Optimize Your Operations With Automated Palletizing and Depalletizing

In manufacturing and warehouse facilities, palletizing operations are often overlooked when it comes to updating processes and equipment. Many businesses just don’t recognize the value that automated palletizing can bring to a business. They often look at low-volume production lines and think they can’t justify the cost of an automated system. If this sounds familiar, you may not realize that inefficient palletizing can create a ripple effect throughout your entire operation — especially as your business grows.

When it comes to automated palletizing systems, there are three main types:

1. Conventional palletizers remain the leading mid- to high-speed palletizing solution. Robots cannot duplicate the continuous rates, complex patterns or range of packaging types handled. 
2. Robotic palletizing systems excel in simple, low-speed, multi-line and bag applications. 
3. Hybrid conventional and robotic palletizing systems have growing potential. As technology advances and mass production lowers palletizing robot costs, hybrid solutions can deliver on more applications.

Combining production lines

Businesses that believe their low-volume production lines only require manual palletizing can benefit from looking at their entire operation. While no single SKU has a high-volume production, when the low-volume lines are combined, there can be a need for automated palletizing. 

This was the case for one Honeywell Intelligrated customer in the food and beverage industry, where an in-depth look at the entire production operation revealed a strong demand for automation. Because modern palletizing systems can handle multiple SKUs, the customer was able to aggregate its low-volume production lines and transition to a fully automated operation that included conveyance, sortation and robotic palletizing system technologies. 

Solving labor issues

Manual palletizing is difficult, time-consuming work. Because products can be very heavy for your workers to continually lift and move, the potential for injuries is high. These challenges, coupled with a decreasing pool of qualified workers, make it difficult to keep these positions filled. This is where automated palletizing shows its strengths. By automating this step in the operation, you can reassign qualified workers into less physically demanding positions where they are more likely to be retained.

Planning to unload

When examining operations, it’s important not to overlook how your business unloads materials and supplies that come into your facility. If this process is labor intensive, your operation may benefit greatly from an automated depalletizer system. Depalletizers are capable of handling raw materials in manufacturing facilities or unloading empty containers. Depalletizing systems include a robotic arm and enhanced computer vision. Just like palletizing systems, depalletizing systems offer the flexibility to be customized to your operational needs.

Watch our video to learn about Honeywell Intelligrated’s palletizing and depalletizing systems.

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