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Secondary Packaging in the Warehouse and Distribution Industry
As e-commerce is penetrating nearly every aspect of our lives, the logistical backbone — warehouses and distribution centers — must face a growing set of challenges.
Manual labor is hard to find. Frequent turnover requires large investments in training, while ergonomic challenges lead to undue injuries. Soaring demand makes tight scheduling unavoidable, but unexpected interruptions can be detrimental to customer satisfaction and increase overall cost. In short, efficiency gains are desperately needed.
However, in a distribution world characterized by highly variable package types, with hundreds if not thousands of SKUs added each day, additional challenges have to be overcome. Frequent changeovers and the complexity of handling random package types, shapes and sizes must be addressed successfully to remain competitive.
Pearson Packaging has long been working with warehouse and distribution centers to automate and optimize their inbound and outbound material handling with innovative and space-conscious solutions.
Warehousing Challenges That Automation Solves
Automation in warehouse and distribution operations can ease many challenges, drive efficiency and support continuous growth. Historically, this was an industry marked by highly manual operations, but as automation becomes more accessible and affordable, many warehouse and distribution center managers are interested in applying this capability wherever possible. Integrating warehouse packaging automation will help:
- Solve shortfalls in labor availability: Without automation, warehouses face the constant struggle of finding and training workers who can maintain high outputs and stay on schedule. This is a highly stressful situation for operations managers, as it poses a substantial risk to output commitments and customer satisfaction.
- Raise efficiency and throughput: Even with a highly trained team, keeping up with scheduling demands in the e-commerce landscape can be challenging. Intelligent automation equipment delivers consistent performance and speed to consistently improve productivity.
- Decrease labor costs: Rising minimum wages as well as additional wage increases or fringe benefits to attract enough workers is dramatically shrinking margins. The costs of training new staff and making up for schedule shortcomings quickly adds up. Highly automated warehouses using adaptable and intelligent machines are much better positioned to successfully maintain and grow market share.
- Increase workplace safety: Highly repetitive tasks often found in warehouses and distribution centers can easily lead to injury. Work requiring heavy lifting, repeatedly bending over, reaching overhead and bad postures can easily be eliminated with automated solutions that assist or replace personnel.
For many decades, Pearson Packaging Systems has served distributors and warehouses in various industries, including food and beverage, personal care, household and industrial chemicals, building materials and apparel. Our automation solutions encompass tasks like erecting and sealing boxes, palletizing and depalletizing. Whether you need standard machines or highly tailored solutions, you can count on our automation experts to help you improve and scale your operation.
Pearson's Portfolio
As a trusted authority in secondary packaging, Pearson has seen many of our packaging solutions find their place in major warehouse operations, from home improvement stores to apparel companies. Take a closer look at our automation solutions and how they can support your distribution center.
Palletizers
Palletizers are among the most applicable automation solutions for any warehouse or distribution center operation. We specialize in robotic palletizers with application-specific end effectors to guarantee product quality and pallet stability. Our solutions range from slow- to medium-speed case and row palletizers to high-speed full layer palletizers.
Single SKU applications can benefit from our standard palletizers that offer a compact footprint, short lead times and a highly cost-effective price point. Our configurable solutions are more versatile and effectively address accurate sorting of cases using barcodes to direct a single infeed to multiple outfeeds; insertion of slip and tier sheets to keep product stable on pallets; pallet handling using automated or autonomous guided vehicles, conveyors or carts; and integration of pallet labelers, stretch wrappers and other OEM equipment from third parties.
Depalletizers
When running a distribution center, you most likely have incoming product that needs to be depalletized before redistributing it to local retail outlets or other distribution centers. Our depalletizing solutions handle not only uniform pallets of cases or bags but also mixed or rainbow pallets.
Using 3D and AI-powered vision technology, the depalletizing cell first images the pallet before assigning pick positions for the robot. By integrating a remote human supervision system, we can also effectively address edge cases that are highly reflective or have been newly introduced and thus cannot be recognized by the vision system.
Case Erectors
Once pallets of incoming products have been unstacked and products sorted and collected for redistribution, case erectors offer an efficient solution to forming boxes. Pearson’s line of case erectors offers a large range of throughput speeds and can handle ultra-small to oversized cases. Our random robotic case erector further increases efficiencies by being able to erect up to six different case sizes on demand.
Case Sealers
Pearson’s automated case sealers offer an efficient way to close your corrugated boxes. Our case sealing equipment uses tape and glue and is available in several speed configurations. However, many warehouse and distribution operations require the flexibility of closing boxes that vary greatly in size. Our random case sealer is specifically designed for these situations, offering top and bottom sealing at up to 30 cases per minute. Each case fed into the machine is measured in height and width to automatically position the folding and sealing mechanism. Pre-sealed boxes and HSCs can easily be passed through without additional conveying.
Our Automated Warehouse Packaging Solutions
While warehouse automation can refer to anything from software to physical systems, our specific focus lies in packaging automation, otherwise known as secondary packaging or end-of-line automation. This classification includes mechanical and robotic automation optimized for demanding high-volume operations. Whether you need case erectors, sealers, robotic palletizers or depalletizers, our automated solutions provide you increased flexibility and efficiency.
We are focused on results, and we back up this claim with a performance guarantee and extensive service support provided both remotely and in-field. Our experience with various industries and upscaling operations in the age of e-commerce means that we have the expertise to upgrade your packaging and distribution operation. Our machines are designed to withstand the fast-paced warehouse environment, even when your operation works around the clock.
When you work with Pearson Packaging Systems, expect a commitment to process improvement. We will work closely with your team to find tailored solutions for your operation.
The Pearson Solution
Pearson Packaging Solutions has been automating packaging and material handling for over six decades. We are your single-source supplier for every aspect of end-of-line packaging. Whether you need a single palletizer, a complete line or a centralized system with case erectors and sealers, we have a broad portfolio of solutions for you.
Since the warehouse and distribution environment is marked by frequent operator turnover, easy training and use of the equipment is important for optimal efficiency. All of our machines have been designed with the user in mind and come standard with the most advanced human-machine interface in the industry. The intuitive interface of the HMI mirrors conventions used in website design and builds on that familiarity to help users become quickly independent in the use and maintenance of the machine.
With fast turnaround times, we help you keep up with your production demand. And once you commit to Pearson Packaging Systems for your warehouse automation, you can expect responsive technical support for as long as you own the machines. With our service, parts and aftermarket teams, you can keep your systems efficient and functional for as long as possible.
Contact Pearson Packaging Systems Today
Get in touch with Pearson Packaging Systems today to introduce advanced automated packaging solutions to your warehouse operation.
Flexible Packaging Equipment From Pearson
Erect
Pack
Seal
Palletize
