Cobot Case Packer

Laïta is a dairy cooperative with six industrial sites in western France. Laïta has always sought to improve and optimise its production resources, and automation forms part of this industrial-development strategy. We completely redesigned our equipment and decided to replace two lines with a single production line featuring automatic case packing. We remain optimistic. There will undoubtedly be new directions for the business, and it is up to us to adapt.

Recruitment difficulties, high production requirements and the need to optimise costs led us to automate our new baguette line. The challenge was to improve productivity — higher throughput and volumes with fewer stoppages — while removing a particularly strenuous task: handling and tipping bulky 20 kg tubs of sticky dough. We needed a straightforward approach, testing from the acceptance stage and a responsive supplier capable of protecting product quality and supporting internal change. The result is improved working comfort, greater recognition of maintenance and production skills, and a more competitive line that makes our production roles more attractive and opens the door to further robotisation projects.

At the beginning of 2007, we decided to begin mechanising our case packing operations.

At Extruplast, a contract packer of non-food liquid products, this JYGA robotic cell is above all a way to increase flexibility. It gives us the versatility we need to integrate future developments and explore new packaging formats such as PET and stand-up pouches. The main gain is the time saved during tooling changeovers: automatic end-of-arm tool changes on the robot, centralised adjustments and more. We chose JYGA for its expertise and simple yet innovative technical solutions, within a reasonable budget. Although commissioning was scheduled for the very busy end-of-year period in 2014, the factory acceptance test went well, so we are confident of a rapid start-up.

With increasing volumes and new mass-retail markets, we needed to automate an end of line that had previously been manual. JYGA replaced our old case packer with a compact, easy-to-use WRAP solution featuring a 6-axis robot for fast, flexible case packing compatible with shelf-ready cases. The machine handles product inspection, case forming, case packing and outfeed. The results exceeded the specification: 90 boxes/minute against 88 requested, MTBF above 480 minutes against 150 expected, and availability above 99% against a 98% target. This performance allowed us to remove physically demanding, repetitive tasks and to equip other end-of-line systems with robotic palletising, including at another European site.

For our valved gas cartridges, we wanted a case packing solution that could be integrated quickly and used by the teams immediately. The wrap-around case packer delivered in October 2021 met every requirement: start-up was completed in under a week and the teams got to grips with it very quickly. This rapid implementation allowed us to start production confidently, without a lengthy adjustment phase. What matters to us is the combination of a short installation period, intuitive operation and dependable performance. Since installation, the equipment has given us a high level of satisfaction: case packing has become a stable part of the end of line that we can rely on every day.

At the La Roche-Posay site, we took a major step forward by automating the case packing and palletising of our cream cartons: an RSC case packer complemented by a Pal'it Air collaborative palletiser. The cartons leave the cartoner lying flat, are grouped into batches of 36 or 48, then case packed and closed, with labelling, legibility inspection and weighing added where required. The cobot then palletises the cases safely, and the operator collects the finished pallet. What stands out for me is a reliable, multi-format solution and the strong level of involvement from JYGA throughout the project.

In 2022, at DESTINATION BIO in Bordeaux, we needed to replace a line that had become obsolete. As part of a continuous-improvement approach and to anticipate our customers' future needs, we redefined the specification for a higher-performance line. Our case supplier introduced us to JYGA so that we could move to a wrap-around solution, and both the technical relevance of the proposal and the partnership approach made the difference. Today, the wrap-around case packer is so simple that you barely notice it: format changeovers take five minutes and operation is much smoother in our new production facility. The carbon-offset option, through tree planting in France, also fits our values as an organic B Corp-certified business.

In 2023, we needed to make the end of line at our Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne site faster and more reliable, with fewer issues, while adding traceability through the printing of unique serial numbers. Our criteria were highly technical: JYGA responded with a customised top-load case packer, and its proximity to our factory was also an advantage. Above all, throughout the project JYGA incorporated requests from operators, the safety team on ergonomics, and maintenance. The teams appreciated feeling listened to. Mixed reality helped us visualise the future machine and gather more meaningful feedback. The system started up in November 2023 and the teams got to grips with it quickly — so much so that a second case packer has already been ordered.

Our objective was simple: automate the entire line, from the freezer outfeed through to palletising. With JYGA PROCESS, we robotised production and integrated a wrap-around case packer. For us, this was a major change because we had previously used RSC cases and all packaging operations were manual. The result was higher throughput and OEE, lower-cost wrap-around cases, better pallet stability thanks to the interlocking cases, and fast format changeovers on a reliable machine. Designed for 1 tonne/hour, the line meets the specification and can reach 1.2 tonnes/hour. We are very satisfied.

In this industrial customer profile, Mr DEBUCHY, Maintenance and Capital Projects Manager at BAHIER, explains what led the company to install two complete lines — cartoning, case packing and palletising for rillettes pots and black pudding — and the benefits that are already visible.

We needed to replace equipment that had become obsolete and, above all, move away from a multi-format line that was still highly manual. As a family-owned, independent cheese producer established in 1912, we needed a robust and flexible solution. With JYGA, we installed two wrap-around case packers dedicated to Camembert, handling both boxed and paper-wrapped products, to improve consistency, accommodate format changeovers and secure our end-of-line operation. Beyond the machines themselves, what made the difference was the quality of the collaboration: regular discussions, rapid adjustments and continuous technical support from the JYGA teams through to start-up. The result is an automated, stable and more dependable end-of-line system.

We have been highly satisfied with JYGA, both in terms of the reliability of the case packer installed on one of our lines and the service, which has always been very efficient.