Overwrappers are used in grocery stores to wrap and seal fresh food, including meat, produce, deli items, and baked goods. All overwrappers utilize a "sealing plate", which is heated and used to seal the plastic after food is wrapped.
With traditional overwrappers, the sealing plate can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to tens of minutes to warm up. As a result, they are commonly turned on in the morning and turned off at night - or not turned off at all. Traditional overwrappers also disseminate heat in all directions of the sealing plate, leading to wasted heat and energy.
With efficient overwrappers, the sealing plate warms up much more quickly (a few seconds). Mechanical or optical sensors are used to detect the presence of food, allowing the sealing plate to be turned on only when needed (or "on demand"). In addition, efficient overwrappers disseminate heat from the sealing plate only in the direction it is needed.
