For one main U.S. espresso roaster, the day by day grind of end-of-line palletizing had grow to be an actual ache level. Guide stacking was bodily demanding, time-consuming, and more and more unsustainable in a good labor market. Excessive turnover, security considerations, and manufacturing bottlenecks have been limiting progress — and stretching each folks and tools to the restrict.
With the assistance of Lean Palletizers, deployed in collaboration with Olympus Controls, this espresso producer discovered a greater approach 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 programs have been too costly or too inflexible to satisfy their wants. What they required was a versatile, cost-effective, and operator-friendly palletizer that would sustain with altering carton codecs and excessive volumes — with out disrupting manufacturing.
Brewing a greater workflow
Earlier than automation, the corporate’s staff of 120 staff manually stacked 1000’s of espresso circumstances every day. The work required fixed bending, twisting, and lifting — the form 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 working 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 typical robots?
The corporate explored a number of automation choices — from hydraulic lifters to conventional industrial robots — however most have been too inflexible, too pricey, or too space-hungry. With restricted ground house and the necessity to hold pallets on the bottom for pallet-jack entry, the staff wanted one thing compact, versatile, and simple to make use of.
That’s the place collaborative robots (cobots) got here in. Robotiq’s PAL Sequence with a PE Sequence Palletizer, powered by a Common Robots cobot, checked each field:
✅ Small footprint – matches seamlessly into present strains
✅ No security cages – because of built-in scanners and sensors
✅ Quick deployment – put in and working in just some days
✅ Easy to function – new staff study 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 thought of what makes palletizing environment friendly.”
Seamless collaboration from begin to end
The deployment was dealt with by Olympus Controls, a trusted Robotiq accomplice recognized for precision and customer support. The three-way collaboration between the producer, Olympus, and Robotiq made set up and coaching easy from day one.
In simply three days, the primary cobot was totally 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 staff shortly turned self-sufficient — assured sufficient to program, preserve, and even optimize new purposes independently.
A safer, happier, and extra productive ground
Essentially the most seen change wasn’t simply in throughput — it was in morale.
Operators now work with the robots, not towards them. Every cobot even has a reputation — an indication of how naturally they’ve built-in into day by 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 performed.”
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 converse for themselves
Efficiency beneficial properties have been fast and measurable:
- 6 palletizing strains totally automated
- Throughput: as much as 6,500 circumstances per day on the quickest line
- ROI: achieved in 13 months
- Turnover: dramatically decreased
By automating probably the most bodily demanding job, the corporate didn’t remove jobs — it elevated them. Former end-of-line staff 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 progress. The success of this deployment paved the best way for future automation initiatives — every one designed across the identical ideas: security, simplicity, and scalability.
Because the COO summed it up:
“The ROI was a slam dunk. The set up was the smoothest of any tools I’ve seen in 28 years.”
With Robotiq and its companions, this espresso producer proved that automation doesn’t simply change 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 might help you overcome labor shortages, cut back ergonomic dangers, and hold manufacturing working easily.
Your first step is straightforward: attempt the Palletizing Match Device.
In just some clicks, you’ll get:
- A customized 3D simulation of your palletizing cell
- ROI and payback interval based mostly in your actual knowledge
- A shareable report for inside decision-making
Begin quick. Scale with confidence.
Fill out the Palletizing Match Device at present and see if Lean Palletizing is true to your operation.
