Packaging Line Automation and Integration
Most packaging lines are a chain of machines from different OEMs that were never designed to work together. We make the line run like one machine and show you exactly where it loses time.
Where packaging lines lose time
- Unknown bottleneck: every machine looks busy, but the line still misses rate.
- Micro-stops: short jams and blocked or starved conditions that never make it into a downtime log.
- Long changeovers: each machine set up separately from its own HMI.
- End-of-line labor: people hand-stacking cases and building pallets.
Line integration and conveyor controls
We program the logic that ties a line together: accumulation, speed following, machine-to-machine handshakes, and PowerFlex drive control on conveyors. When upstream and downstream machines talk properly, the line runs at the speed of the constraint instead of the speed of the last jam.
End-of-line robotics
Robotic palletizing, case packing, and case handling with FANUC robots and Universal Robots cobot palletizers. We integrate the robot with the line PLC, pallet patterns, safety, and the HMI so operators can add a new pattern without calling anyone.
Line OEE and downtime tracking
We collect the state of every machine on the line, including running, blocked, starved, and faulted, along with first-out fault codes and counts. You get OEE for the line and for each machine, and a clear answer to which machine is the constraint. Where OEMs support PackML-style state models we use them; where they do not, we map what each machine exposes.
One-button changeovers
A central recipe on the line HMI or MES can push product settings to every machine at once, cutting changeover time and eliminating setup mistakes.
Related services
- PLC programming and controls engineering
- Robotic and cobot cell integration
- MES integration, OEE and data collection
- HMI and SCADA systems
Frequently asked questions
Can you integrate machines from different OEMs?
Yes. We work with the interfaces each machine provides, from hardwired signals to EtherNet/IP and OPC UA, and write the line logic that coordinates them.
How do you find the bottleneck on a line?
By recording the running, blocked, starved, and faulted state of every machine over time. The constraint is the machine that is rarely blocked or starved but still limits output.
Can a cobot palletize our cases?
Often yes, for moderate case weights and rates. We evaluate case weight, rate, pallet height, and floor space and recommend a cobot or an industrial FANUC palletizer accordingly.
Can you retrofit our existing conveyor controls?
Yes. We replace obsolete conveyor PLCs and drives and add accumulation and speed control while keeping the mechanical conveyor in place.
Talk to an engineer
Plantwide Integration is an independent systems integrator based in Big Lake, Minnesota, serving manufacturers with packaging and end-of-line operations across the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Central Minnesota, and the Upper Midwest. Tell us about the machine or line and we will tell you honestly whether it is a good fit.