Having spent 3 hours going Google Blind (other search engines are available) and two hours on fruitless calls to suppliers do any members - especially those in distribution activities - know of a suitable alternative to the Ripack 2200 style propane powered heat shrink gun for polythene pallet covers?


We have an operation that necessitates shrink wrapping pallets but are not large enough to warrant a full blown heat tunnel (besides which we are packing a flammable material whose recommended storage temperature is below 25 C so outwith the standard operating parameters for a shrink tunnel).


The problem is one of ergonomics, even though each pallet only takes @ 5 minutes using this one handed gun to sweep up / down and around the pallet seems to be causing wrist pain with the operatives due to constant flexing.


Thoughts were along the lines of a lance (or something akin to the double handle affair seen on flame throwers) or a support adapter that can be attached to the gun which braces along the forearm for support to eliminate wrist movement.

Change the wrap material?
Thus eliminating the need for the elevated temps, or at least allow a lower temp wrap shrink?

It is the potential for RSI that is the issue under investigation - ISFAIRP.

I can understand the reference back to the OP so to clarify the material is in separate sealed containers packed in cardboard boxes so a brief "flash" of heat to shrink the pallet film is acceptable and to this end we already utilise the lowest melting point film available for the required duty.

Best visualisation is like bottles of nail varnish remover or aerosol cans heat sealed on to a cardboard tray - only here the supplier is dealing with small regular pack sizes and can readily apply a localised tunnel heater as part of their high volume process.

In developing our system we had considered the risks and deployed thermographic paper attached to the outside of the cartons to validate that the temperature required to shrink the film remained significantly below the materials flash point and would not to affect the load. This method was chosen as stretch wrap (either manual or automatic application) was not suitable due to the multiple variations in carton size and pallet fill patterns.