It is a UK based food processing company with a wide variety of Indian and other snack products

Before implementing the solution, we tried to understand the complexities of the packaged food industry and undertook deep industry research. One of the bottlenecks for the packaged snacks industry is to cater to the extremely high demand and ensuring to always keep the products on the shelf.

The primary packaging of the products is done through a feeding machine while the secondary packaging of carton packets was carried out manually. This resulted in accumulation of packets as the manual process took longer to pack. The total time from the beginning to the end of the process was quite high as it required manual intervention at every point.

After witnessing the site, and understanding the process flow, we observed that the secondary packaging process was being carried out manually on 14 different packing lines. This was leading to significant variability and loss in productivity leading to low production output and hampered the client to meet the burgeoning demand.

After analyzing the data and understanding the types of SKUs that were being handled, we embarked on creating a solution for the customer. The success of Robotic solution lies in selecting the right robot for the application based on the reach, payload, and cycles per minute that are required. We used 3 Articulated Robots for this solution. After selecting the Robost, it was imperative to design a suitable gripper, our design team studied the pack type, size, speed and the number of SKUs that were to be handled to design a suitable gripper for this application. Subsequently, we designed the Robotic cell configuration and supporting conveyor system to complete the layout of the packaging line.

Once the design of the entire solution was complete, our manufacturing team worked extensively to bring this design to life. With the help of advanced machinery and skilled professionals, the grippers were manufactured along with the smart conveyors. All the items were manufactured, thoroughly tested and dispatched to the customer site in less than four months. With the help of a cross-functional team of 30+ Engineers, installation and commissioning of the entire project were done in less than 45 days. Partnering with the customer to understand their requirements in detail helped us to customize and configure the controls and software.

The Robotic packing lines were completely automated and extensive handholding and training had to be provided to the customer team. We provided detailed product manuals and troubleshooting training was also provided to the team. Our skilled professionals stayed at the site in order to ensure extensive hands-on training was provided to the team. The solution was very robust that required very little maintenance support. Remote support has been provided to the customer regularly for preventive maintenance. This solution helped us to leave our mark outside the Indian subcontinent.