After years of hesitation, a well known chocolate producer in Quebec, Canada lastly took the leap and modernized their automated palletizing course of. What modified? The appropriate timing, the fitting downside, and the fitting answer. Their journey highlights key takeaways for meals producers contemplating upgrading their automation however uncertain when or methods to begin.
The Problem: A Bottleneck in Manufacturing
This firm, with a number of places and over a thousand staff, had been increasing its retail choices. Extra merchandise meant extra demand—but in addition extra pressure on manufacturing.
Their largest challenge? The second shift. Like many producers, they struggled to search out and retain employees, particularly for late-hour positions. On prime of that, their present industrial palletizer was unreliable, vulnerable to breakdowns, and finally failed utterly final summer time. This left them with a transparent selection: both keep on with an outdated, labor-intensive course of or put money into new automation to maintain up with demand.
The Turning Level: An Engineer Who Noticed the Huge Image
Automation wasn’t a brand new concept for them. The engineering supervisor had been in discussions with Robotiq about palletizing options for a number of years whereas working for a unique firm, however by no means had the fitting alternative. When he joined this chocolate maker, he instantly acknowledged that upgrading to a contemporary, robotic palletizer may clear up their labor points and enhance effectivity.
With an ROI in beneath 2 years and the pliability to increase, the choice grew to become a simple one.
Key Advantages Achieved
- Area Optimization: Flooring house was tight, however the brand new palletizer’s superior software program allowed them to put in it near present constructions with out interfering with operations.
- Quick Set up: Inside at some point, they have been working their first SKU. Inside two days, full integration was full.
- Ease of Use: The earlier system required a single knowledgeable to troubleshoot and preserve it. Now, even second-shift upkeep workers may function the tools with confidence.
- Scalability: With their first robotic palletizer up and working, they’re already planning for a second one.
What Different Meals Producers Can Study
- Don’t Anticipate a Breakdown to Automate. In case your tools is unreliable, don’t threat productiveness losses. The sooner you improve automation, the earlier you begin seeing returns.
- Assume Past Labor Shortages. Automation doesn’t simply clear up hiring challenges—it could possibly optimize house, pace up manufacturing, and enhance flexibility.
- Take into account Ease of Use. Trendy options are designed for easy operation. Your staff doesn’t must be specialists in robotics to run and preserve them.
- ROI Can Be Sooner Than You Assume. A payback interval beneath 2 years is cheap, however in lots of instances, advantages begin showing instantly with elevated productiveness and staff morale.
This chocolate maker is proof that automation doesn’t need to be sophisticated or disruptive. When the fitting situations align, the transition might be clean—and the outcomes, game-changing.
If you happen to’re dealing with related challenges, now is perhaps the fitting time to take that subsequent step.
