No matter what industry you’re in, if you’re packaging goods, robotics is the future. Packaging robots have burst onto the scene recently, with a particular uptick in orders during the COVID-19 pandemic when the labor market became ultra competitive and ultra expensive. According to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), companies ordered 25% more robots in the second quarter of 2022 than they did for the same quarter of 2021. This becomes even more impressive when you learn that A3 also reported that companies had ordered 37% more robots in the first three quarters of 2021 than they had in 2020. There’s no doubt that robotics in industrial settings is the next big thing.
In this post, we’ll discuss the benefits and capabilities of choosing one (or more) of Econocorp’s innovative packaging robots for your packaging line.
Benefits
Let’s get to the good stuff first…the benefits of using packaging robots to automate your line. If your packaging line is still using all manual labor, you’re wasting thousands of dollars in valuable revenue, paying employees to do simple tasks that can easily be automated. When compared to manual labor, using packaging robots to automate repetitive tasks is:
- Safer
- Faster
- More productive
- More consistent
- Less prone to errors
- More cost-efficient
You’ll likely see a quick ROI after implementing some level of line automation. While the up-front cost of automation robots for packaging lines may be high, the savings in labor costs, material usage, and energy usage on top of the potential to boost revenue with increased output mean you’ll be seeing profits in no time. In fact, Robotics Business Review research shows that while the cost of human labor per hour continues to rise dramatically, using robotic automation for the same tasks costs only $2-$3 per hour. That’s less than even the cheapest labor markets, meaning manufacturing and packaging operations could be done in the U.S. without huge increases in product pricing.
Capabilities
Now that we’ve talked about some of the reasons you should use packaging robots to automate repetitive packaging tasks, let’s dig into some of the amazing things Econocorp’s secondary packaging machines with packaging robots can do.
Integration
Our articulating and collaborative pick and place robots allow seamless integration between your primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging lines. These robots can pick from bins or a moving conveyor belt and load product into our secondary packaging machines via a single station in feed, bucket conveyor, or into top load cartons/trays. No matter what your existing primary packaging setup is, we can integrate it into our secondary packaging machines with these packaging robots.
Safety
We can’t stress enough how much safer a packaging line can be by using packaging robotics for repetitive, potentially dangerous tasks. Modern collaborative robots are designed to work alongside human labor, handling time-intensive tasks while allowing employees to work on more complex steps in the packaging process. Using robotics for these tasks reduces workplace accidents and line downtime.
Compliance
Many industries are heavily regulated, and packaging is no exception. The medical equipment and pharmaceutical industries are particularly susceptible to frequently-changing regulations, so they need packaging equipment that can be adjusted as needed to maintain legal compliance. Our machines, like the popular Spartan, offer optional ink printing and deboss coding as an easy means to mark products permanently while meeting regulatory standards. Once secondary packaging is applied, robotics can transfer the product to a labeling machine or station for direct-to-package print labeling before being stacked and palletized for shipment.
Versatility
Packaging robotics brings a lot of versatility to your packaging line by allowing you to use one machine for several different packaging types and sizes, and therefore, multiple products. This can slash operational expenses by eliminating the need for separate packaging lines for different sizes and types of products. Using those same pick and place robots previously mentioned, various products can be picked and loaded into one machine with consistent, high-quality results.
Furthermore, packaging robots offer interchangeable end-of-arm tooling that allows one robot to complete multiple roles in the packaging process. While most packaging lines opt for fixed-function robots (robots with only one dedicated function), more and more are going for multi-function robots to conserve space and reduce costs.
State-of-the-Art Packaging Robotics at Econocorp
If you’re ready to take your secondary packaging line to the next level with a turnkey automation solution, it’s time to contact Econocorp. We can design and build secondary packaging equipment, including cartoners, tray formers, and case packers, with optional robotics features that amplify value and productivity. Call us at 781-986-7500, email info@econocorp.com, or contact us online to get started revolutionizing your packaging line today.
