Case Study: Boosting Speed, Precision for a Wet Wipes Manufacturer

Problem

A major manufacturer of wet wipes needed to increase production and reduce the labor required to fill corrugated cases with its product. The existing process required more than 20 operators per shift and saw them manually place products into erected cases, present the cases to a tape sealer, and palletize the cases prior to stretch wrapping. Production speed was around 60-70 packages per minute on two separate lines.

Solution

CRG Automation developed a completely automatic packaging line using the customer’s existing case erectors and sealers. The new packaging line increased production 50% by accommodating up to 100 packages per minute on each of the two lines. A new case conveyor presents cases to two new robotic case packers. The packages are conveyed from upstream equipment oriented correctly for robots to pick up the group of packages and place them into the open cases. The filled cases are then conveyed through the existing tape sealers and to a robotic palletizer with the completed pallets then sent to a new automatic stretch wrapper, completing the preparation for shipment.