how a pizza dough producer tackled palletizing challenges

Palletizing could seem easy—till you’re lifting 43-pound bins all day, stacking them six toes excessive, and struggling to search out staff keen to tackle the grueling activity. For one pizza dough producer, this bottleneck wasn’t simply slowing manufacturing—it was making staffing a relentless headache. The answer? Automation. See how Robotiq’s PE20 palletizer helped them overcome house constraints, cut back reliance on temp labor, and hold manufacturing transferring. 

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 bins and shipped to distributors serving eating places, retail, and meals service companies.

The problem: a job nobody needed

Palletizing would possibly seem easy, however for this producer, it grew to become a serious bottleneck. The bins weighed as much as 43 kilos every (20 kg), and stacks reached as much as six toes excessive (1.8m). The repetitive lifting and overhead work made it an extremely strenuous job—one which was virtually unattainable 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 circumstances, manufacturing needed to decelerate simply to shift staff to cowl the palletizing activity. It was clear: this job wanted automation.

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

A number of components made Robotiq’s palletizing resolution the precise alternative:

1. Dealing with Heavy Packing containers – 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 more cost effective and higher suited to their wants.
2. A Compact Footprint – House was tight. Conventional industrial palletizers had been removed from ultimate as a consequence of their giant footprint. Robotiq’s resolution, with its versatile and compact design, was in a position to match into the client’s out there house with simply inches to spare. With the assistance of Robotiq’s utility workforce, 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, 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

For those who 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 unattainable. 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 probabilities. With the precise know-how and the precise workforce, even the hardest challenges could be solved.

For those who’re battling an identical bottleneck, attain out. We’ll make it easier to discover a technique to make automation be just right for you.