how a pizza dough producer tackled palletizing challenges

Palletizing could appear easy—till you’re lifting 43-pound packing containers all day, stacking them six ft excessive, and struggling to seek out employees keen to tackle the grueling job. For one pizza dough producer, this bottleneck wasn’t simply slowing manufacturing—it was making staffing a continuing headache. The answer? Automation. See how Robotiq’s PE20 palletizer helped them overcome house constraints, cut back reliance on temp labor, and maintain manufacturing shifting. 

The corporate

This explicit buyer has a singular focus: they make and distribute pizza dough. With only a handful of SKUs, their course of is streamlined—however not with out its challenges. Their dough balls are packed into packing containers and shipped to distributors serving eating places, retail, and meals service companies.

The problem: a job nobody needed

Palletizing may seem easy, however for this producer, it turned a serious bottleneck. The packing containers weighed as much as 43 kilos every (20 kg), and stacks reached as much as six ft excessive (1.8m). The repetitive lifting and overhead work made it an extremely strenuous job—one which was virtually inconceivable to workers.

The corporate relied closely on temp labor to fill their two 10-hour shifts, which got here at a excessive price and with fixed turnover. In some instances, manufacturing needed to decelerate simply to shift employees to cowl the palletizing job. It was clear: this job wanted automation.

Why Robotiq’s resolution was the right match (actually)  

A number of elements made Robotiq’s palletizing resolution the proper alternative:

1. Dealing with Heavy Bins – The corporate was initially contemplating a heavier-duty industrial robotic, however the timing was excellent: Common Robots had simply elevated the payload capability of the UR20 from 20 kg to 25 kg. This meant that as a substitute of going with a bigger system, they may deploy the compact and environment friendly PE20 cobot palletizer, which was less expensive and higher fitted to their wants.
2. A Compact Footprint – House was tight. Conventional industrial palletizers had been removed from very best resulting from their massive footprint. Robotiq’s resolution, with its versatile and compact design, was capable of match into the client’s accessible house with simply inches to spare. With the assistance of Robotiq’s utility staff, the setup was optimized to perform seamlessly inside these constraints.
3. Good Path Planning – In a cluttered surroundings, motion issues. Robotiq’s software program permits customers to outline restricted zones, guaranteeing the robotic can function effectively even in shut quarters. This was crucial in making the system work throughout the buyer’s workspace.

Recommendation for producers contemplating automation

In the event you suppose automation isn’t doable on your facility, suppose once more. This buyer initially assumed their constraints—field weight, restricted house, and the character of their operation—would make robotic palletizing inconceivable. However by bringing the problem to Robotiq, they discovered an answer tailor-made to their wants.

For any producer dealing with labor shortages, excessive turnover, or bodily demanding duties, the important thing takeaway is that this: don’t rule out automation earlier than exploring the chances. With the proper know-how and the proper staff, even the hardest challenges could be solved.

In the event you’re combating an analogous bottleneck, attain out. We’ll enable you to discover a method to make automation be just right for you.