Texwrap’s new on-the-fly automatic film splicing system is the latest offering to increase the productivity of a Texwrap shrink wrap system. With this option, production stoppages for film roll changes are eliminated. Without it. as a roll of film runs out, the machine would have to be stopped, the empty roll taken off, a new roll put on, film threaded, sealed and the machine returned to operation.

In many high speed applications, the downtime associated with film roll changes is a major issue because of lost production, or because the stoppage causes upstream accumulation issues in operations without significant packoff ability. This new design is capable of splicing films uninterupted at 200 feet per minute. It can even splice print registered films in the unprinted spaces at that speed.

The film stand holds two rolls of film- one that is being used and a second full roll that is waiting to be spliced. The stand is designed to hold up to a 19″ quad roll on a 6″ core. Splice preparation is very easy. While the wrapper continues to run at full speed, an operator removes the spent core and loads the full roll. Next, the film is threaded and the leading edge of the new roll placed in a clamp. It’s that simple. The splice is ready to go and the wrapper never stops or even slows down.

When a photoeye monitoring the film roll diameter senses that the roll is nearly empty, the splicer automatically seals the films together and simultaneously cuts the tail. The result is a strong, nearly invisible splice that travels through the film inverter and side seal on that type of wrapper and thru the film plow on a lap seal wrapper.