Why Food Manufacturers Choose Automated Packing Lines

How far should you automate your packing operation? Investing in a complete line means evaluating its contribution across the orders you actually run, from the labour needed to complete each one and the capacity available for different packing patterns, to the time spent preparing repeat products.

The relationships between operations shape that return. For example, automating container supply affects how much operator time packing requires; matching machinery capacities supports your production schedule; stored product settings reduce repeated setup work. Understanding how these connections work helps you judge if a complete automated packing line would justify the investment, and what it should change for your team.

How automated packing lines reduce repetitive handling

Brillopak’s integrated automated packing lines can combine crate destacking, robotic case packing, bale arm closing and palletising. Each stage removes a repeated handling task. For example, a bale arm closer automatically closes the supports on suitable retail crates before palletising, rather than requiring an operator to close each crate by hand.

Automating crate supply and palletising reduces the amount of direct handling required, although operators still need to replenish empty crates, supervise the line and remove completed pallets. When evaluating labour savings, include those remaining tasks and compare labour hours per completed crate across a full shift.

Integrating packing with existing equipment

An integrated line does not necessarily mean replacing functioning upstream machinery. The key is to assess where incoming products, crates and completed cases transfer between machines, then specify the interfaces and controls needed to coordinate the packing stages. Brillopak can design the relevant packing and palletising equipment around these requirements, helping reduce unnecessary manual handovers.

Where line controls are connected, production teams can also use available machine status and performance data to investigate stoppages and identify bottlenecks. The visibility available depends on the monitoring and data-sharing functions specified for the individual installation; it should not be assumed that every integrated line includes centralised reporting.

Capacity across your product range

At the packing stage, the same number of products can require different amounts of robot movement. Some packing patterns might, for instance, allow a head to lift several products together, while others require individual placements. Grouping compatible products reduces the number of journeys between conveyor and container, while the placement positions and sequence determine the movement needed to complete each crate.

Some products take longer to pack because they require more individual picks. Brillopak’s UniPAKer robotic packing system can be configured with multiple robots to share the work and increase the speed, subject to product type and packing pattern. When planning automated packing lines, check whether the selected end effectors, tooling and controls can accommodate new product formats as demand changes.

How stored recipes simplify packing line changeovers

Connected controls offer a way to reduce the separate instructions involved in product changes. A stored recipe is the programme for a particular product, including the picking sequence and packing pattern.

For example, connected robot controls can use stored recipes to define where each product is placed and in what order. The suitability of shared recipe management depends on the controls specified for the individual line.

For repeat products, operators can recall an approved recipe rather than enter each picking position again. Where specified, other connected equipment can use coordinated settings too. This is an example of Brillopak’s Packaging 4.0 approach: connecting packing equipment and controls to support repeatable operation and more consistent line performance.

Next steps

Explore Brillopak’s integrated packing lines, or speak to our technical team about designing, installing and supporting connected packing and palletising machinery that meets your current requirements and allows for future changes.