Due to the demand for higher packaging capacity and improved packaging, TenCate Geosynthetics has installed a RoRo StretchPack solution to replace heat shrink packaging at the production site in Bezons near Paris. RoRo StretchPack by Tentoma is a cold packaging technology using a tubular stretch hood film suitable for horizontal sealed packaging of large rolls.
 
The new RoRo StretchPack packaging line has increased the packaging capacity at the plant in Bezons. Plant manager Christophe Dupont says,”our packaging capacity has increased, and now we can pack more varieties sizes of our rolls”. Especially on the very large rolls, TenCate has increased its packaging capacity.
 
Also, the packaging quality has increased after Tentoma installed the RoRo StretchPack® packaging line in Bezons. Using stretch hood film instead of heat shrink film gives a tight and narrow packaging. Previously, the packaging had a long-welded sealing along the roll side, which was prone to break during transport and handling. It is not the case anymore. The tubular stretch hood film leaves no sealing along the roll side, but only a short strong sealing at each roll end.
 

The tight packaging removes excessive use of film for packaging, which TenCate previously needed to reduce by heat shrink anyway. Also, stretch film has a higher puncture resistance than shrink film, which enables reducing the film thickness without compromising the packaging quality. It has reduced the film consumption, just like the energy consumption has decreased after removing the heat shrink oven. Overall, RoRo StretchPack® have contributed to improving the sustainability compared to the heat shrink packaging line.

The safety area has also improved. Firstly, removing heat shrink has eliminated the risk of fire at the packaging line. Secondly, there is further safety for the employees as all operations immediately stop when someone enters the safety zone.
 

The new packaging line is designed by Tentoma to pack random-size rolls. TenCate produces rolls in widths up to 6200 mm, with a diameter of up to ø800 mm. To cover the product range, four film sizes are used. Each film stand can hold a ø800 mm film roll, which contains up to approx. 2.4 km film with a film thickness of 100 my. The high film capacity limits the number of film roll shifts. TenCate is using the four film stand, for a combination of different film sizes and film with different print and branding. The fact that the roll is not passing through a heat shrink oven anymore, ensures uniformity and a nice appearance of the logo printed on the film.  Besides the packaging machine, the total RoRo StretchPack® solution consists of an infeed conveyor with a pusher, an outfeed conveyor with an integrated weighing system, swing- and tilt conveyors and a core plug applicator.