In just about any factory environment, manufactured goods are stacked neatly and put on a pallet for shipping. But before they are loaded on a truck, they are wheeled up onto a rotating platform by the use of a pallet jack or lift truck. Electromechanical wrapping systems called pallet wrappers seal the sides and top of each pallet of goods. Using this type of device, not only seals the boxed merchandise from weather, but it fortifies, locks together and protects the finished manufactured products for safe shipment.
The wrapping material is made from man-made products that resemble cellophane and once staged on the platform, a machine operator hits the start button and the platform rotates until the pallet of materials are sealed. The more times it rotates, the heavier the seal.
Cellophane is resistant to moisture and acts as a barrier from rain and snow. The material is durable and the stretch factor locks the manufactured product together, much like cellophane sticks to the side of containers used for leftover foods. You know, those dinners that are put in the refrigerator to protect them from spoilage.
Another unique machine that seals boxes is called a strapping machine. A strapping machine, unlike the pallet wrapper, is much smaller device. The strapping takes an individual carton of goods of secures them with nylon banding material. Strapping machines come in many sizes and the technologies used can differ but the end result is the same – a uniform tightly sealed carton or container.
These machines can be purchased to seal boxes using plastic, metal or nylon materials. One word of caution: Any box or container sealed by strapping machines is under intense pressure. So you will need to stand aside when cutting the strapping material apart from the container. If you are not careful you could be slapped by a strap.