Paint Palletizing Cuts Changeover Downtime 80%

Heavy Loads Met a High-Mix Production Schedule

Manual palletizing had become a stubborn end-of-line constraint. Employees handled products weighing up to 70 pounds, and even vacuum assistance could not remove the strain, fatigue or interruptions associated with repeated heavy lifting.

The upgraded building was also taking on technically demanding products made in smaller runs with more frequent SKU changes. Every transition mattered. Under the former process, a line changeover consumed 45 minutes of production time.

The physical plant left little room for error. Building columns crowded the available footprint, while unwrapped cans, loose cardboard trays and pails with delicate tinting ports each demanded a different handling method.

• Heavy manual lifts created ergonomic and production concerns
• Smaller batches increased the cadence of product changes
• Four lines carried different can, tray and pail formats
• Restricted floor space ruled out a sprawling palletizing layout
• Overtime was being used to keep orders moving

A Compact Cell Built Around Product Variety

The facility compared several integration candidates and selected a partner capable of owning system design, fabrication, installation, commissioning and local support. Engineers then designed a compact robotic palletizing system that fit around existing columns without structural alterations.

Two robotic arms served four production lines. Purpose-built tooling picked 2x2 gallon-can patterns and 3x3 quart-can patterns while securing their loose trays with a separate vacuum mechanism. Five-gallon pails were collected three at a time and nested on the pallet.

Deployment followed a staged path. The complete system was built, assembled and put through factory acceptance testing before installation during the plant's off-peak season, followed by startup and commissioning from a regional team.

Quick product changes were designed into the controls and tooling. When a custom three-gallon pail arrived after installation, operators added a pallet pattern instead of retooling the physical cell. The published account lists customer training, documentation and maintenance among available support services, but does not specify which of those services this facility used after startup.

• Compare integrators for technical fit and lifecycle accountability
• Engineer tooling around cans, trays, pails and tinting-port constraints
• Validate pallet handling and product patterns before shipment
• Install and commission during the off-peak production window
• Add new pallet patterns through controls when package geometry permits

Nine-Minute Changeovers Changed the Rhythm of the Line

Changeover downtime fell from 45 minutes to nine minutes, an 80% reduction. That result gave a high-mix operation far more usable production time without forcing the facility to sacrifice its varied product schedule.

The robotic palletizers also allowed production to run at a steadier pace because the breaks associated with heavy manual lifting were removed. The facility reported that it eliminated almost all overtime while continuing to fill orders.

The facility recorded a 76% return on investment in labor time during the first year. Its lost-time accidents also fell from 23 in 2005 to five in 2009, a safety improvement that coincided with removing strenuous palletizing work from the end of the line.

A Practical Model for Paint Manufacturers

This documented deployment was not performed by Service Robot Co. and is not presented as a Service Robot Co. client engagement. It shows why end of line automation must be engineered around package geometry, production mix, controls, floor space and the people expected to operate the cell.

Service Robot Co. applies that discipline as a full-service, OEM-neutral commercial robot integrator for US businesses. We select equipment across manufacturers, arrange robot financing or robot leasing for business, manage robot deployment and integration, train teams, and support every unit through a nationwide US engineer network.

That full-lifecycle model gives manufacturers one partner for a free site assessment, commercial robot demo, palletizing robot rental, lease rental or sale, and ongoing robot maintenance service plans. Monthly payment programs and robot as a service structures can also align the deployment with operating requirements rather than forcing a single acquisition route.