MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
The traditional protective cardboard "top hat" and base, cardboard sheets and strapping in a single prepared pallet cost around £4. Instead, Omega’s unique machine automatically inserts foam around the top and base and of the pallet, delivering improved protection for approximately 60p per pallet. A company sending out 2,000 pallets every month would save over £6,500 each month in packaging costs alone.
It takes, on average, three minutes for experienced personnel to apply packaging materials by hand to a conventional pallet so that it is ready for transport; Omega’s next-generation, automated pallet wrapper takes approximately 45 seconds to apply the packaging materials to a pallet.
By eliminating the need for cardboard, the foam edge protection ensures the load is stable, secure and well-protected, in addition to the labour-saving benefits of an automation system and having UK-sourced spares readily available.
The new Omega device is also environmentally friendly – both the stretch film and the foam are 100% recyclable. For the first time, too, the end-user no longer has to separate the packaging – the foam and film can be put into the same skip and the cardboard sheets re-used.
Announcing the new pallet wrapper, Brendan Hayes, co-founder and director of Omega, said "Our engineers have pushed the boundaries of conventional pallet-wrapping technology in what is a highly complex operation – particularly the placement of the foam-handling machine as the pallet rotates. With the economic downturn biting hard, here is a success story of UK innovation and production – one that could revolutionise pallet wrapping worldwide."
