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 staff 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 area constraints, cut back reliance on temp labor, and preserve manufacturing shifting. 

The corporate

This specific 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 grew to become 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 not possible to workers.

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

Why Robotiq’s answer was the proper match (actually)  

A number of components made Robotiq’s palletizing answer the suitable alternative:

1. Dealing with Heavy Packing containers – The corporate was initially contemplating a heavier-duty industrial robotic, however the timing was good: 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 might deploy the compact and environment friendly PE20 cobot palletizer, which was cheaper and higher suited to their wants.
2. A Compact Footprint – Area was tight. Conventional industrial palletizers had been removed from best on account of their giant footprint. Robotiq’s answer, with its versatile and compact design, was in a position to match into the shopper’s out there area with simply inches to spare. With the assistance of Robotiq’s software staff, the setup was optimized to perform seamlessly inside these constraints.
3. Good Path Planning – In a cluttered atmosphere, motion issues. Robotiq’s software program permits customers to outline restricted zones, making certain the robotic can function effectively even in shut quarters. This was important in making the system work inside the buyer’s workspace.

Recommendation for producers contemplating automation

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

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

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