Case Study: Beverage Distribution

Eliminating bottlenecks in a beverage distributor's stretch wrapping process with a custom equipment solution.

Challenges

A fast growing beer and liquor distributor has been expanding rapidly and their current stretch wrapping process was creating bottlenecks. They were using motorized pallet jacks with 96” forks to build and haul 3 pallets at a time to their stretch wrappers. The operators would then have to unload and wrap each load individually with a combination of rotary stretch wrappers and turntable wrappers. The wrappers created bottlenecks that pushed deadlines back and made shifts longer. As the company expanded they needed a solution to get all of their trucks loaded and ready to go for 5 a.m. deliveries.

Pick, wrap, and load all pallets by 5 a.m.
Wrapping 700-800 pallets in a 10 hour shift every night
Eliminate bottlenecks and downtime at stretch wrappers
Continue to use their 96” long pallet jacks and 3 pallet load system

Solution

Rocket Industrial partnered with Cousins Packaging to develop an overhead automatic stretch wrapper with a drag chain conveyor. This specialty designed wrapper allows the operators to place all 3 pallet at ground level; the drag chain conveyor then pulls and separates each pallet to be wrapped. The Cousins 4100-45-OHA performs the following in one automated line:

Allows 3 pallets to be dropped and separated by the chain lug system at one time
Stretch Wraps each load individually at a speed of 45 Loads per hour
Weighs and labels each load for quality control measures
Returns the same 3 pallets back together so they can be loaded on the correct route truck

Results

By installing two of the Cousins wrappers this facility has the ability to wrap 900 loads in a 10 hour shift. This packaging automation upgrade has decreased wrap times by over 30% and allows timely loading of all their route trucks.

This project was so successful, that it was also featured in Packaging World.