Top 4 automated palletizing projects in the food industry
With the food industry set to grow by 6.41% every year (Statista) and labor shortages still an ongoing challenge, more and more food manufacturers are turning to automation. But where to begin?
For many, automated palletizing at the end of the line delivers a fast return on investment, making it a wise choice for many businesses. Beyond just ROI, automated palletizers have also significantly improved overall operations.
So, in this article, we’ll highlight the top three automated palletizing projects we’ve completed in the food industry and show how companies are optimizing their operations and overcoming labor shortages.
1. Palletizing seafood products
This project was developed for Thai Union, the company behind brands like John West Tuna.
To deal with labor shortages and help boost their team’s morale, they decided to automate the end of their production line with the Smart Palletizer. They installed four cobot palletizing solutions that now handle the heavy lifting, giving their employees the chance to focus on other, more enjoyable tasks.
Because Thai Union works with closed cases, they went for our vacuum gripper, which picks the cases safely from the top.
2. Palletizing chocolate boxes
This one was developed for German chocolate producer Heinerle-Berggold Shokoladen.
They went for the Smart Palletizer for a simple reason: it can lift open boxes. Thanks to our Fork Gripper, the cobot solution can lift cases from the bottom, just like operators would with their hands. This way, their chocolates stay safe and intact, from the conveyor all the way to the pallet.
One of the main reasons Heinerle-Berggold Schokoladen decided to automate their end-of-line operations was to tackle labor shortages and keep up with tight delivery schedules. Thanks to our palletizing solution, they can now cover three shifts and keep their production running 24/7.
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3. Palletizing confectionary products
This palletizing project was developed for Nagel Group, one of the largest food logistics companies in Europe.
Since they have different food divisions, they decided to start by automatically palletizing their confectionery products. Their goal was to optimize their packaging process and boost employee morale, just like Thai Union.
The results were impressive:
“In the test phase, the cobot palletized 250,000 cartons on 5,500 pallets with an availability of 97.5 percent! Following this success, two robots were purchased on a permanent basis to further automate the processes and modernize the site. In addition, projects at other branches are planned.”
Photo Source: Nagel Group LinkedIn Page
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4. Quattro palletizing pet food
This project was a custom job for RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria AG, a leading Austrian producer and wholesaler of animal feed.
Since their brief was to move buckets of pet food fast, we customized a vacuum gripper that can pick up four buckets at the same time.
Their reason for automating their end-of-line was to make sure their outbound process is ready for the future. Like many others, they were seeing the upward trend of labor shortages in the logistics and production sectors and wanted to stay ahead.
With over 10 years of experience in food palletizing, our solutions are designed to fit your production needs and facility setup. We help food producers like you achieve a fast return on investment and overcome labor shortages.
Ready to take your food industry palletizing to the next level?
Get in touch with us!
Once you fill in your contact details, here’s what you can expect to receive in our email:
- Our product brochure
- An end-of-line automation whitepaper
- Videos of our palletizing solutions in action
- A meeting scheduler to book a call
If you choose to book a call, we can discuss your unique needs and explore how our automated palletizing solutions can be the perfect fit for your food industry.
We look forward to supporting you on your automation journey!
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