPE engineering team, 2026-10-04
- Pallet wrapper safety: EN 415-6
- Sheet and board example: our worked example, illustrative values
- Machine in action: our video on YouTube
- Standards scope: ISO 12100:2010, EN 415-10:2014
Last reviewed: 2026-10-04
