how a pizza dough producer tackled palletizing challenges

Palletizing could appear 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 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, scale back reliance on temp labor, and preserve 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 employees.

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 staff to cowl the palletizing process. It was clear: this job wanted automation.

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

A number of elements made Robotiq’s palletizing answer the fitting selection:

1. Dealing with Heavy Bins – 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 an alternative of going with a bigger system, they may deploy the compact and environment friendly PE20 cobot palletizer, which was cheaper and higher fitted to their wants.
2. A Compact Footprint – House was tight. Conventional industrial palletizers had been removed from superb on account of their massive footprint. Robotiq’s answer, with its versatile and compact design, was in a position to match into the client’s obtainable area with simply inches to spare. With the assistance of Robotiq’s software group, the setup was optimized to operate 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 vital in making the system work inside the buyer’s workspace.

Recommendation for producers contemplating automation

When you suppose automation isn’t attainable 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 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 chances. With the fitting know-how and the fitting group, even the hardest challenges might be solved.

When you’re scuffling with the same bottleneck, attain out. We’ll show you how to discover a approach to make automation give you the results you want.