For one main U.S. espresso roaster, the every day grind of end-of-line palletizing had turn into an actual ache level. Guide stacking was bodily demanding, time-consuming, and more and more unsustainable in a good labor market. Excessive turnover, security considerations, and manufacturing bottlenecks had been limiting progress — and stretching each folks and gear to the restrict.
With the assistance of Lean Palletizers, deployed in collaboration with Olympus Controls, this espresso producer discovered a greater approach to roast, pack, and ship extra effectively. Six palletizing models later, they have a 13-month ROI and a workforce that’s happier, safer, and extra productive than ever.
Conventional automated techniques had been too costly or too inflexible to satisfy their wants. What they required was a versatile, cost-effective, and operator-friendly palletizer that might sustain with altering carton codecs and excessive volumes — with out disrupting manufacturing.
Brewing a greater workflow
Earlier than automation, the corporate’s staff of 120 staff manually stacked 1000’s of espresso instances every day. The work required fixed bending, twisting, and lifting — the type of repetitive pressure that results in fatigue and accidents. Turnover hovered round 60%, and every new rent required coaching throughout greater than 400 SKUs and dozens of pallet configurations.
As the corporate grew, these challenges intensified. Manufacturing traces needed to pause as a result of palletizing couldn’t sustain, and operators had been left operating from station to station to fill gaps. For a enterprise constructed on high quality, precision, and reliability, this merely wasn’t sustainable.
Why cobots, not typical robots?
The corporate explored a number of automation choices — from hydraulic lifters to conventional industrial robots — however most had been too inflexible, too expensive, or too space-hungry. With restricted ground house and the necessity to hold pallets on the bottom for pallet-jack entry, the staff wanted one thing compact, versatile, and straightforward to make use of.
That’s the place collaborative robots (cobots) got here in. Robotiq’s PAL Collection with a PE Collection Palletizer, powered by a Common Robots cobot, checked each field:
✅ Small footprint – suits seamlessly into current traces
✅ No security cages – because of built-in scanners and sensors
✅ Quick deployment – put in and operating in just some days
✅ Easy to function – new staff study in minutes
As one engineer put it:
“The truth that Robotiq built-in that seventh axis made us really feel like they did extra homework than anybody else. It confirmed they’d actually thought of what makes palletizing environment friendly.”
Seamless collaboration from begin to end
The deployment was dealt with by Olympus Controls, a trusted Robotiq companion recognized for precision and customer support. The three-way collaboration between the producer, Olympus, and Robotiq made set up and coaching easy from day one.
In simply three days, the primary cobot was absolutely operational:
- Day 1: Mechanical set up
- Day 2: Software program setup
- Day 3: Operator coaching
“It was uneventful — it simply labored,” mentioned the corporate’s Director of Engineering.
With Robotiq engineers onsite for startup teaching, the staff shortly turned self-sufficient — assured sufficient to program, keep, and even optimize new purposes independently.
A safer, happier, and extra productive ground
Essentially the most seen change wasn’t simply in throughput — it was in morale.
Operators now work with the robots, not towards them. Every cobot even has a reputation — an indication of how naturally they’ve built-in into every day life on the ground.
“My life has modified for the reason that cobots arrived,” shared one operator. “No extra again ache, no extra speeding, and I nonetheless get every part achieved.”
Throughout a office security audit, native inspectors had been impressed by how seamlessly the robots operated alongside folks, calling it a mannequin setup for collaborative security.
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The numbers converse for themselves
Efficiency good points had been speedy and measurable:
- 6 palletizing traces absolutely automated
- Throughput: as much as 6,500 instances per day on the quickest line
- ROI: achieved in 13 months
- Turnover: dramatically decreased
By automating essentially the most bodily demanding job, the corporate didn’t get rid of jobs — it elevated them. Former end-of-line employees moved into higher-paying technical roles, even resulting in a rise within the plant’s minimal wage.
A sustainable path ahead
What began as an answer to a labor problem turned a blueprint for sustainable progress. The success of this deployment paved the way in which for future automation initiatives — every one designed across the similar ideas: security, simplicity, and scalability.
Because the COO summed it up:
“The ROI was a slam dunk. The set up was the smoothest of any gear I’ve seen in 28 years.”
With Robotiq and its companions, this espresso producer proved that automation doesn’t simply change handbook labor — it empowers groups, boosts efficiency, and retains manufacturing flowing, one pallet at a time.
Able to see how briskly your manufacturing facility can scale?
Cobot palletizers can assist you overcome labor shortages, cut back ergonomic dangers, and hold manufacturing operating easily.
Your first step is straightforward: attempt the Palletizing Match Instrument.
In just some clicks, you’ll get:
- A customized 3D simulation of your palletizing cell
- ROI and payback interval based mostly in your actual information
- A shareable report for inner decision-making
Begin quick. Scale with confidence.
Fill out the Palletizing Match Instrument in the present day and see if Lean Palletizing is true to your operation.
