Automated Packaging Line for Personal Care Brand
Connecting Packaging Processes to Deliver Faster, Safer, and More Consistent Results
Omaha, Nebraska
2024
overview
Why manual palletizing had to go
Equipment Used
APS-25 Robot
Custom End-of-Arm Tool
Infeed Conveyor
Reject Conveyor
A leading contract manufacturer of beauty and personal-care products handled finished cases that weighed 40 lbs each. To keep the line moving, operators had to lift those boxes off the conveyor and onto a pallet every 8–10 seconds.
The sustained pace, weight, and awkward reach created significant ergonomic risk—repetitive strain, fatigue, and potential injury—while also tying up skilled workers in a purely physical task. Any slip in placement could compromise pallet stability and slow downstream shipping. The client needed a solution that removed the manual lifts, protected employees, and preserved high line speeds without sacrificing stack accuracy.
IMPACT
Key results at a glance
13.5 cases/min
The robot places 13.5 perfectly aligned cases every minute, matching upstream throughput and removing the palletizing bottleneck.
40-lb lifts gone
Eliminating manual lifts removed a major ergonomic hazard and let two operators move to higher-value quality and line-support roles.
Accelerated lead time
Design, build, FAT, installation, and on-site operator training were completed in just 14 weeks—keeping downtime low and payback quick.
Approach
From design to go-live in 14 weeks
We engineered a turnkey robotic palletizing cell built around a six-axis robot, custom dual-zone end-of-arm tool, and integrated infeed and reject conveyors. The lightweight EOAT grips two tall, heavy cases simultaneously while moving at up to 2000 mm/s, keeping within the robot’s 35 kg payload and maintaining stack accuracy.
To pair high speed with operator safety, we fenced the system and programmed a “speed-switch” workflow: during normal operation the robot runs out of collaborative mode at full speed; when an operator opens the gate to change pallets, it automatically slows, enters collaborative mode, and is constrained by a dual-check safety zone. A vision sensor rejects unsealed cases before they reach the robot, preventing crashes and unplanned downtime.
Our team completed design, build, FAT, installation, and on-site operator training on Fanuc programming in 14 weeks. The cell now frees staff for higher-value tasks, stacks flawless pallets, and requires attention only every 6–7 minutes to swap pallets—delivering immediate ergonomic relief and a measurable productivity jump.
