Case Study: Edgewell’s 15-Year-Old Polypack Shrink Wrap & Case Packing for Aerosol Cans Running Perfectly

When Edgewell needed a reliable, long-term solution to package aerosol sunscreen cans, they chose Polypack for a fully integrated system that could shrink wrap products and load them directly into retail-ready cartons. More than 15 years later, those same machines are still running like new.

Polypack’s CLEARPRINT-24DL shrink wrap machine and Wraparound case packer continue to perform with precision and consistency on Edgewell’s production floor, proof that smart automation and durable engineering pay off for years to come.

Packaging machine That Keeps Pace with Production

The process begins at the rear of the line, where aerosol cans are loaded onto the infeed conveyor. The conveyor wraps around the side of the machine and feeds into a flood feed conveyor, creating a steady stream of product. From there, the cans enter a staging mechanism composed of an oscillator and clamp/gate system, which organizes them into perfectly spaced bundles.

Once staged, fly bar rods gently guide the product across the film feed section, where film is pulled to length and perforated automatically. A robust film supply and splice unit ensures seamless transitions between film rolls without stopping production.

Next, the elliptical wrap arm wraps film around the bundles as they travel on transfer conveyors, then move smoothly into the shrink tunnel via the tunnel conveyor. The tunnel uses precise airflow and temperature control from upper and lower fan systems to create a secure, tamper-evident wrap around each bundle.

To protect workers and equipment, the system also includes an air evacuation system that activates in emergency stop situations, along with a customer-installed CO₂ fire suppression system inside the tunnel for added safety.

Wraparound Case Packing for Distrubution

Once shrink wrapped, the bundles move directly into a wraparound case packing system, also built by Polypack.

The process starts with an infeed conveyor and diverter, which checks for completeness and arranges the shrink-wrapped packs into lanes. Meanwhile, cardboard blanks are dispensed from a magazine and fed into a lug conveyor, where side flaps are pre-folded in preparation for loading.

As bundles are transferred into the waiting cartons, the carton forming area engages. Flaps are folded into place, and Nordson glue guns apply adhesive precisely to the top, bottom, and sides of each box. The final flap is sealed as the cartons exit through the discharge conveyor and roller system, ensuring structural integrity and clean presentation.

15 Years of Uptime and Counting

Edgewell’s integrated Polypack solution has been running for over a decade and a half—handling millions of aerosol cans with minimal downtime. Despite its age, the line still delivers:

• Smooth product flow and bundle formation

• Reliable shrink wrapping with tight, consistent seals

• Fully automated carton forming, gluing, and sealing

• Retail-ready packaging with reduced labor needs

Ready to invest in long-term packaging automation?

Let’s talk about how Polypack can build a shrink wrap and case packing solution tailored to your product line.

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