How It Functions and Getting Started

Approximately 80% of goods are transported on a pallet at some point during their supply chain journey.

Are you relying on manual labor to stack your products onto pallets? Over the past decade, factories of varying scales across multiple sectors, including food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and general manufacturing, have been compelled to reassess their workforce allocation strategies and adopt palletizing robots.

Regardless of whether labour shortages, excessive insurance premiums stemming from workplace accidents, or bridging efficiency and productivity gaps to ensure growth are concerns, automating end-of-line processes represents a crucial transformation initiative to prioritize.

Automated Palletizer Options: A Comprehensive Overview

What’s an Automated Palletizer?

An automated palletizer is a cutting-edge robotic technology that efficiently prepares and stacks products or packages onto pallets, streamlining the process of warehousing, shipping, or distributing goods. Using advanced expertise, the technology efficiently performs tasks that were previously accomplished by manual labor, such as picking up items from a conveyor belt and arranging them in predetermined patterns on a pallet. 

Two primary types of automated palletizers are used to efficiently stack products onto pallets: in-line and turntable.

Automated palletizers are classified into two primary categories: conventional industrial robots, also known as industrial robots, and collaborative robots (cobots), which blur the lines between human operators and machines.

excel in high-volume, high-stakes activities that necessitate precision and speed, handling substantial loads at extraordinary velocities. Their functioning necessitates substantial financial backing, immense infrastructure, robust security measures, and highly trained personnel to ensure seamless operation and maintenance.

alternatively, prioritize flexibility and flexibility. Robots work safely alongside people, conducting thorough risk assessments to ensure their presence does not compromise human safety, without imposing restrictive limitations on their usage. While cobots tend to be cost-effective and compact, rendering them suitable for smaller-scale businesses or confined workspace settings. Despite these limitations, they occasionally exhibit reduced payload capacities and operate at slower velocities compared to traditional robots.

The choice between traditional robots and collaborative robots (cobots) hinges on specific operational requirements. Key considerations include production volume, process choice, available infrastructure, budget, and workforce skill level. 

Advantages of Automating Palletizing

Revamp Wages to Counteract Workforce Scarcity

The costs of handbook palletizing are substantial, including labor expenses such as wages, benefits, overtime pay, and the fees incurred due to high employee turnover rates resulting from inefficient training processes. The proliferation of absenteeism, vacations, and turnover among factory workers has significant implications for maintenance and downtime expenses, ultimately leading to production slowdowns. Recurrent expenditures on recruitment and coaching to fill vacant positions pile up significantly, particularly in sectors experiencing frequent employee turnover.

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A discernible trend emerges away from physically demanding roles that involve arduous tasks such as heavy lifting, which can be both bodily exhausting and intellectually unengaging. The stark reality of unfulfilled manufacturing job openings in America, mirroring a deep-seated desire for meaningful employment, stands at an alarming 45%, leaving a significant portion of sturdy items production positions unfilled.

With labour market dynamics currently favouring workers over employers, persistent labour shortages are a likelihood. Despite a fully employed workforce of expert employees in America, a staggering 35% surplus of unfulfilled job openings is predicted to persist in the sturdy items manufacturing sector, outpacing the availability of skilled staff. By 2030, manufacturers anticipate a shortage of more than two million American manufacturing workers.

By automating palletizing, you empower your employees to focus on higher-value tasks and grow alongside your business. To mitigate reliance on scarce talent and foster job opportunities that truly benefit the community, consider recalibrating your workforce strategy to focus on creating roles that people genuinely need to fill.

Achieve productiveness and effectivity

Automated palletizers operate continuously, functioning 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to significantly boost production levels compared to manual processes. This surge in demand offers a crucial opportunity to capitalize on growing needs or tap into emerging market opportunities. Producers who fail to adapt may lose market share to more agile competitors?

By leveraging advanced automation, organisations can surpass competitors through increased efficiency, premium quality, and reduced costs. This enables you to offer premium products at elevated price points, ensuring a consistent pallet quality that solidifies your market presence and opens doors to lucrative new contracts.

Automated cobot palletizers are recognized for providing flexibility, as they can be easily programmed to accommodate changing demands. This adaptability keeps you nimble in an ever-changing marketplace, ensuring sustainable growth and staying power.

Present a safer office

By automating your palletizing cell, you can substantially reduce the risk of accidents caused by repetitive motions, heavy lifting, and exposure to hazardous materials. Producers who fail to adopt automation may incur higher insurance premium costs and potentially increased expenses resulting from workplace accidents, with the added risk of costly litigation.

Materials handling procedures that involve palletizing pose a significant risk factor for MSD injuries.

Get Began with Automated Palletizing

To craft a successful strategic plan, first identify the key goals and objectives that drive your organization’s overall vision. This involves carefully considering what your company aims to achieve through its business operations, financial management, and growth initiatives.

What are the obstacles hindering efficient palletizing in your organization? At Robotiq, we have successfully developed a comprehensive grid that. 

This thought-provoking course is designed to equip stakeholders with the skills to effectively assess and address their challenges by scoring their problems, while exploring various aspects of automation, including process, engineering, maintenance, personnel, and financial considerations. Spend time at this stage, and you’ll find yourself inspired to align your choices with a fitting strategic pathway.

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Comprehending the current market landscape is a crucial initial step. Without thoroughly considering all feasible alternatives, selecting a choice could result in overlooking potentially viable options. Before reaching a conclusion, it’s crucial to address this aspect earlier on.

For a comprehensive understanding, the available alternatives will be categorized into two primary groups: conventional industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots). 

Each class offers a multitude of palletizing options, each boasting unique benefits and drawbacks. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the market’s offerings, we cordially invite you to download our complimentary report: The Automated Palletizing Buyer’s Guide.

Step 3: Consider the Price 

A collaborative robotic palletizer for a small to medium-sized operation typically ranges from $50,000 to $150,000 in cost, while traditional robotic palletizers can start at around $500,000 and increase further in price. Evaluating the total cost of ownership for an automatic palletizing system requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account both initial investment costs and ongoing expenses, as well as potential long-term scalability and flexibility considerations? 

When considering key factors, there are several essential elements to take into account.

1. Price Elements

• Preliminary Funding: This section outlines key considerations, including acquisition value, integration with existing processes, customized solutions to meet specific needs, and potential risks of vendor lock-in.
• Operating Expenses: This encompasses the costs of energy consumption, maintenance and repair, employee training, as well as software update or licensing fees necessary to sustain day-to-day operations.
• Costs Beyond Initial Estimates: Consider the expenses related to potential downtime and the cost of scalability or adjustments required in the future.

2. Price range Issues

• Price range Pricing vs. Quoted Pricing: Distinctly separate estimated fund prices from precise value quotes to ensure accurate comparisons. Maximizing Distributors’ Strategic Reserve Funds to Mitigate Unforeseen Expenses.
• Important vs. Essential Features: Distinguish between core requirements and supplementary options to provide transparency on what’s mandatory for business functionality and what’s discretionary. Specify requirements to streamline procurement processes, eliminating unnecessary variants while prioritizing critical specifications to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of essential components?

3. Preliminary Funding Components

• Integration of the proposed palletizing system necessitates a thorough assessment to ensure seamless alignment with existing manufacturing facility infrastructure, procedures, and established practices? Can we inquire about compatibility with existing platforms, any necessary adaptations, and case studies of successful integrations that drive revenue?
• Does the system meet your essential needs without additional configuration, or does it require initial and ongoing customisation to effectively handle performance demands?
• Vendors often exert significant influence over their clients’ technological strategies; contemplate the far-reaching consequences of relying on a specific provider for a prolonged period. Consider how this reliance might impact scalability, flexibility, and the potential for increased costs in the long term.
• Can the system grow harmoniously with your requirements, balancing upgrade costs with potential benefits, while accommodating piecemeal investments as needs unfold?

4. Working Prices Particulars

• Vitality prices fluctuate significantly, largely dependent on the efficiency of the underlying system, duration of usage, and prevailing regional electricity rates.
• Regular upkeep and timely repairs are essential for maintaining the integrity of assets. Determine which party will perform maintenance, review service agreements, and supply replacement parts.
• Coaching Services Pricing: Develop a clear billing structure that effectively compensates coaches for their time and effort in maintaining a seamless system operation.
• Programming and software updates necessitate accounting for software programme licensing fees, subscription costs, and the requirement for external support to implement updates or modify programming.

5. Sensible Ideas for Analysis

• What specific integration capabilities do you offer, and how do they support seamless connections with our existing systems? Can you describe your customization options, and what types of modifications can be made to tailor the solution to our unique requirements? How does your system scale to accommodate growing needs, and what measures are in place to ensure uninterrupted service during periods of increased activity?
• Price Monitoring: Compile a comprehensive dossier detailing all prospective expenditures to ensure a precise forecast of both initial and ongoing expenses.

Step 4: Calculate your ROI

Understanding the preliminary and possession prices discussed in the previous chapter, the next logical step is to derive the Return on Investment (ROI), which requires careful consideration of the following key components:

• Cycle time: The duration required to complete a specific process or produce a product from start to finish.
• Models processed per unit of time
• Scalability: The capacity to increase output without proportionally rising costs, allowing for efficient expansion.

• Labour Costs: Comprehensive Guide to Labour Expenses, Including Wages and Benefits.
• Labor Effectivity: Enhancing the Productivity and Efficiency of Skilled Labor Forces.
• Flexibility in labour allocation: The ability to dynamically reallocate workers to perform a variety of tasks as needed.

To determine the total cost of ownership, operational expenditures must be factored into initial investment costs over a predetermined period, typically defined by the organization, for each solution being compared.

Any funding can have dangers. It’s crucial to carefully consider potential risks and develop contingency strategies to address any unforeseen events.

• Identify potential hazards that could have far-reaching consequences akin to technological breakdowns, market fluctuations, or unforeseen regulatory changes.
• Threat mitigation strategies employ diverse methodologies to neutralize potential hazards, meticulously calculating the economic implications of each mitigation approach.
• Carefully consider the risks and weigh them against potential returns by reflecting on your company’s past, comprehensive, and multi-faceted investment projects in the manufacturing facility. Were they on schedule and within budget? As you weigh the costs and benefits of conventional robots for palletizing, factor in the risk of accidents, injury or damage caused by human error or malfunctions.

While not necessarily quantifiable, these properties possess inherent value and must be considered when making a decision.

• What’s the cost of complacency? Security measures lower accident-related expenses: office mishaps, medical incidents, near-misses dissipate.
• Worker engagement: How does it impact workforce morale and what are the benefits of increased worker retention?
• Cascading calculations reveal a 12% discount on error-prone prices.
• Market popularity: The anticipated impact of this corporate initiative will undoubtedly boost its reputation among prospective customers and job seekers, fostering a perception of innovation and effectiveness.

Depalletizing: What You Must Know

Depalletizing involves the systematic removal of packing containers, luggage, or other packaged items from a fully loaded pallet to optimize storage and logistics processes. In most production or distribution processes, receiving is typically the initial stage, where raw materials or finished goods arrive on a pallet, requiring unloading and inspection.

Palletizing involves placing items onto a pallet, typically using machinery designed to optimize stacking efficiency and load stability. In contrast, depalletizing entails removing products from a pallet, which often requires manual labor or specialized equipment to prevent damage and ensure safe handling. The process of palletizing is crucial in warehousing, shipping, and inventory management, as it enables efficient storage and transportation of goods, whereas depalletizing is necessary for unloading merchandise at retail stores, distribution centers, or other receiving locations.

1. The robotic arm’s precision enables seamless palletization, allowing for meticulous control over item placement and arrangement. Ascertaining the contents of a pallet unloaded by someone else often requires adaptability and flexibility due to varying merchandise configurations.
2. During transit, merchandise may experience motion-induced shifting within pallets, causing items to alter their original positions. While traditional depalletizing methods may struggle with accommodating motion, innovative approaches can effectively address this challenge, distinct from their palletizing counterparts.
3. Robotic Perception Requirements: While depalletizing typically demands the application of robotic vision capabilities to accommodate the unpredictability of pallet configurations, palletizing often doesn’t require visual guidance.
4. Upstream and downstream processes: While palletizing often marks the end of a manufacturing workflow, it can also occur upstream, intersecting with various other processes; conversely, depalletizing typically initiates the process chain, engaging with distinct workflows.
5. While facility structure is designed to optimize operations, palletizing and depalletizing methods are strategically placed throughout the facility to seamlessly integrate with both upstream and downstream processes.

To effectively deploy robotic automation for palletizing and depalletizing tasks, it’s crucial to comprehend the essential differences involved.

Conclusion

Automated palletizers significantly boost productivity, effectively address labor shortages, and enhance office safety. By automating processes, manufacturers gain increased productivity, alleviate physically exhausting tasks, and reduce the risk of accidents – thereby gaining a significant competitive advantage in the market. Implementing automated palletizing solutions represents a transformative step forward in streamlining processes, poised to drive long-term growth and success for your organization.