how a pizza dough producer tackled palletizing challenges

Palletizing could appear easy—till you’re lifting 43-pound containers all day, stacking them six ft excessive, and struggling to search out staff keen to tackle the grueling activity. 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 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 containers 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 grew to become a significant bottleneck. The 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 nearly unimaginable to workers.

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

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

A number of components made Robotiq’s palletizing resolution the suitable selection:

1. Dealing with Heavy Containers – 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 might 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 ultimate attributable to their giant footprint. Robotiq’s resolution, with its versatile and compact design, was in a position to match into the client’s accessible area with simply inches to spare. With the assistance of Robotiq’s utility group, the setup was optimized to operate seamlessly inside these constraints.
3. Good Path Planning – In a cluttered atmosphere, 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

In case you suppose automation isn’t doable to 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 suitable expertise and the suitable group, even the hardest challenges might be solved.

In case you’re combating an identical bottleneck, attain out. We’ll aid you discover a approach to make automation be just right for you.