how a pizza dough manufacturer 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 search out employees prepared to tackle the grueling process. 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 area constraints, cut back reliance on temp labor, and maintain manufacturing transferring. 

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 would possibly seem easy, however for this producer, it grew to become a significant 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 unimaginable 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 instances, manufacturing needed to decelerate simply to shift employees to cowl the palletizing process. 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 best alternative:

1. Dealing with Heavy Bins – 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 an alternative of going with a bigger system, they may deploy the compact and environment friendly PE20 cobot palletizer, which was more cost effective and higher fitted to their wants.
2. A Compact Footprint – Area was tight. Conventional industrial palletizers have been removed from superb as a consequence of their massive footprint. Robotiq’s answer, with its versatile and compact design, was capable of match into the client’s out there area with simply inches to spare. With the assistance of Robotiq’s software staff, the setup was optimized to operate seamlessly inside these constraints.
3. Sensible Path Planning – In a cluttered setting, motion issues. Robotiq’s software program permits customers to outline restricted zones, guaranteeing the robotic can function effectively even in shut quarters. This was crucial in making the system work throughout the buyer’s workspace.

Recommendation for producers contemplating automation

For those who suppose automation isn’t doable in 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 unimaginable. 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 best know-how and the best staff, even the hardest challenges will be solved.

For those who’re scuffling with the same bottleneck, attain out. We’ll provide help to discover a strategy to make automation give you the results you want.