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A stabilizing solution

Pallet stabilizing system eliminates shrink wrap trays while reducing both rework and the amount of stretch film used for a difficult-to-stack bottled water.

TIDY WAREHOUSE. Neat stacks of warehoused cases are now a reality since the water-based palletizing adhesive went into use at Premium Waters.
TIDY WAREHOUSE. Neat stacks of warehoused cases are now a reality since the water-based palletizing adhesive went into use at Premium Waters.

Premium Waters has roots back to 1798, when its ancestor in Europe, the Chesterman Co., first bottled carbonated water. The firm’s Chippewa Falls WI, plant produces bottles in 20-oz and 1-L sizes, both with a sports cap. Unlike pallet shipments of heavy case goods which have solid case top to case bottom contact, shrink wrap trays of bottled water only have contact at the bottle top. This limited contact, combined with the slippery nature of shrink film, requires the use of multiple layers of heavy gage stretch wrap. Cases with pull-caps are difficult to stack, as the cap covers act as ball-bearings against the stacked cases due to their minimal diameter.

Premium Waters’ Chippewa Falls Wisconsin plant ships most of its bottled product within a distance of about 500 miles, and occasionally more than 1000 miles to the East Coast. Once or twice a week, shifting loads and subsequent damage required either a return of all or part of a truck load or the disposal of damaged product. There was an attempt to use hot-melt as a means for stabilizing shrink wrapped trays, but this proved unsatisfactory as the adhesive ripped the shrink wrap on separation and also left objectionable residue.

Julie Fox, Premium Waters’ Supply Chain Manager at Chippewa Falls, heard about tests being run at another facility with a product called Lock n’Pop, which was reported to stabilize stacks of bottles with regular caps. She thought it might be worth looking into.

Lock n’Pop water-based palletizing adhesive performs like the glue on sticky notes. It has low fracture tensile strength to allow packages to “POP” apart, without noticeable residue, when individual packages are offloaded from the pallet. Specifically formulated for shrink wrap, it has shear strength, high enough to ensure that tray packs don’t shift during in-house handling or shipment.

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