Ruian of Wenzhou, China - ÉLITER Packaging Machinery, a family-owned manufacturing business in secondary packaging automation led by mechanical engineer and CEO Zhiwei Bao (鲍智威), has officially announced the launch of its newest innovation: the WAS-120 Wrap-Around Sleever. Engineered to handle cardboard sleeving processes for single and multipacks, applicable for ready meal, canned food and dairy products. The machine is delivered to a dip manufacturing company growing in APEC region, for which WAS-120 Wrap Around Sleever runs their dips in paper-based tubs with sleeve at 110 wraps per minute.
Technical Difference: Zhiwei Bao’s Role as Both Owner and Mechanical Engineer
Following ÉLITER Packaging Machinery's release of the WAS-150 ESTRENA Wrap-Around Sleever in 2022, the company has actively validated its technology through various real-world projects in the ready meal and yogurt industries. This field experience proved crucial in identifying potential improvements and defining the next iterative leap in equipment design.
Led by Zhiwei Bao, who serves not only as the company's owner but also as a hands-on mechanical engineer directly engaged in the R&D process, ÉLITER set the stage for this upgrade by securing multiple patented mechanical designs. These breakthroughs include Chinese Patent CN221796194U (granted in October 2024), which is an innovative rotary feeder designed to enhance the picking and placing of sleeve blanks, along with other seemingly independent patents but actually intended together for the upgrading. These targeted developments have now been seamlessly integrated into the distinct mechanical sections of the newly launched WAS-120.
“We learn from our landed projects, spot the underlying improvements and to firstly lay the ground by staging the model iteration into several steps. All modifications, re-development and inventions are carried out separately to focus on a pain point or to better achieve customer success in production.”, said Zhiwei Bao, owner of ÉLITER Packaging Machinery.
¨Followed by several seemingly independent RD projects but actually head for the same target of iterating the previous model once consolidated, we are now ready to reveal the new generation of WAS-120 Sleever to our audiences.”, says Zhiwei Bao.
Servo-Driven, Full Stainless-Steel, Flexible Setup and Built with Patented Mechanical Design
The newly introduced WAS-120 Wrap-Around Sleever operates as a highly autonomous packaging system. Its operation is entirely servo-driven, utilizing multiple independent—yet perfectly synchronized—servo axes to power each mechanical section. Furthermore, the machine features automated, recipe-based changeovers, allowing operators to easily save and instantly recall specific servo home parameters and operational configurations.
Built with a full stainless-steel construction, the sleever prioritizes both durability and hygiene. Operator access is optimized through an ergonomic design featuring protective safety guards, which are independently and systematically monitored by advanced safety sensors and interlock relays.
The consolidation of these cutting-edge designs is officially protected under Chinese Patent CN122426417A, filed by the company. The integration of these patented technologies marks the official, market-ready launch of the WAS-120 Wrap-Around Sleever. The machine, compared to previous model of WAS-150, now does not only run single pack of ready meal trays, but with further capability to wrap cardboard sleeve around multipack of yogurt and canned food, and even with optional features for handling cluster pack of drinks and beverages.
For more information, please visit https://www.eliter-packaging.com.