Film dispensing and wrapping apparatus or system using smart technology

A film wrapping/packaging apparatus, comprising:

• a film dispensing carriage assembly for dispensing a wrapping/packaging film to be wrapped around a load to be packaged;
• a spindle mounted upon said film dispensing carriage assembly for supporting a roll of wrapping/packaging film wherein the wrapping/packaging film dispensed by said film dispensing carriage assembly from the roll of wrapping/packaging film is to be used for wrapping a load to be packaged;
• first and second drive rollers for driving the film from the roll of wrapping/packaging film mounted upon said spindle toward the load to be wrapped and packaged;
• first and second target rollers, having sensor targets respectively mounted thereon and disposed upon opposite upstream and downstream sides of said first and second drive rollers, as considered in the direction in which the film is being dispensed from said spindle and toward the load being wrapped and packaged, for respectively rotating at speeds corresponding to the speed of the film at the respective locations of said first and second target rollers;
• first and second proximity sensors disposed adjacent to said first and second target rollers for detecting the presence of said sensor targets respectively disposed upon said first and second target rollers each time each one of said first and second target rollers completes a revolution as the wrapping/packaging film is conducted past said first and second target rollers and for generating signals indicating said detected presence of each one of said sensor targets upon each one of said first and second target rollers;
• and
• a programmable logic controller (PLC) mounted upon said film dispensing carriage assembly for receiving said signals from said first and second proximity sensors and for calculating the amount of pre-stretch imparted to the wrapping/packaging film as a function of the difference between the speeds of the wrapping/packaging film as the same respectively passes each one of the first and second target rollers.

A method of using a film wrapping/packaging apparatus for dispensing wrapping/packaging film in order to wrap a load to be packaged within the wrapping/packaging film, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a film dispensing carriage assembly, for dispensing a wrapping/packaging film to be wrapped around a load to be packaged, upon said apparatus;
• mounting a spindle upon said film dispensing carriage assembly for supporting a roll of wrapping/packaging film wherein the wrapping/packaging film dispensed by said film dispensing carriage assembly from the roll of wrapping/packaging film is to be used for wrapping a load to be packaged;
• mounting first and second drive rollers upon said film dispensing carriage assembly for driving the film from the roll of wrapping/packaging film mounted upon said spindle toward the load to be wrapped and packaged;
• mounting first and second target rollers, having sensor targets respectively mounted thereon, upon opposite upstream and downstream sides of said first and second drive rollers, as considered in the direction in which the film is being dispensed from said spindle and toward the load being wrapped and packaged, for respectively rotating at speeds corresponding to the speed of the film at the respective locations of said first and second target rollers;
• mounting first and second proximity sensors adjacent to said first and second target rollers for detecting the presence of said sensor targets respectively disposed upon said first and second target rollers each time each one of said first and second target rollers completes a revolution as the wrapping/packaging film is conducted past said first and second target rollers and for generating signals indicating said detected presence of each one of said sensor targets upon each one of said first and second target rollers;
• and
• using a programmable logic controller (PLC) mounted upon said film dispensing carriage assembly for receiving said signals from said first and second proximity sensors and for calculating the amount of pre-stretch imparted to the wrapping/packaging film as a function of the difference between the speeds of the wrapping/packaging film as the same respectively passes each one of the first and second target rollers.