What Does a Complete Robotic End-of-Line System Cost?

• Case erector. Forms and seals the bottom of each case. Some builders combine erecting and packing in one dual-robot cell.
• Robotic or gantry case packer. The center of the line. Post 8 covers the ranges.
• Partition inserter. Drops dividers into cases for glass or fragile products.
• Case sealer. Tape sealers run 25+ cases a minute, hot melt glue sealers 30+, and hybrid tape-and-glue sealers up to 50.
• Robotic palletizer. Builds the pallet at up to 12 cycles a minute per robot, with payloads up to 315 kg. Some versions add a built-in stretch wrapper.
• Conveyors, controls, and integration. The connections between machines, often the largest line on the quote after the robots.

• Number of machines. Each station adds equipment, guarding, and controls.
• Line speed. Higher speeds mean two robots per station or faster equipment.
• Automatic changeover between products and case sizes costs more and saves hours each week.
• One builder or several. A single integrator owns the whole line. Several builders mean you own the gaps.

1. Count every person touching the case today: forming, packing, sealing, palletizing, and wrapping.
2. Multiply by 2,080 hours, your loaded hourly rate, and your number of shifts.
3. Add the cost of open positions: overtime, temp labor, and missed shipments when the line runs short.
4. Compare the total with the project cost plus installation, training, and maintenance.

A line replacing six people per shift on two shifts at $25 an hour frees $624,000 a year in labor. Even a $1 million project pays back in under two years at that rate.

• Which machines on the line does the builder make, and which come from other suppliers?
• Who is responsible when one machine stops the whole line?
• Will the line run every case size and pack pattern I ship today?
• How long from order to running product?
• What does preventive maintenance cost per year for the whole line?

An automated line stops when supplies run out. We supply the cases, tape, and stretch film an end-of-line system runs on, and our VMI program counts and restocks on your schedule. No VMI customer has ever run out of product. Send us your line plan, and we’ll lock case specs and supply levels before your equipment arrives.

S&S Incorporated · Packaging made easy since 1965 21300 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44117 216-383-1880 · info@sspkg.com · www.sspackaging.com Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–3:30 PM