Innovative packaging technology from BEUMER: Reliable product protection with stretch hood®

Innovative packaging for optimum shipping and reliable product protection are more in demand than ever before.

In addition to five-sided protection of the products against dirt, moisture and strain during shipment, its high degree of stability, easy bar code recognition and low maintenance costs are also part of the decisive criteria for efficient packaging technology. The BEUMER Group with its main headquarters in Beckum, Germany, developed the high-capacity stretch hood® packaging machine for highly efficient full pallet packaging. Various different process patents impressively demonstrate a flawless and cost-efficient packaging result with which the BEUMER Group has once more proven its market leadership. BEUMER is among the world's leading suppliers of innovative packaging machinery and stands for first-rate quality combined with a pronounced customer orientation.

Compared with conventional packaging methods like the stretch wrapping and shrinking methods the BEUMER stretch hood® method combines the advantages of those systems while simultaneously avoiding their disadvantages. The result is a high-capacity packaging machine that stands for an excellent display effect, five-sided product protection, elimination of laminates, protection against theft, minor maintenance expenses, minimised packaging costs and increased throughput capacities.

Resourceful film handling and well-engineered function modules combined with the utmost in modern control technology make the BEUMER stretch hood® an efficient packaging machine. Thanks to innovation from BEUMER an enhanced cost-benefit ratio is ensured simultaneously with optimum and convenient packaging. This is also due to the minimal consumption of packaging materials that has been reduced by up to 40 percent in relation to shrinkwrap technology as well as to lower costs for energy. In addition, the optimised technology allows for packaging capacity up to 180 packages an hour, depending on the size of the pallet and the height of the product stacks.

The smooth and perforation-free surface with an optimum welding seam length facilitates a clear view of the packaged good(s) inside. In that way an excellent display effect is created at the point of sale. In addition, through the transparent film any possible damages can be easily recognised.

With a total of 13 patents and registered utility models, BEUMER enjoys extensive patent protection in the field of stretch hood technology. And within it, it is three process patents of special importance that demonstrate the BEUMER Group's unique position in this segment.

With the protection of biaxial stretch under patent EP 0344 815 the vertical expansion of the film during the stretch process is expanded vertically by more than five percent. The residual expansion that results from this ensures that vertical tensions remain in the film that have a decisive effect on transport safety and in addition lower the consumption of packaging material. With biaxial stretch, excellent stacking stability persists even after repeated transloading. Even sensitive piece goods are optimally protected by this method.

The second process patent relates to film formatting under EP 0 399 540. In this case, the film hood's welding seam lies flat on the packaged good(s), something that prevents protruding film, so-called "corners". Such corners would make both stacking as well as sliding the pallets into high-rack storage areas more difficult.

With the understretch patent, EP 0633 186 / DE 40 42 550 the BEUMER Group ensures a weatherproof and shipment-safe loading unit. With conventional stretch wrapping methods the film pulled underneath the pallet then pulls far upwards again. In order to avoid this effect, the BEUMER technique uses the understretch where the film is deliberately threaded underneath the pallet and clings to the pallet before it is released. Immediately prior to the end of the stretch process the film is stopped by pressing down the braked crimping rollers and slackening it horizontally by threading it under the pallet. With this process, the film hood is securely fastened by grappling the stack from below.