Handle It recently completed a custom pallet wrapping job that supplied a semi-automatic pallet wrapper to an onion and garlic growing company. The project required Handle It to demonstrate that their pallet wrapping machines could securely wrap a fragile product for safe transport.

Dutch Valley Growers

Dutch Valley Growers is a grower and wholesale supplier of onion sets and garlic bulbs in La Crosse, Indiana. James Paarlberg, his sons, and several experienced employees operate all aspects of the farm and multi-warehouse facility. In addition to growing and processing, they also manage sales, marketing, storage, packaging, and shipping.

The Challenge—A Tense and Irregular Situation

James Paarlberg had a good problem on his hands—business was increasing, but so was the usage of the older manual pallet wrapper. The time it took to wrap a pallet for shipment safely had caused the entire shipping department to back up and slow to a crawl.

Each pallet required the use of a specialized mesh-type shrink wrap that allowed the very fragile onions and garlic to breathe while in transit. When wrapping each irregularly-sized load, the workers also had to apply just the right amount of manual tension—too much and the product gets damaged—too little, and it falls off.

As time went by and the shipping department became even more backed up, James realized that he needed to source a new pallet wrapping machine. However, he had one important concern—how could he be sure that the mesh-type shrink wrap they used would work on a semi-automatic machine?

The Solution

James reached out to Handle It and asked if they had a machine that could improve efficiencies and solve his unique pallet wrapping challenge. The engineers at Handle It suggested that James ship them a roll of their special mesh shrinkwrap for testing.

The tests proved to be successful, and James purchased the Model SWM-SA-800XHT semi-automatic pallet wrapper. The Handle It engineers also offered suggestions for the right machine settings to provide the optimal tension for a consistent, safe, and secure wrap.

The Model 800 can wrap an average of 100 loads per day and comes with a wide range of beneficial features, such as:

• 18 customizable wrap programs
• User-friendly control panel
• 86″ maximum load wrap height, extendable to 98”
• Adjustable tension control
• 4400lb maximum load weight capacity

The Electromagnetic Film Tension allows for up to 150% film stretch, resulting in significant shrink wrap savings versus the often wasteful and imprecise method of wrapping a pallet by hand.

Results—Improved Efficiency and a Happy Customer

Dutch Valley Growers now has a semi-automatic pallet wrapper that accurately and consistently wraps loads in a fraction of the time it took to do it manually. The Model 800 pallet wrapper only requires a single operator to do what was once a labor-intensive, three-man job. James, his sons, and the workers couldn’t be happier.

Let Handle It Solve Your Pallet Wrapping Challenges

Handle It manufactures and carries a wide range of semi and fully automatic pallet wrapping machines that offer a consistent and secure wrap while helping improve overall efficiencies.

Learn more about why countless shipping departments have chosen Handle It to solve their toughest pallet wrapping challenges.

Contact one of our experts to learn more

Model 800 Pallet Wrapper Using Breathable Film