SIM Inline Infeed With Welding Bar
The SIM is an automatic shrink wrap bundler that collates bottles, cans, jars, and cartons into tight, pallet-ready multipacks. Products enter in line guides before being metered. A flight bar groups them into the pack pattern you choose. A welding bar seals the film on the top and bottom of the bundle, then an efficient shrink tunnel locks the wrap in place.
It is built for plants that need a reliable medium-speed bundler, not a high-speed overlap system. Twin-track models run up to 55 packs per minute. Changeovers are designed to be quick and primarily tool-less, minimizing downtime between production runs. The wrapper and tunnel share a compact stainless-steel footprint, so the SIM often fits where others will not.
How the SIM shrink-wraps a pack
- Inline infeed. Product flows straight into the machine — no 90° turn required.
- Flight bar grouping. Flight bars gather the count you set on the HMI (for example 4×2 bottles) and hold the collation through the wrap.
- Welding bar seal. Two film rolls form a curtain. The welding bar cuts and seals the film on the top and bottom of the pack, creating a strong sleeve.
- Shrink tunnel. Recirculated hot air shrinks the film evenly around the product, using less energy than an oversized tunnel.
- Cool and discharge. Forced-air cooling tightens the wrap so the bundle is stackable and ready for the palletizer or case conveyor.
That top-and-bottom weld is why plants choose the SIM over a continuous-motion overlap (CMOS) machine when they want a lower-cost, smaller-footprint bundler and do not need printed-film registration.
Why plants choose the SIM
- Less downtime between SKUs. Guides and pack patterns are designed for quick, primarily tool-less adjustments, allowing operators to handle routine size changes in minutes. Larger format changes may require additional mechanical adjustments.
- More packs, same floor. Twin-track operation reaches 55 packs per minute in a compact inline layout. The wrapper and tunnel are sized to save aisle space.
- A tighter, more consistent wrap. Efficient tunnel airflow shrinks film through the pack — not just around it — so bottles and cans stay locked for palletizing.
- Easier for the people on the line. Integrated controls and a clear HMI (Allen-Bradley on Holland-supplied systems) keep setup, recipes, and diagnostics in one place.
- Built for demanding production environments. Stainless-steel construction, a serviceable design, and Autopack’s “faster, smaller, better pack, less energy” approach support reliable day-to-day operation.
- Fit to your product, not a catalog drawing. Custom infeed and discharge conveyors, single or multi-track, lane dividers, pad inserters, and tear-strip options.
At a glance
- Automatic inline shrink wrap bundler with welding bar
- Flight bar grouping for numbered pack combinations
- Speeds up to 55 packs per minute (twin-track)
- Quick, primarily tool-less changeover
- Top-and-bottom film seals for a secure sleeve wrap
- Efficient shrink tunnel with improved air circulation
- Compact footprint vs. SIM CMOS overlap machines
- Stainless-steel construction
- Integrated control and user-friendly HMI
- Custom infeed and discharge to match your line
Popular Options:
Bottles, cans, jars, cartons, and other rigid items that can be accumulated and grouped. Typical uses are beverage multipacks, food jars, household chemicals, personal care, and boxed goods.
A welding bar (seal bar) cuts and fuses two layers of shrink film, putting a seal on the top and bottom of the sleeve. That is the traditional sleeve-wrap method and is different from a CMOS overlap seal, which uses one film roll and seals under the pack.
Flight bars hold a counted group of products (for example a 4×2 bottle pack) and push that collation through the film together. That is how the SIM makes consistent multipacks instead of wrapping items one at a time.
Up to 55 packs per minute on a twin-track configuration. Actual speed depends on pack size, product stability, and infeed.
Most routine changeovers are designed to be tool-less, allowing operators to switch pack counts and sizes quickly. Larger differences in product or pack size may require additional adjustments with a hex key or wrench.
Yes. The inline infeed plus Autopack’s compact wrapper and tunnel is one of the smaller automatic bundler footprints in this speed range, and it is typically more economical than the SIM CMOS.
Yes. Infeed and discharge conveyors are sized to your product, pack pattern, and available space. Options include lane dividers, pad inserters, and single or multi-track operation.
