Automated material flow for final packaging

In the past, the customer performed the entire end-of-line packaging process manually, starting from the empty cardboard box, through labeling, palletizing, and stretching, to transport into the warehouse. Handling 2,800 boxes and 120 pallets a day meant an enormous strain for the employees. The goal of the project was to fully automate the entire packaging process—from the provision of empty boxes to the finished, ready-to-ship pallet—making it completely traceable while simultaneously meeting the highest hygiene and quality requirements.

Our automation is structured into three core areas: a production buffer in the form of a two-stage hopper system, order-specific pre-buffering to form finished shipping pallets across a total of 25 palletizing stations, and material flow control via Subito Flow, including automated guided vehicle systems. These plant areas connect a total of three production halls and enable end-to-end automation.

Production orders are transferred directly from the SAP system and controlled via the material flow system, enabling products to be packaged fully automatically, order-specifically, and with full traceability. A specially developed buffer system decouples production and packaging, ensures continuous system availability, and simultaneously guarantees precise filling quantities. Automated guided vehicle systems handle the gentle and contamination-protected transport of the boxes between the process steps. In the subsequent palletizing area, the boxes are inspected, buffered by product type, automatically palletized, labeled, and packaged ready for shipping. The intelligent control of a total of 27 AGVs (25 WEASEL® from SSI Schäfer and 2 Lucys from DS Automotion) ensures a smooth material flow all the way to the storage of the finished pallets.