Use Case – SMARTWRAP S3 In-line Pallet Wrapping Machine

The Challenge

A fast-moving consumer goods facility near Brno was dispatching more than 450 pallets of bottled drinks each day, operating across three shifts. Forklifts transported pallets from the end-of-line conveyor to a pair of standalone semi-automatic pallet wrappers positioned 40 metres away.

Each pallet required an operator to manually attach, monitor, and cut the stretch film, a process that, including driving and waiting, took between three and four minutes per pallet. During busy periods, forklifts queued at the wrappers, resulting in as much as 45 minutes per shift of lost forklift time and restricting throughput to approximately 18 pallets per hour. Heavily loaded mixed pallets, often weighing close to 3,000 kg, sometimes became unstable during transfer, leading to two or three damaged pallets each week and expensive reworking.

The packaging supervisor sought an in-line automated solution capable of matching the high-speed production line, eliminating manual handling at the wrapping stage, securing heavy loads, and providing a clear return on investment compared to employing additional forklifts or staff.

The Solution

The facility opted for the SMARTWRAP S3 In-line Fully Automatic Pallet Wrapping Machine, integrating it directly into the existing roller conveyor system between the palletiser and the dispatch buffer. The machine was set to operate at around 60% of its maximum throughput of 30–40 pallets per hour, ensuring both reliability and capacity for maintenance.

The installation featured the standard 2,000 mm slewing bearing turntable, a Siemens PLC with a 7-inch touchscreen interface, and a Power Roller Stretch Plus film system with 300% pre-stretch capability. Automatic film cutting and clamping eliminated all manual film handling, while photoelectric sensors for height detection and programmable wrapping cycles (including the Pallet Grip System) secured mixed-height pallets up to 2,400 mm tall.

Pallets are now conveyed automatically on stainless steel conveyors through the wrapping machine, with no forklift involvement required until after wrapping, thereby removing the previous bottleneck at the wrapping stage.

ROI Calculation

Before – Standalone wrappers:

• Daily output: 450 pallets per day over three shifts
• Average handling and wrapping time: 3.5 minutes per pallet (including driving, queuing, manual wrapping, and cutting)
• Total forklift and operator time: 450 × 3.5 = 1,575 minutes ≈ 26 hours per day
• Staffing: 2.5 full-time equivalents (forklift and wrapper operators) at approximately 23 euros per hour fully loaded cost
• Daily labour cost: 26 hours × €23 ≈ €598 per day
• Film consumption with low pre-stretch: about 0.30 kg per pallet at €2.2 per kg → €0.66 per pallet → €297 per day
• Weekly damage and rework: 2 pallets per week at roughly €150 each → €300 per week ≈ €60 per day
• Total relevant cost before ≈ €955 per day

After – SMARTWRAP S3 in-line:

• Machine operating at 60% capacity: approximately 32 pallets per hour, easily keeping pace with the production line
• Operator time: line operator manages wrapping programmes; forklift only needed for outbound collection → about 1.0 full-time equivalent at €23 per hour
• Daily labour cost: approximately 11.5 hours per day × €23 ≈ €265 per day
• 300% pre-stretch and optimised wrapping: about 0.19 kg per pallet at €2.2 per kg → €0.42 per pallet → €189 per day
• Damage and rework reduction: more than 70% fewer incidents, now around €18 per day
• Total relevant cost after ≈ €472 per day
• Daily savings ≈ €955 − €472 = €483 per day

Investment:
SMARTWRAP S3 in-line pallet wrapper and conveyor integration: €24,999
Net daily savings: ≈ €480 per day
Payback period: €24,999 ÷ €480 ≈ 52 days → payback achieved in less than three months, even allowing for ramp-up and maintenance.

Results

By introducing the SMARTWRAP S3, the end-of-line bottleneck was eliminated, sustainable throughput was raised to approximately 32 pallets/hour, and more than one full-time equivalent in labour was released. Forklift movement and waiting times near the wrapping station were greatly reduced, and the Pallet Grip System notably minimised load shifting on pallets weighing up to 3,000 kg.

With tangible reductions in labour, stretch film usage, and product damage, the investment paid for itself in well under a quarter, securing a vital point in the FMCG facility’s logistics chain.

“Switching to in-line wrapping with the SMARTWRAP S3 has transformed our dispatch zone. Forklift operations are now seamless, our film consumption has decreased, and the wrapping area no longer dictates the pace for the entire line.” — Petr Novak, Packaging Manager, Brno Beverages s.r.o., Czech Republic