For sharp-edged loads, edge protection is recommended. For smooth PVC profiles, stretch film alone is enough.
Can I use the same film as my pallet wrapper?
Often yes, but the roll width and core size differ. Confirm before ordering film stock.
Maintenance and film changeover
Orbital wrappers are simpler than robotic cells: the ring travels on rails, the film carriage is the main wear part. Film rolls are changed by an operator in a couple of minutes. The rails and bearings need periodic lubrication. For a building materials plant running one shift, maintenance is light. Keep spare film carriage parts and blades on the shelf. SunAura includes a maintenance schedule and spare parts list with the machine.
Summary
Orbital wrappers for long unpalletized loads; turntable wrappers for standard pallets; rotary-arm wrappers for light unstable pallets. Match the wrapper to the load shape. Send us your product length, weight and bundle size and we will spec the right stretch wrapping section — and tell you if a cheaper option will do.
Sources
Technical ranges referenced: Orbital stretch wrapper application notes from Mosca and ItibGroup; Lantech and Cousins turntable and rotary-arm wrapper product catalogs; PMMI ProSource stretch wrapping buyer directory. The Bursa building materials configuration is this project’s own. Speed ranges are industry estimates.
Related reading
Standard orbital wrappers handle up to 6 meters; longer loads are custom-built. Tell us your maximum bundle length.
Do I need top-sheet or corner boards?
For sharp-edged loads, edge protection is recommended. For smooth PVC profiles, stretch film alone is enough.
Can I use the same film as my pallet wrapper?
Often yes, but the roll width and core size differ. Confirm before ordering film stock.
Maintenance and film changeover
Orbital wrappers are simpler than robotic cells: the ring travels on rails, the film carriage is the main wear part. Film rolls are changed by an operator in a couple of minutes. The rails and bearings need periodic lubrication. For a building materials plant running one shift, maintenance is light. Keep spare film carriage parts and blades on the shelf. SunAura includes a maintenance schedule and spare parts list with the machine.
Summary
Orbital wrappers for long unpalletized loads; turntable wrappers for standard pallets; rotary-arm wrappers for light unstable pallets. Match the wrapper to the load shape. Send us your product length, weight and bundle size and we will spec the right stretch wrapping section — and tell you if a cheaper option will do.
Sources
Technical ranges referenced: Orbital stretch wrapper application notes from Mosca and ItibGroup; Lantech and Cousins turntable and rotary-arm wrapper product catalogs; PMMI ProSource stretch wrapping buyer directory. The Bursa building materials configuration is this project’s own. Speed ranges are industry estimates.
Related reading
No. Orbital holds long bundles; pallet wrapping holds boxed loads on a pallet. They solve different problems.
How long a load can it handle?
Standard orbital wrappers handle up to 6 meters; longer loads are custom-built. Tell us your maximum bundle length.
Do I need top-sheet or corner boards?
For sharp-edged loads, edge protection is recommended. For smooth PVC profiles, stretch film alone is enough.
Can I use the same film as my pallet wrapper?
Often yes, but the roll width and core size differ. Confirm before ordering film stock.
Maintenance and film changeover
Orbital wrappers are simpler than robotic cells: the ring travels on rails, the film carriage is the main wear part. Film rolls are changed by an operator in a couple of minutes. The rails and bearings need periodic lubrication. For a building materials plant running one shift, maintenance is light. Keep spare film carriage parts and blades on the shelf. SunAura includes a maintenance schedule and spare parts list with the machine.
Summary
Orbital wrappers for long unpalletized loads; turntable wrappers for standard pallets; rotary-arm wrappers for light unstable pallets. Match the wrapper to the load shape. Send us your product length, weight and bundle size and we will spec the right stretch wrapping section — and tell you if a cheaper option will do.
Sources
Technical ranges referenced: Orbital stretch wrapper application notes from Mosca and ItibGroup; Lantech and Cousins turntable and rotary-arm wrapper product catalogs; PMMI ProSource stretch wrapping buyer directory. The Bursa building materials configuration is this project’s own. Speed ranges are industry estimates.
Related reading
SunAura Machinery Ships an Orbital Stretch Wrapper to a Turkish Building Materials Producer: Why Orbital Beat Turntable and Rotary-Arm Wrapping for Long Profiles
A building materials producer near Bursa came to us with a problem that is common but rarely discussed: they were wrapping long PVC profiles, aluminum extrusions and steel tubes — 3 to 6 meters long — on a standard turntable stretch wrapper, and the wrap did not hold. The product stuck out both ends of the turntable, the film only covered the middle, and loads arrived at the distributor unwrapped. They asked us for three options: a turntable wrapper, a rotary-arm wrapper, and an orbital stretch wrapper. We specified the orbital. This article explains why — and when the other two are correct.
How each stretch wrapper works
A turntable (rotary table) wrapper puts the pallet on a rotating platform and applies film from a moving mast; it is the default for palletized loads. A rotary-arm wrapper keeps the pallet still and swings a film arm around it; used for light or unstable loads that cannot rotate. An orbital stretch wrapper has a horizontal ring that travels along the length of the load, spiraling film around it; it is built for long, unpalletized loads like profiles, bundles, boards and pipes. The three machines wrap different shapes, not different speeds of the same job.
| Orbital wrapper | Turntable wrapper | Rotary-arm wrapper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load shape | Long profiles, bundles, boards | Palletized boxes | Palletized light loads |
| Load size | Up to 6+ m long | Standard pallet | Standard pallet |
| Speed | 10–30 loads/hr | 20–50 loads/hr | 20–40 loads/hr |
| Load rotates? | No | Yes | No |
| Relative cost | Medium | Low–medium | Medium |
| Best for | Profiles, pipes, lumber | Standard pallets | Light/unstable pallets |
Why orbital won in Bursa
The product was 4-meter PVC profiles and aluminum extrusions, bundled and laid horizontally on a conveyor. A turntable wrapper cannot handle a 4-meter load: it would cantilever off both sides. A rotary-arm wrapper is built for pallets, not long bundles. An orbital wrapper has a horizontal ring that the bundle passes through; the ring travels the length of the bundle, spiraling film around it. The bundle stays still on the conveyor. We specified a全自动 orbital wrapper with top and bottom film rolls, so the film holds the whole bundle together. The distributor no longer got loose profiles.
When a turntable wrapper is still the right call
If your load is a standard pallet of boxes, bags or drums on a 1200×1000 pallet, the turntable wrapper is the default. It is the cheapest, the fastest, and every warehouse mechanic knows how to fix it. SunAura ships turntable wrappers for food, beverage and consumer goods distribution. The orbital wrapper is a specialty machine — do not buy it unless your product is long and unpalletized. For standard pallets, it is a 2x over-spec.
What the orbital wrapper cannot do
Orbital wrapping holds a bundle together, but it is not a pallet load — it has no bottom deck, no pallet, no corner protection. If your long loads are stacked on pallets and need unitization like a standard pallet, you need a rotary-arm or turntable wrapper, not an orbital. Orbital is for bundles that ship on a rack or a flatbed, where the film holds the bundle as one unit. And it does not replace stretch hooding for high-cube loads. Specify the wrapper for how the product ships, not how it sits on the floor.
Film: cast vs blown for orbital wrapping
Orbital wrapping uses stretch film, but the requirements differ from pallet wrapping. The film has to wrap around a long bundle without tearing, and it needs enough cling to hold the bundle. Cast film is clearer, quieter and easier to apply; blown film is stronger and better for heavy or sharp loads. For PVC profiles and aluminum extrusions, cast film is standard. For steel tubes or lumber with sharp edges, blown film holds up better. SunAura helps you select the film based on the product weight and edge sharpness.
Integration with the bundling line
An orbital wrapper sits after the bundling station. Long products are grouped, strapped or bundled, and then fed through the ring on a roller conveyor. The conveyor speed, ring travel speed, and film tension all have to be synchronized. For a building materials line, the orbital wrapper is the last station before shipping. SunAura integrates the bundling conveyor, the orbital ring and the outfeed as one section. A standalone orbital wrapper bolted onto an existing conveyor often has height and speed mismatch.
Film tension and stretch percentage
Orbital wrapping stretches film around the bundle. The stretch percentage determines how tight the wrap is. Too tight and the bundle deforms; too loose and it comes apart. Modern orbital wrappers have powered pre-stretch carriages that stretch the film 150–300% before it wraps, using less film per load. For smooth PVC profiles, a lower stretch percentage is enough. For heavy steel tubes, higher stretch holds the bundle. Specify a powered pre-stretch carriage; it pays for itself in film savings within a year.
End-of-line integration with strapping
Long profiles are often strapped first (with PET or steel strapping) and then orbitally wrapped. The strapping holds the bundle together; the orbital film keeps it clean and weather-resistant for shipping. For a building materials producer, the line is: grouping → strapping → orbital wrap → outfeed. SunAura integrates the strapper and orbital wrapper on one frame. Buying them separately causes height and speed mismatch. Ask for the combined section, not just the orbital ring.
Ring opening and load dimensions
The orbital ring is sized to the thickest bundle you wrap. A 600mm square bundle needs an 800–1000mm ring opening. If you buy a ring that is too small, future bundles will not pass through. If you buy one that is too large, the film does not tension around the load. Measure the widest and tallest bundle, add 200mm clearance, and size the ring to that. For variable bundle sizes, spec the largest bundle. SunAura sizes the ring from your actual product drawings, not a guess.
What to do with very long or very heavy loads
Loads over 6 meters need a custom orbital wrapper with an extended rail. Loads over 500 kg need a heavy-duty conveyor and a stronger ring drive. For steel bundles or lumber, the conveyor is chain-driven rather than roller. For fragile aluminum profiles, the conveyor is lined to avoid scratching. Specify the load weight and length at quote time; an orbital wrapper built for light PVC profiles will not handle steel. SunAura builds both light and heavy orbital models.
Film savings and waste
Orbital wrapping uses film by the meter. A powered pre-stretch carriage reduces film consumption by 30–50% compared to a non-stretch carriage. On a line wrapping 20 bundles an hour, 16 hours a day, that adds up to a film roll a week saved. For a building materials producer, film is a recurring cost. Specify pre-stretch and compare film cost per bundle, not just machine price. SunAura calculates the annual film cost for your product before quoting.
Outdoor and weather protection
If the wrapped bundle ships outdoors or sits on a truck bed, the film protects against dust and rain. For long outdoor storage, add a top sheet or use UV-stabilized film. For indoor distribution, standard cast film is enough. For building materials that weather the sea on a container, UV-stabilized film prevents degradation in transit. Specify the shipping conditions when you order film. SunAura recommends film grades based on how the product travels.
What not to buy
Do not buy an orbital wrapper for standard pallet loads — a turntable is cheaper. Do not buy a turntable wrapper for 4-meter profiles — the load will not fit. Do not forget the infeed and outfeed conveyors. And do not under-specify the film roll width; a 500mm roll on a 600mm bundle leaves gaps. Specify the ring opening based on the thickest bundle you run. SunAura sizes the ring and the film roll to your actual product.
Budgeting the orbital section
An orbital wrapper is more expensive than a turntable wrapper but cheaper than a fully automatic palletizing line. The section includes the ring machine, infeed and outfeed conveyors, film carriages, and the control system. For a building materials producer, the payback is in reduced shipping damage — loose profiles returned by distributors cost more than the machine. Ask for the whole installed section, not just the ring.
FAQ
Can orbital wrapping replace pallet wrapping?
No. Orbital holds long bundles; pallet wrapping holds boxed loads on a pallet. They solve different problems.
How long a load can it handle?
Standard orbital wrappers handle up to 6 meters; longer loads are custom-built. Tell us your maximum bundle length.
Do I need top-sheet or corner boards?
For sharp-edged loads, edge protection is recommended. For smooth PVC profiles, stretch film alone is enough.
Can I use the same film as my pallet wrapper?
Often yes, but the roll width and core size differ. Confirm before ordering film stock.
Maintenance and film changeover
Orbital wrappers are simpler than robotic cells: the ring travels on rails, the film carriage is the main wear part. Film rolls are changed by an operator in a couple of minutes. The rails and bearings need periodic lubrication. For a building materials plant running one shift, maintenance is light. Keep spare film carriage parts and blades on the shelf. SunAura includes a maintenance schedule and spare parts list with the machine.
Summary
Orbital wrappers for long unpalletized loads; turntable wrappers for standard pallets; rotary-arm wrappers for light unstable pallets. Match the wrapper to the load shape. Send us your product length, weight and bundle size and we will spec the right stretch wrapping section — and tell you if a cheaper option will do.
Sources
Technical ranges referenced: Orbital stretch wrapper application notes from Mosca and ItibGroup; Lantech and Cousins turntable and rotary-arm wrapper product catalogs; PMMI ProSource stretch wrapping buyer directory. The Bursa building materials configuration is this project’s own. Speed ranges are industry estimates.