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 employees keen to tackle the grueling job. 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 maintain manufacturing shifting. 

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 may seem easy, however for this producer, it turned 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 nearly not possible to employees.

The corporate relied closely on temp labor to fill their two 10-hour shifts, which got here at a excessive price and with fixed turnover. In some circumstances, manufacturing needed to decelerate simply to shift employees to cowl the palletizing job. It was clear: this job wanted automation.

Why Robotiq’s resolution was the proper match (actually)  

A number of elements made Robotiq’s palletizing resolution 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 might deploy the compact and environment friendly PE20 cobot palletizer, which was less expensive and higher fitted to their wants.
2. A Compact Footprint – House was tight. Conventional industrial palletizers had been removed from perfect as a result of their massive footprint. Robotiq’s resolution, 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 utility workforce, 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 important in making the system work throughout the buyer’s workspace.

Recommendation for producers contemplating automation

Should you suppose automation isn’t attainable on 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 not possible. 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 best expertise and the best workforce, even the hardest challenges may be solved.

Should you’re scuffling with the same bottleneck, attain out. We’ll allow you to discover a solution to make automation be just right for you.