SMART PALLET WRAPPING

 

REEMAN Smart Pallet Wrapping & Handling Workstation connects the Ironhide Autonomous Forklift with a turntable stretch wrapper through an external wireless communication module. In this application, the Ironhide configuration has a rated payload of 1.5 tons, pallet pickup alignment deviation is controlled within 2 cm, pallet placement deviation within 5 cm, and the complete pickup-to-wrapping-to-delivery workflow takes approximately 6 minutes. The system can use I/O, RS485, Ethernet or CAN on the equipment side and LoRa or Wi-Fi for the wireless link, allowing pallet transport and packaging to operate as one coordinated workflow without major modification to the wrapper's original mechanical structure or core control logic.

 

 

A turntable stretch wrapper can automate film wrapping, but it does not automatically solve the pallet movement before and after the packaging cycle. REEMAN connects the two machines so the forklift can deliver the pallet, trigger wrapping, receive completion feedback, return for the wrapped pallet, and continue downstream delivery.

Autonomous Pickup → Transport → Turntable Positioning → Wireless Start Signal → Automatic Wrapping → Automatic Film Separation → Completion Signal → Re-Pickup → Delivery

 

 

 

Category	Case Data	Why It Matters
Autonomous Forklift	REEMAN Ironhide	Handles pallet pickup, transport and delivery
Rated Payload	1.5 tons	Rated capacity of the configuration shown
Pickup Alignment Deviation	≤2 cm	Supports repeatable fork entry
Placement Deviation	≤5 cm	Keeps the pallet inside the required turntable working area
Packaging Equipment	Turntable stretch wrapper	Performs the programmed wrapping cycle
Equipment-Side Interfaces	I/O / RS485 / Ethernet / CAN	Connects the controllers to communication modules
Wireless Link	LoRa or Wi-Fi	Carries task commands and status between machines
Film Finishing	Automatic film separation	Allows the finished pallet to proceed directly to pickup
Complete Demonstrated Workflow	Approx. 6 minutes	Includes handling, wrapping, pickup and delivery
Published Video	Approx. 5× speed	Accelerated to show the full workflow efficiently
Accuracy note: The 1.5-ton figure is the rated payload of the Ironhide configuration, not the measured weight of the pallet shown in the video. The 6-minute figure refers to the full demonstrated sequence, not wrapping time alone.

 

 

Without integration, an operator may still need to coordinate pallet arrival, start the wrapper, wait for packaging to finish, arrange another forklift pickup, and then send the wrapped load downstream. The engineering goal in this case is not simply to park an autonomous forklift next to a wrapper. It is to connect the task states of two independent machines.

Ironhide moves the pallet. The wrapper packages it. The communication layer coordinates the handoff.

 

 

Video Chapters

• 00:00 Autonomous Forklift Pallet Pickup & Transport to Turntable Stretch Wrapper
• 00:12 Autonomous Forklift Pallet Positioning & Wireless Stretch Wrapper Communication
• 00:30 Automatic Pallet Stretch Wrapping & Automatic Film Separation
• 00:42 Autonomous Forklift Re-Alignment & Wrapped Pallet Pickup
• 00:54 Autonomous Forklift Pallet Delivery & Automatic Unloading

 

 

1. Pallet Pickup with ≤2 cm Alignment Deviation

Ironhide approaches the loaded pallet and fine-tunes its pose before fork entry. In this application, pickup alignment deviation is controlled within 2 cm. The tighter tolerance at pickup is important because the forks must enter the pallet openings correctly and consistently before the load can be lifted.

 

2. Pallet Placement with ≤5 cm Deviation

At the turntable stretch wrapper, Ironhide performs another positioning step. The pallet is placed inside the required working area with placement deviation controlled within 5 cm. The forklift then lowers the pallet, withdraws its forks, and clears the rotating area. It does not remain under the pallet while the turntable is moving.

 

3. Wireless Machine-to-Machine Communication

The key integration component is an external wireless communication module. On the equipment side, the module can connect to the forklift controller and wrapper controller through I/O, RS485, Ethernet or CAN. Between the two machines, LoRa or Wi-Fi can be used to create the wireless data link.

Forklift Controller → I/O / RS485 / Ethernet / CAN → Wireless Module → LoRa / Wi-Fi → Wrapper-Side Module → Stretch Wrapper Controller

This architecture allows the moving forklift and stationary wrapper to exchange task commands and machine status without a physical communication cable between them.

 

4. Start-Wrapping Command

After the pallet is positioned and Ironhide has cleared the rotating area, the forklift sends the start-wrapping command through the communication layer. The wrapper then executes its own programmed packaging cycle. The wireless module does not replace the wrapper controller; it connects the wrapper's state with the autonomous material-handling workflow.

Ironhide → Start Wrapping | Stretch Wrapper → Wrapping Complete

 

5. Automatic Wrapping and Automatic Film Separation

The turntable rotates while stretch film is applied around the palletized load. At the end of the programmed cycle, the wrapper automatically completes the final film-separation step. Once wrapping is finished and the turntable has stopped, a completion state is returned to Ironhide.

 

6. Wrapped-Pallet Re-Pickup and Downstream Delivery

Ironhide returns to the station, re-aligns with the pallet openings, picks up the wrapped load and transports it to the designated downstream area. At the destination, the pallet is lowered into position and the forks are withdrawn, completing the connected packaging-and-material-flow sequence.

 

 

A major advantage of this approach is that a compatible existing stretch wrapper can potentially become part of an automated pallet-flow system without a major mechanical rebuild. The integration layer focuses on the available control interfaces, task signals and wireless communication path. Final compatibility still depends on the wrapper model, controller, safety logic, pallet geometry and workstation layout.

 

 

The main economic value comes from reducing manual handoffs across pallet transport, wrapper loading, machine-start coordination, waiting, finished-pallet pickup and downstream delivery. For a high-volume two-shift application, a comparable automated workflow can absorb workload equivalent to roughly 2–3 manual positions, depending on how the original process is staffed and scheduled.

For planning purposes, a high-utilization application may support an estimated payback range of approximately 6–10 months. The final result depends on local labor cost, pallet volume, number of shifts, wrapping cycle, transport distance, project scope, integration cost and maintenance requirements.

 

 

 

 

Learn more about REEMAN Ironhide Autonomous Forklift: REEMAN Ironhide Autonomous Forklift Product Page