Muller LCS Blog

Ash Grove Packaging manages the distribution of the product array from the parent Ash Grove Materials Corporation. The cement products manufacturer’s 135-year history is a testament to continuous improvement, and when they looked for ways to improve the palletizing and shipping of products to its global customers, they found a new solution from their existing partner, Lachenmeier.

When it comes to pallet security, the right wrap places a critical role. Whether it’s a traditional hand wrap or an automated solution, selecting the proper film can ensure a secure fit and a productive process. Finding both the right film and the proper process can save time, money and man-hours. Waste Gas Fabricating Co. used the GaleWrap film with the Yellow Jacket robotic pallet wrapper and found significant savings right away.

The food distribution business is designed to value speed and secure packaging to the grocery aisle--and ultimately to the consumer. Different kinds of products present individual challenges and, as a result, different pallet management systems are required. Macaroni and cheese is a dietary classic, and is a relatively simple product to make and package for the consumer. But because of the high volume of boxes shipped each day, the primary issue is securing the mac and cheese boxes to the pallet.

The first consideration in any stretch wrapping operation is a secure load. Right after that comes the consideration of how much wrap material needed to secure the load. When the Octopus ring technology was developed more than 30 years ago, it addressed both issues in a compact and efficient form. The pallet stayed in place while the stretch wrap revolved around the load, tightly anchoring the pallet and reducing worker strain. As the technology has evolved, one of the key improvements has been the ‘S-style’ feed on the Octopus machines--from the cost-effective B-Series to the versatile C-Series to the high-speed, highly effective S-Series.

Even with all the advancement in automated pallet wrapping technology, there are still times when one worker and two good hands are needed to secure a load for shipping. If the only costs involved were the worker and the film roll, the use of hand film still would be competitive. Issues such as worker injury, damage to product from improper work practices, and film product waste is one reason companies have moved much of their pallet wrapping to automated systems. There still is a need for hand film, however, and there are several best practices to ensure minimal damage and maximum success.

If you were transporting any kind of load, you’d want the pallet and its contents to be as solid as cement. When the load you’re moving is cement bags, it makes the security of the process of the utmost importance—not to mention creating an ironic metaphor.

The next time you walk to your grocery store, think about the journey each item available has taken. Without proper load security along the way, most of those products would not have survived. From raw ingredients, to processing to distribution, Muller has a history of proudly protecting pallets throughout the supply chain while simultaneously reducing waste and optimizing load containment practices.

More than 30 years ago, the Octopus ring technology was introduced, and while the technology embraced packaging in a new way, the wrapping industry embraced the Octopus. As Corrugated Week launched Sept. 24-27 in Indianapolis, Muller LCS featured the latest generations of Octopus technology at Booth 407.

The packaging industry leaders gathered Sept. 24-27 in Indianapolis to get caught up on everything that has changed in the four years since the last Corrugated Week convened. Managed by industry associations TAPPI and AICC, Corrugated Week brought together the top packaging and shipping experts to assess the state of the industry.

According to the Food Marketing Institute, the average number of items available in a supermarket in 2014 was over 40,000.1 Today that number is even greater. This abundant product availability and diversity poses both advantages and challenges. For the most part, the largest advantage is that it offers consumers more convenience and choice. That’s a great thing. But greater convenience and variety for the consumer creates greater challenges for the food supply chain. To say the food supply chain is extremely complex is an understatement. With safety and quality at the top of any food manufacturer or distributor’s list, multiple solutions to every day challenges must be acquired. At Muller, we have looked at solutions from so many different levels, from raw ingredients to processing and distribution and we believe the possibilities are abundant.