Machine Overview
| Machine type | Stretch cling film wrapping machine (cling wrap machine) |
| Models | Semi-automatic, with each product placed by hand; automatic, with trays fed in on a conveyor |
| Products | Trays of fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, cheese and dairy, and bakery items; the semi-automatic model also wraps cosmetic and industrial items |
| Pack | The product, on a tray or without one, wrapped tight in stretch cling film |
| Film | PVC stretch cling film on a roll, 350 to 550 mm wide |
| Tray sizes | Automatic tray size adjustment on the automatic model |
| Controls | Touch screen |
| Where it is used | Supermarkets, central packing facilities and food processors |
| Output | 20 to 25 trays a minute on the automatic model and 15 to 25 packs a minute on the semi-automatic, depending on tray and product size |
Models
A cling wrap machine stretches cling film over a tray or product and wraps it closed, doing by machine what is otherwise done by hand with a roll of cling film. It is one of the wrapping machines we supply, and the two models differ in how the product reaches the film: placed by hand on the semi-automatic model, or fed in on a conveyor on the automatic model.
01
Trays travel in on a conveyor and are wrapped in stretch film one after another, without anyone placing each tray. The machine adjusts to each tray size automatically, seals the film around the tray and runs from a touch screen. It is built for high-volume tray packing in supermarkets, central packing facilities and food processing plants.
Best for
•Meat and poultry trays
•Fruit and vegetable trays
•Cheese, dairy and bakery trays
Benefits
Automatic tray size change
Conveyor infeed for high volumes
Touch-screen control
02
The operator places each product on the machine, with or without a tray, and the machine wraps it in stretch cling film automatically, then prints a label to stick on the pack. It wraps whole produce such as a head of cabbage or a pumpkin, sliced watermelon, and fruit and vegetables on trays, as well as cosmetic and industrial items. It suits packers moving off wrapping by hand, because every pack comes out the same.
Best for
•Whole cabbage, pumpkin and sliced watermelon
•Fruit and vegetables on trays
•One operator loading by hand
Benefits
Same wrap on every pack
Works with or without a tray
Prints a label for each pack
Applications
Fresh produce. Trays and punnets of fruit and vegetables wrapped for retail:
Fruit and vegetable trays
Tomatoes, peppers and mixed vegetables
Whole cabbage, pumpkin and sliced watermelon
Meat and poultry. Trays of fresh meat and poultry for supermarket counters:
Fresh meat on trays
Poultry portions on trays
Central packing for several stores
Cheese, bakery and other products. Trays and single products wrapped in clear film:
Cheese and dairy products
Bakery items
Cosmetic and industrial items, on the semi-automatic model
Other products. If your product is not listed here, send us a sample, on its tray if it has one, and we will wrap it on a trial before we specify the machine.
A cling wrap machine wraps a product that is already on its tray or holds its own shape. For single items wrapped in a sealed film tube, see the flow wrap packaging machine; for shrink-wrapped trays and multipacks, see the L-bar sealer and shrink wrap machine.
Specifications
A cling wrap machine is set up for the trays and film you run. The figures below are from the machines we have supplied, and each machine is configured to the products the client packs, so larger items such as a whole cabbage or pumpkin are allowed for when the machine is specified. The figures for your line are confirmed in the quotation.
Output depends on tray size and on how the trays reach the film: the automatic model wraps trays as the conveyor delivers them, and the semi-automatic model runs at the pace of the operator placing each product.
| Semi-automatic | Automatic | |
|---|---|---|
| Loading | Each product placed on the machine by hand | Trays fed in on a conveyor |
| Output | 15 to 25 packs a minute, depending on product size | 20 to 25 trays a minute; smaller trays run faster |
| Pack size | Products 80 to 270 mm long and 10 to 185 mm wide | Trays 120 to 350 mm long, 95 to 220 mm wide, 10 to 130 mm high, with the tray itself no more than 50 mm deep |
| Pack weight | 40 g to 3 kg | 50 g to 4.5 kg |
| Trays | With or without a tray, including whole cabbage, pumpkin and sliced watermelon | Trays |
| Tray size change | Set for the product being wrapped | Automatic tray size adjustment |
| Film | PVC stretch cling film, 350 to 550 mm roll width | PVC stretch cling film, 350 to 550 mm roll width, rolls up to 160 mm in diameter (about 1,000 m) |
| Controls | Touch screen; prints a label to stick on each pack | 10.2-inch touch screen; can be linked to weighing and labelling |
| Power | 1.8 kW, 220 V, 50 Hz | 1.4 kW, 220 V, 50 Hz; 30 W on standby |
| Machine size | 988 × 736 × 1,262 mm | 3,200 × 1,100 × 1,400 mm with infeed and outfeed; 350 kg |
| Typical products | Food, cosmetic and industrial items | Meat and poultry, fruit and vegetables, cheese, dairy and bakery trays |
About our modelModel codes shown are machines we have supplied and configured for previous projects. Your machine is specified and configured to suit your product, output and pack format — not supplied off the shelf.
Not sure which model suits your trays? Send us a sample tray and tell us how many you wrap a day.
ABOUT THE MACHINE
A cling wrap machine, also called a stretch cling film wrapping machine, wraps a product or tray in stretch film that clings to itself and to the tray. The machine draws film from a roll, stretches it over the product so it sits tight and clear, wraps it under the tray and seals the pack. It is the same job a person does by hand with a roll of cling film, done the same way on every pack.
Also known as
Each pack goes through these steps.
On the automatic model, the machine adjusts to each tray size automatically, so trays of different sizes can run without stopping to reset it.
On the semi-automatic model, the operator places each product on the machine and the wrapping is done automatically, so the speed is set by how fast the operator loads it.
See both models running in the videos below.
Cling film suits products that are already on a tray or hold their own shape. Single items that need a fully sealed pack, or printed film, are flow wrapped instead.
For how flow wrapping compares with cling film and hand wrapping for produce, see the fresh produce wrapping machine.
Both cling wrap machine models running: the automatic model wrapping trays of mushrooms, meat, oranges, peaches and peppers, and the semi-automatic model wrapping trays of vegetables, a whole cabbage without a tray, and printing a label for each pack.
Trays of produce, meat and cheese wrapped in stretch film, with automatic size change.
Products are placed by hand and wrapped in cling film automatically, with or without a tray.
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Comparison
A cling wrap machine and a flow wrap machine both wrap trays in clear film. A cling wrap machine stretches cling film over the tray and wraps it underneath; a flow wrap machine forms film from a roll into a tube around the tray and seals it along its length and at both ends.
| Cling wrap machine | Flow wrap machine | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Film | Stretch cling film | BOPP, PE, PET and laminated films on a roll, printed or plain |
| Pack | Film stretched tight over the tray and wrapped underneath | A sealed film tube with end seals |
| Loading | By hand on the semi-automatic model; conveyor on the automatic model | Infeed chain or belt conveyor |
| Size change | Automatic tray size adjustment on the automatic model | Former adjusted and a recipe selected on the PLC |
| Typical products | Meat, poultry, produce, cheese and bakery on trays | Single items, trays, punnets, bars and multipacks |
Choose a cling wrap machine when your product is already on a tray and you want the clear, tight wrap that cling film gives. Choose a flow wrapper for single items, printed packs and products that need a fully sealed pack; see the flow wrap packaging machine and the fresh produce wrapping machine.
Shrink wrapping passes the tray through a heat tunnel to draw the film tight around it. A cling wrap machine stretches the film tight without a shrink tunnel. For trays and multipacks that need a fully enclosed shrink pack, see the L-bar sealer and shrink wrap machine.
Advantages
Choose a cling wrap machine when trays are being wrapped by hand in cling film. The machine stretches the film the same way on every tray, so packs look the same on the shelf, and on the automatic model trays of different sizes run without stopping to reset the machine.
Quotation
Every cling wrap machine is quoted to your trays and volumes rather than from a list price. For what shapes the figure on any machine quotation, see the packaging machine cost guide.
Why us
Every cling wrap machine we supply is set up and handed over by our own technicians.
Installation and commissioning.
We position the machine, connect the power, load the film and set it to your trays, then hand it over once packs are coming off cleanly.
Operator training.
Your operators learn to load the film, change tray sizes, run the machine and clean it.
Service, spares and support.
Spares are held in Johannesburg, and our technicians support the line in person and over phone and video. Every machine carries a one-year warranty.
Choosing the right cling wrap machine starts with your trays, how many you wrap a day, and whether they will be loaded by hand or on a conveyor.
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SA Packaging Machinery supplies cling wrap machines across South Africa and Southern Africa, in semi-automatic and automatic models. Send us a sample tray and tell us how many you wrap a day, and we will wrap it on a trial and quote the machine to suit.
Questions
Yes. A cling wrap machine, a cling film wrapping machine and a stretch cling film wrapping machine are the same machine: it stretches cling film over a tray or product and wraps it closed. We supply it in semi-automatic and automatic models.
A cling wrap machine wraps trays of fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, cheese and dairy products, and bakery items. The semi-automatic cling wrap machine also wraps cosmetic and industrial items, with or without a tray.
On the semi-automatic cling wrap machine, the operator places each product on the machine and the wrapping is done automatically. On the automatic cling wrap machine, trays are fed in on a conveyor and wrapped one after another, and the machine adjusts to each tray size, which suits high-volume packing in supermarkets and central packing facilities.
Yes, on the semi-automatic cling wrap machine, which wraps products with or without a tray, such as a whole cabbage, a pumpkin or a slice of watermelon. The automatic cling wrap machine is built to wrap trays fed in on its conveyor.
The automatic cling wrap machine adjusts to each tray size automatically, so trays of different sizes can run without stopping to reset it. It takes trays 120 to 350 mm long, 95 to 220 mm wide and up to 130 mm high, with the tray itself no more than 50 mm deep; tell us the tray sizes you run when you ask for a quotation.
The automatic cling wrap machine wraps 20 to 25 trays a minute, faster on smaller trays, and the semi-automatic cling wrap machine 15 to 25 packs a minute, depending on product size and the pace of the operator. The output for your trays is confirmed in the quotation, with a trial on your own trays before you order.
