On paper, palletizing seems like a primary process: stack bins, repeat. In actuality, it’s one of many most injury-prone jobs in manufacturing—and one of many best to automate.
Should you’re in search of a low-risk, high-reward place to begin with automation, look no additional than the top of your line. Right here’s why handbook palletizing is inflicting extra harm than you assume—and the way automation turns it right into a strategic benefit.
One employee, one hour, infinite threat
Meet Julia. She works in packaging and spends a part of her shift lifting bins onto pallets. Some weigh 12 lbs, others extra. On a great day, she handles over 700 lifts in a single hour. No twisting, simply repetitive movement—again and again.
Now zoom out.
Multiply Julia’s routine throughout a number of employees, throughout a number of shifts. Then add:
- Fatigue
- Missed rotations
- No time for breaks
- Various field weights and pallet heights
This is not only a powerful job; it is a setup for accidents. And never the sort that heal in a single day. We’re speaking muscle strains, nerve harm, power again ache, and long-term incapacity. It’s no surprise handbook palletizing ranks excessive on the damage charts.
The maths behind the mayhem
Let’s break it down:
- 33% of overexertion accidents come from lifting/decreasing duties.
- Accidents to the again and shoulders account for 79% of those circumstances.
- One single pressure damage can price a enterprise $67,000+.
- The oblique price (productiveness loss, turnover, morale) can push that over $2 million in misplaced gross sales.
Handbook palletizing doesn’t simply pressure your crew. It quietly eats away at your revenue margins and manufacturing reliability.
The repair? Take away the danger solely
Not like different complicated automation tasks, palletizing is a no brainer. It’s repetitive. It’s constant. It’s begging for a cobot.
Right here’s what occurs if you automate:
✅ You remove the ergonomic threat altogether
✅ Your employees transfer into safer, higher-value duties
✅ You get predictable efficiency and fewer downtime
✅ You future-proof certainly one of your most weak processes
And with Robotiq Palletizing Options, setup takes only a few days. No customized engineering. No further coding. Only a safer, extra productive line.
Why this issues now
Labor shortages. Insurance coverage hikes. Tight margins. Should you’re feeling the strain, you’re not alone, and handbook palletizing isn’t serving to. Each damage is a setback. Each delay, a price.
However with automation, each pallet turns into a possibility to do higher.
Take the subsequent step
💻 Do not miss our Ergonomics webinar with licensed security knowledgeable Carla Silver – register at the moment!
📘 Want extra particulars and statistics? Obtain our Ergonomics e book, additionally by Carla Silver.
