Palletbooster at Verstegen

We were able to deliver two Palletboosters to Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V.! The gripper is designed in such a way that it picks multiple packages at once and then places a new intermediate sheet on the pallet. The multipick allows us to palletize up to 100 jars per minute.

In addition to the Pallet Boosters, we also supplied the conveyors and scan bunker. With the scan bunker, the packages are scanned for barcode and product presence. This allows the line to be operated without personnel.

Interview with Senyo Curiel (Project Manager Operational Affairs at Verstegen)

What were the biggest reasons for you to start automating?
Because of Corona, employees became scarce and sick more often. Continuity was soon compromised because of this. Then we started looking at how and where we could save personnel. A cobot quickly came to the top of our list.

Why did you choose a cobot and not a robot?
A cobot has a small footprint and needs less security such as fencing. We do still have red lines around the cobot and use a safety scanner. That way the cobot slows down if you get too close.

How did the staff react to the automation?
Varying. I was once approached by an employee who asked if his work was being taken away. There are still plenty of places where we can use staff in other ways. But usually they see the benefit of it, because there is much more peace of mind because of the continuity.

Did you experience much inconvenience during the implementation of the system?
Of course the production line stopped for a while, but we coordinated this well so that the downtime was as short as possible. First we installed the new belt, which allowed us to palletize by hand and you could work on installing the Pallet Boosters. So as a result, it actually went fine.

In retrospect, were there things that could have been better?
It’s running well and running full-time. In the beginning, of course, we had a few small dings, such as fine-tuning the software. But this was handled quickly and well. I actually hear little to nothing about it now, so that’s good!

What does the Palletbooster give you?
First of all, it saves one man who was palletizing. We can now deploy him elsewhere. Also, the operator can now concentrate on what he has to do without being distracted all the time.

A piece of security is of course also very important. We now simply know that the packages are always stacked in the same way. However, a human does see more, such as if a jar is missing or empty, for example. For this reason, a scan bunker was provided so that we don’t run into this. In this way we now have a very secure process.

If someone were to ask about your experiences with us, what would you tell them?
I was called once by a coffee supplier who asked about our experience. I indicated that if Olmia Robotics says they can do it, they actually deliver. There were a number of other parties who indicated that they couldn’t do anything for us because of the boxes in many sizes and weights. You were actually the only one who said that with a custom gripper this does not have to be a problem. In the end you really delivered on that promise!