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 seek out staff prepared 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 house constraints, cut back reliance on temp labor, and hold manufacturing shifting. 

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 would possibly seem easy, however for this producer, it turned a serious 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 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 instances, manufacturing needed to decelerate simply to shift staff to cowl the palletizing process. It was clear: this job wanted automation.

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

A number of elements made Robotiq’s palletizing resolution the suitable 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 a substitute of going with a bigger system, they may deploy the compact and environment friendly PE20 cobot palletizer, which was less expensive and higher fitted to their wants.
2. A Compact Footprint – Area was tight. Conventional industrial palletizers had been removed from perfect as a result of their giant footprint. Robotiq’s resolution, with its versatile and compact design, was capable of match into the client’s out there house with simply inches to spare. With the assistance of Robotiq’s utility group, the setup was optimized to perform seamlessly inside these constraints.
3. Sensible Path Planning – In a cluttered setting, 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 important in making the system work throughout the buyer’s workspace.

Recommendation for producers contemplating automation

If you happen to assume automation isn’t potential on your facility, assume once more. This buyer initially assumed their constraints—field weight, restricted house, 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 going through 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 know-how and the suitable group, even the hardest challenges might be solved.

If you happen to’re fighting an identical bottleneck, attain out. We’ll provide help to discover a method to make automation be just right for you.