New range of stretch wrappers
SIAT's new stretch wrappers range might look nothing like its predecessors but Australian agent CPS says the sleek design is married to bulletproof engineering.
Released in May, the new range comes just weeks after Cling Packaging Systems itself underwent an identity change, emerging as CPS.
The first few units shipped out from Italy suggest Siat has also undergone a revolution in style, with smooth lines, enclosed motors and colourful touch-pad control panels.
Siat's robust steel masts remain a feature of the wrapper range. In fact, it gains added strength with a new common oversize heavy-duty 1650mm diameter turntable across the range lifting the capacity of all units to 2000kg.
Also standard is a fully adjustable wrap program that allows users to set the number of wraps at any position up or down the load. CPS technical director Kris Stefanidis said the added flexibility was particularly valuable for users with unstable or tall loads.
"We're seeing more double pallet loads now, which are much more stable if you can apply an extra wrap around the base of the top pallet - effectively at the middle of the load - and the new Siat wrappers do that very efficiently," he said.
"As well, all the units have variable speed turntables, so there's no jerky starts or stops to shift light loads."
Waterproofing is also easy as the pallet cap option is available mid-cycle. Adequate overlap can be achieved from the very first layer, preventing the channelling of water into the load that occurs when left to the end of the cycle.
Mr Stefanidis said the food industry would appreciate the lubricant-free belt carriage drives, avoiding concerns about the contamination sometimes associated with chain mechanisms.
The most obvious change however, is the flush touch-pad control panel. Using colour-coded sections as a guide, and icons rather than complex menus, the controls are more user-friendly and accessible to multicultural workforces.
Beyond the control panel, improvements to the carriage and cutting mechanism have made the top of the line semiautomatic Siat wrappers significantly easier to use. Starting a new roll is as simple as laying the film across the face of the rollers and closing the gate.
The rollers now achieve 10 per cent more pre-stretch, at a maximum of 220 per cent. At the completion of the cycle, a pointed tine enclosed within the carriage cuts the film as it is drawn taut by an extra revolution of the turntable.
"Hidden inside the wrapper, nothing can get caught on the new cutting mechanism - it's very safe, very well protected and extremely effective," Stefanidis said.
The intermediate WS2E model misses out on the powered pre-stretch, employing a friction brake to achieve 100% stretch, but even this is more user-friendly than in earlier models. The degree of stretch is input at the control panel, avoiding the need for trial and error mechanical adjustment.
CPS expects the base model, which now includes many of the features once only found on more expensive models, will be popular for low volume applications.
5-May-2004