For one main U.S. espresso roaster, the every day grind of end-of-line palletizing had turn out to be an actual ache level. Handbook stacking was bodily demanding, time-consuming, and more and more unsustainable in a decent labor market. Excessive turnover, security issues, and manufacturing bottlenecks have been limiting development — 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 method 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 methods have been too costly or too inflexible to fulfill 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 group of 120 workers manually stacked hundreds 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 strains needed to pause as a result of palletizing couldn’t sustain, and operators have 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 standard robots?
The corporate explored a number of automation choices — from hydraulic lifters to conventional industrial robots — however most have been too inflexible, too expensive, or too space-hungry. With restricted ground area and the necessity to maintain pallets on the bottom for pallet-jack entry, the group wanted one thing compact, versatile, and simple 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 Universal Robots cobot, checked each field:
✅ Small footprint – suits seamlessly into present strains
✅ No security cages – due to built-in scanners and sensors
✅ Quick deployment – put in and operating in just some days
✅ Easy to function – new workers be taught 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 considered what makes palletizing environment friendly.”
Seamless collaboration from begin to end
The deployment was dealt with by Olympus Controls, a trusted Robotiq accomplice identified for precision and customer support. The three-way collaboration between the producer, Olympus, and Robotiq made set up and coaching clean 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,” stated the corporate’s Director of Engineering.
With Robotiq engineers onsite for startup teaching, the group rapidly turned self-sufficient — assured sufficient to program, preserve, and even optimize new purposes independently.
A safer, happier, and extra productive ground
Probably the most seen change wasn’t simply in throughput — it was in morale.
Operators now work with the robots, not in opposition to 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 dashing, and I nonetheless get all the things completed.”
Throughout a office security audit, native inspectors have been impressed by how seamlessly the robots operated alongside folks, calling it a mannequin setup for collaborative security.
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The numbers communicate for themselves
Efficiency positive aspects have been fast and measurable:
- 6 palletizing strains 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 activity, the corporate didn’t eradicate 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 development. The success of this deployment paved the way in which for future automation initiatives — each designed across the identical rules: 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 exchange guide labor — it empowers groups, boosts efficiency, and retains manufacturing flowing, one pallet at a time.
Able to see how briskly your manufacturing unit can scale?
Cobot palletizers can assist you overcome labor shortages, cut back ergonomic dangers, and maintain manufacturing operating easily.
Your first step is easy: attempt the Palletizing Fit Tool.
In just some clicks, you’ll get:
- A customized 3D simulation of your palletizing cell
- ROI and payback interval primarily based in your actual information
- A shareable report for inside decision-making
Begin quick. Scale with confidence.
Fill out the Palletizing Fit Tool at this time and see if Lean Palletizing is correct on your operation.
