Maximizing palletizing flexibility
When customer demand is rising, palletizing often becomes a bottleneck. Here is how FlexLink matched capacity and flexibility requirements for a coffee manufacturer.
A large coffee manufacturer produces a wide range of coffee in different packaging shapes and weights. When introducing new products frequently, there is a limited production area in the factory.
Palletizing bottleneck
The palletizing was initially manual because of flexibility requirements but soon became the bottleneck. To meet future demands, the producer aimed to palletize 50 pallets per hour at a picking speed of 60 cartons per minute with the option of 15 layer patterns.
Compact layout releasing space
An integrated and automated palletizing solution from FlexLink solved the capacity constraints while safeguarding system flexibility and capability.
Six packaging lines served by one palletizing cell offer the total flexibility of the system within a limited space. The lines are connected to the cell via overhead conveyors, allowing a compact footprint and good access for people. FlexLink integrated three robot cells and a solution for the overall distribution of empty and full pallets, a wrapper, and a labeler. Additionally, the entire system was connected to the company ERP system, keeping track of the complete production process, including warehouse management and dispatch of orders.
Increased efficiency and flexibility
Overall efficiency has increased significantly, and automated palletizing safeguards flexibility with capability. The new cell is also straightforward to manage. Only one person per shift is needed to bring the empty pallets, change the foil in the wrapper and the labels, and monitor the whole process.
