Cecelia Farms Case Study

Creating a Customized Solution for Produce Palletizing

RESULTS
• Custom EOAT allows for damage-free loading of product and balanced pallets

• Throughput and pallet height requirements are met due high speeds and extended vertical reach of Kawasaki CP180L robot

• Possibility to increase throughput with minor changes

• Labor costs decreased

• Training helped technical support team member diversify skillset

Caxton-Mark, a robotic integrator out of Leamington, Ontario, coordinated the install of a CP180L robot to palletize cardboard boxes of produce in a fully automated end-of-line system. They took factors such as increased pallet heights and ergonomic concerns into consideration as they created a completely custom solution for the large-scale farm.

In order to keep shipping costs as low as possible, Cecelia Farms needed to fill their trucks from floor to ceiling, which means extended pallet heights were a must. This height requirement posed an ergonomic challenge for their employees, who found it challenging to lift the 25-lb. boxes of produce that high. Additionally, Cecelia Farms needed a high-speed robot that would be able to consistently meet their goal of loading 6 pallets/hour, without crushing the product.

The large work envelope and industry-leading speeds of the Kawasaki CP180L help Cecelia Farms check some of their other must-haves off their list. The CP180L robot meets their 6 pallet per hour goal at 80% robot speed. With some changes to their process and EOAT, they’ll be able to reach 90% and increase throughput by an additional pallet per hour. The CP180L robot is capable of 2,050 cycles per hour with a 130 kg payload, which makes it one of the fastest in its class.

The high vertical reach (2,200 mm) of the CP180L robot was perfect for Cecelia Farms, who listed being able to stack almost 8 ft high as a must-have. Automating this task relieved Cecelia Farms employees of this ergonomically taxing job responsibility, and allowed the farm to keep their labor costs low.