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Case Study: Emballator UK
Emballator Packaging UK optimizes their process with the Nipper Stretch Hood
Challenge
Emballator Packaging is a leading European manufacturer of sustainable packaging solutions, serving industries such as chemicals, automotive, and food. At the end of their production line, pallets of plastic paint pots in varying sizes were being wrapped using a semi-automatic, gas-powered shrink hood machine. This solution was both labor-intensive and inefficient:
- High plastic and gas consumption
- Significant manual intervention required
- Frequent packaging issues due to pallet size variation
- Unreliable packaging quality and stability
The older machine demanded constant attention: operators had to manually load pallets, configure the machine, wait for the cycle to complete, and retrieve the finished pallet. This led to high labor costs, inconsistent packaging results, and a heavy environmental footprint.
Solution
To address these issues, Emballator partnered with Nipper to implement the Nipper Stretch Hood. This highly automated packaging machine streamlined and modernized the end-of-line process.
The Nipper Stretch Hood provided a seamless and sustainable alternative by:
- Automating the pallet packaging process from start to finish
- Ensuring better pallet stability and a cleaner packaging finish
- Eliminating the need for gas consumption
- Reducing labor intervention to nearly zero
Due to the extensive testing with Emballator's own pallets installation was smooth with guaranteed results. Once installed the Stretch Hood integrated into the existing workflow right away.
"A cost effective solution for our factory"
-Martin Fairburn | Technical Director Emballator UK
Results
The switch to the Nipper Stretch Hood delivered measurable and significant benefits for Emballator:
- 58% reduction in plastic use, compared to the previous shrink wrapping method
- Substantial savings on plastic tax, thanks to the lower volume of packaging material
- Reduced labor needs, allowing personnel to be reallocated to higher-value tasks
- Improved packaging aesthetics and stability, especially for diverse pallet sizes
The automated stretch hooding process brought immediate operational efficiency and long-term cost savings.
Find out just how easy the move towards smart can be
From the Nipper Stretch Hood to the intelligent Nipper AGV, all Nipper’s products have been designed as building blocks. They work seamlessly together with our roller conveyor, pallet elevator, turntable, and traverse systems. And can also easily be integrated into existing logistics processes and plants.
Summary
By replacing a manual, gas-powered shrink hooding system with the fully automated Nipper Stretch Hood, Emballator Packaging UK achieved a modern, sustainable, and cost-effective pallet packaing process. The Stretch Hood reduced plastic usage by 58%, cut operating costs, and improved packaging quality and consistency while eliminating almost all manual intervention.
Beyond the tangible results, this project demonstrates the strength of a true partnership approach. Nipper worked closely with Emballator to test on their own pallets, ensuring a smooth installation and immediate integration into existing workflows. This collaborative process minimized disruption and delivered predictable results from day one.
This apporach exemplifies how Nipper's tailored solutions empower manufacturers to enhance efficiency, support sustainability goals and future-proof their operations.