Patent ID: 8393133

Claim:
A method for wrapping film around a trayed item while accounting for differences in type of item within the tray, comprising the steps of: providing an automated wrapping machine with a controller and a film gripper, side clamp mechanisms, and film folder mechanisms; the controller receiving data associated with a trayed item, including tray size data and item type data; the controller matching the trayed item to a wrapping configuration of a set of wrapping configurations, including the steps of: first comparing the data associated with the trayed item to a plurality of stored special wrapping configurations, each stored special wrapping configuration defining parameters for controlling the operation of the film gripper, side clamp mechanisms, and film folder mechanisms, each stored special wrapping configuration having an associated tray size identifier and an associated item type identifier, and matching the trayed item to one of the special wrapping configurations only if both (i) the tray size data matches the tray size identifier and (ii) the item type data matches the item type identifier, and thereafter, if no match is found among the stored special wrapping configurations, comparing data associated with the trayed item to a plurality of stored generic wrapping configurations, each stored generic wrapping configuration defining parameters for controlling the operation of the film gripper, side clamp mechanisms, and film folder mechanisms, each stored generic wrapping configuration having an associated tray size identifier and each stored generic wrapping configuration differing from any stored special wrapping configuration having the same tray size identifier, and matching the trayed item to one of the generic wrapping configurations only if the tray size data matches the tray size identifier of one generic wrapping configuration; and the machine wrapping the trayed item according to parameters specified by the matched wrapping configuration, wherein a wrap operation carried out according to the special wrapping configuration associated with a specific tray size identifier is different than a wrap operation carried out according to the generic wrapping configuration associated with the specific tray size identifier.