Metal fab shop eliminates rejected orders with new orbital wrapping machine

Metal machining and fabrication shop Monti, Inc., Greenwood, SC, has cut its rate of rejected orders from as high as 10 percent to zero by replacing its manual pallet wrapping process with the automated TAB Wrapper Tornado orbital wrapping machine. Saving thousands of dollars per pallet load in lost product along with the cost to rework the rejected orders, the TAB Wrapper Tornado has eliminated damage incurred during deliveries that rendered plated, powder coated, copper, aluminum and other parts and products off-spec and unacceptable upon receipt. The patent-pending orbital wrapper from TAB Industries, Reading, Pa., automatically wraps plastic film 360 degrees around and under the pallet and its load to create a secure, unitized load that provides both the high compression factor needed to keep the load pressed into place on the pallet and the side support needed to prevent shifting from side to side during transport. “Not a single order wrapped on the TAB Wrapper Tornado has been rejected,” says Nick LaVigne, plant manager for Monti. “And while lead times in the industry hover at three weeks or longer, our lead times for expedited orders have been cut to three days since automating the process.”

About TAB Wrapper Tornado

The boost in speed and efficiency is a result of transforming the wrapping process from a manual, three-person production requiring five minutes per pallet load to a one-person process needing as little as 60 seconds per pallet load. To operate, a single forklift driver sets the pallet load within the wrapping ring and presses start on the wireless, remote control (optional). When wrapped, the pallet load may be set in storage, moved in-plant for secondary operations or loaded for transport – all performed without leaving the seat of the forklift. “We’re wrapping loose and oddly shaped parts together onto a single pallet and we don’t need banding or strapping anymore,” says LaVigne. “We’re also saving on workers compensation insurance by reducing exposure to safety hazards.”