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25 years of window wrapping in 9 pages
Introduction What is now Kalamazoo Packaging Systems started in 1970 as Kalamazoo Engineering. In 1978 we were shown a stretch film hand dispenser for the first time. We prototyped our present hand wrapper at that time and put one employee full time on developing our interest in the stretch film applicator business. In 1980 we started what is now Kalamazoo Packaging Systems. Our first exposure to window and panel wrapping was in late 1980 when we produced machines to package office panels. The first window wrapper was made about the same time. Through the 1980’s we produced a number of pallet wrappers that were converted to wrap or package windows. By 1990 it was generally acceptalbe to wrap windows in plastic film for shipment to their sale or installation point. Since a widow wrapping machine had to accomplish a much different task than a pallet wrapper, we developed a all new high speed window wrapper called the model 939. Since 1990 we have produced about 150 of these systems and they are all still operating at this time. Serial #1 is still wrapping windows every day in November of 2003. In 1992 we built our first wringer type window wrapper. Since then we have produced about 50 of these units of varying sizes. The most popular of these is our 850PMVW. This system is available in a number of different sizes ranging from a 40" wringer opening to a 90" opening. These wringers are supported by various types of loader and unloaders and have become very popular. We also build wringers to package lineals that are being supplied along with some window and door systems. Our latest offering is what we call a 939M9 Jumbo. This system can handle windows up to 120" tall and 144" wide. In the last year we have produced 5 of these units and they are packaging the now popular large window, sliding door and bay window products. Over the years we have in one way or another packaged millions of windows. I don’t know who the largest supplier of this type of equipment is, but I do know that we have built enough window wrappers to have a good idea of how to package a window. With this in mind, call us any time at 800-253-4625. A person will answer the phone between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. We are on Eastern Time and look forward to talking to you. Packaging Windows Using stretch wrap plastic as part of the packaging of a window assembly is not new. It has been used since the late 1970's and over the years has become the manner in which new and replacement windows are packaged for shipment. The manner in which the windows are handled, the film product that is being used, and the manner in which it is applied has evolved over the years until now it has become a very reliable and cost effective option. The film product being applied to a window is the real magic of the system. If you do not use a good quality film product, you are not going to have good results. The film is the key to a quality package. The average window will use about 5 ounces of film to properly protect it. If you are paying approximately $0.90 per pound for film, an ounce of film is costing you 5.6 cents. So the film for this part of the package will cost you about $0.28 per window. The difference between the good film and the bargain film just isn’t worth it. Today you can purchase high quality multi-layer film products with high slip exterior layer that has extremely high strength and puncture resistance in a 50 gauge thickness. This film, stretched about 20%, will give you the protection you are looking for including puncture resistance and high slip. The film is the package; therefore you do not want to package your product with a lower quality film that will jeopardize the integrity of your product. One of our best films has the following characteristics:
When to Package the ProductAs time has gone by the trend is to package the window when it is produced in the department or cell where the work is done. Packaging has become a function of the assembly group in a window operation. When the window is placed in a cart the first time, it is packaged and therefore protected from damage. The tendency is to use multiple wrapping systems on the manufacturing floor. Only packaged windows are transported in a cart to the shipping dock. How Do I Apply the Film to Create the Package?
There are two ways: Vertically using the 939-M9 or horizontally using the model 850PMVW. Both systems perform equally well. We have multiple installations of either of the systems. One should be chosen based on the user's vision of how the packaging should be accomplished. We have been building the model 939 since 1990. We are currently on the ninth revision of this system. They all are similar in function, but are different enough that for part support, technical advice, and system setup we like to know what version of the 939 it is. The average 939 will wrap with one operator, between 250 and 325 windows in an 8-hour shift. It handles random extremely well and can, by changing the program selector switch, wrap from 24"x36" to 96"x96" on the same machine. The 939-M9 Jumbo can go up to 144"x120". The product is wrapped vertically in the same manner that it is installed. The film is applied 30" wide and the multi-layer 50 gauge high slip film product does an outstanding job. How the film is applied may be selected from three pre-stored programs in the 939-M9 process control computer. This allows you to use the optimum wrap cycle for the window that is being being packaged, with the ability to change window size on the fly by changing the selector switch on the operator console. Our family of horizontal window wrappers ranges from the model 840 with a 40" wide opening in the wrapper up to the 890 with a 90" opening in the wrapper. The height of the window, or length in this case, is not really a problem as long as the operator(s) can handle it. Our most popular model is the 850. It uses the 12" by 50 gauge multi-layer high slip film products – the same as our vertical wrapper except in a 12" width roll. Two people running an 850PMVW can wrap 700 to 800 windows in an 8-hour shift. In the case of the 850 it will take windows up to 50" wide and as long or tall as the operator can handle. We have developed and sold loading and unloading assistance modules that go with the entire 800 series if needed. 800 windows per day is a lot of lifting so if that is what you are looking at, these assist modules should be looked at. One person can also operate the 800 series but the production rate drops to about 350 windows a shift and does not have the random capability of the 939. Which system works best is really up to what you feel comfortable with. Some manufacturers would never lay a window horizontally to package it, while others think the only way to package it is with a horizontal ringer. As I say, we make both. Packaging LinealsIn the last few years we have begun to get requests from our window customers for the ability to package lineals. This, if done by hand, is a very labor-intensive task and unless the individual accomplishing the task is very precise, the hand wrapped package doesn’t stand up very well. We make two systems with which you can package lineals. The 830PMV with V type input and output conveyors will do your larger bundles very well. With either 10" or 12" V roller conveyors you can unitize a rather large bundle of material. We have done some as large as 12"x12" by 22 feet long with excellent package integrity. For best results you should use a film product like that used in the carpet industry. Very tough film with a very slippery exterior is best; remember, you have to get these in and out of a truck. For smaller bundles we built the 816PMV with belted input and output conveyors. It will also handle up to a 12"x12" bundle without a limit on length. The 816PMV works best on smaller bundles with a high finish integrity. This system will give best results with the tough high slip film, the same as the 830PMV.
SupportAfter building systems to apply stretch film for 25 years we have come to the conclusion that the system must be simple enough for the operator to repair the system under most circustances. All systems come with parts explosions; part lists with a Kalamazoo part number and a Grainger part number when available. Wiring diagrams and computer logic diagrams are also supplied. If the user wants a copy of the computer program on a disk, we supply that also. The cable to connect a laptop to the process control computer for program modification is not supplied with the system, but we do supply the part number of the cable. For best service results get a volt meter and a cell phone and call us on our 800 number between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. We would like to know the serial number of the machine as that tells us what wiring diagram the machine has. In most cases there is a wiring diagram parts list someplace on the machine. Generally we can tell you what your problem is in about 3 or 4 minutes. Most parts are available locally and if not, we are located one half mile from the Grand Rapids United Parcel Service terminal so you can have the part the next day. When the system is down, you cannot do your job, and we are here to get you back up and running as quicly as possible. The number one cause of system failure is poor or low voltage electrical power. All of our systems built since 2002 have AC drives to control the motors, and these drives hanle low voltage very well. We have had good results with these systems. The ones built prior to 2003 will have problems if you have low voltage and the machine has not had maintenance after 165,000 cycles. Read your manual. It will tell you what you should look for in your maintenance cycle. Unlike in 1980, it is now generally accepted that the packaging of a window involves film of some type. Stretch film seems to be more cost effective than shrink film but still has not won out 100%. The new thinner and tougher stretch film stretched about 20% seems to do the best job. These films are extra slippery on the outside and their multi layer construction makes them very tough. Remember that inside a truck going down the road in the summer, the temperature can reach 160 to180 degrees. This will cause the film to further shrink. Be very aware of this and do not put the film on too tight and never prestretch it. In the plants I visit most are organized in cells and the packaging of the windows is accomplished in the cell where it is produced. It is protected as soon as it is built. It remains packaged until it is installed at the jobsite. The manufacturer generally packages the window the way they began 20 years ago. If they started as a vertical wrapper they would never dream of using a ringer. The same is true of the ringer user. There seems to be more demand for very large systems similar to our 939M9 Jumbo. We can only wrap 120" tall because we cannot get the system down the highway any taller than 13’ 6" with the trailer it is on. The largest swing that we have done is 144". I would think we could go larger than this if needed. This would be a very large package to wrap, however. Flexibility on the manufacturing floor is the name of the game. Most of the model 800 series wrappers we make are on casters as it makes it easier to reconfigure your manufacturing process. In the new millennium what you will be producing in 2012 is not what you made in 2006. The process and layout will be constantly in a state of change. This should be taken into consideration when you are buying your equipment. How will I use this in 2012 is a good question. ConclusionKalamazoo Packaging has been building equipment to apply stretch film since 1978. In that time there have been may changes in the film and the various industries we support. From atomic waste to airport baggage to windows and doors, we have tried them all. In most cases we came up with a saleable solution. We are always looking for something new just as we were in 1978 when we made our first hand wrapper. If you have something new and you would like us to look at it we will. If we can help you we will, but if we cannot we will tell you so. We will be here to help and a real person will answer the phone. Have a good day! Update: Spring 2006 Since 2003, when this was originally written, there have been some mior changes in product lineup, but nothing has drastically changed. Film has improved to that point where we are now using 12 micron thick (42 gauge) multi-layer film that is 30" wide on 939M9 systems, with excellent results. On the ringers, we run either 12" or 20" wide film at 13 microns (51 gauge) with good results as well. We have developed a full automatic lineal wrapper, model 820FA20 that can wrap at 80rpm and put out 110 feet of product per minute. A larger version of this machine can wrap 84" door panels at a little over 2 per minute. Our 939M9 Jumbo has grown to the point that there are customers wrapping window and door assemblies as large as 144" x 144". As the requirements of the industry change, we have changed, and will continue to do so in the future. We are presently operating over 225 systems in the field, which are putting out in excess of 100,000 windows and doors per day. Kalamazoo is here to help you with your architectural products and packaging challenges including windows, doors, and lineals. Give us a call if we can help.
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