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Tuck In That Film Tail ITW Muller's Tail Tucker eliminates loose film tails on stretch wrapped pallets

Arlington Heights, IL (April 27, 2011) – ITW Muller, a leading manufacturer of both innovative stretch wrap equipment and high quality stretch wrap film, introduces the Tail Tucker. The patented technology behind the Tail Tucker ensures that no loose film tails occur on stretch wrapped pallets. That means manufacturers can rest assured their pallets won't come unraveled due to handling, film quality, or storage conditions. It can also be a huge help to customers utilizing automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) where blocked sensors due to loose film tails can cause major problems.

Once a load is stretched wrapped, the film is cut and leaves behind a “tail”. This tail is often secured using a brush to wipe it down to the load. When done in this way, the tail has a tendency to come loose. This is especially true if the load is handled frequently, stored in a cold or outdoor environment, an irregular shape, transported on open trucks or wrapped with film that has low cling properties. Having a loose film tail can result in unraveling of the film entirely and degrading the load. In addition, there is excess waste and costs associated with having to re-wrap the pallet.

“Although heat sealing the film tail to the load is a better option than using a wipe down system, some customers' pallets are exposed to harsh storage conditions or left in inventory yards for weeks and months at a time and require an even more reliable attachment,” said Dan Schmidt, Business Development Manager, ITW Muller. “The Tail Tucker has kept their loads secure through it all - saving them time and money.”

The Tail Tucker is available as an enhancement to the ITW Muller Octopus line of new stretch wrap equipment or as a retrofit to most existing machines. It works by literally tucking the film tail behind the last two full webs of film. During the last ½ revolution in the cycle, the 20” web of film is formed into a rope. As the ring frame moves to the top of the load, it pulls the rope behind the last two full webs of film and is released after it reaches the top. The film roping device can also be programmed to add ropes at specific points on a load or to simply narrow the web at specific points in the wrap cycle to add strength and stability to unstable loads.