On-the-fly Mixed-SKU Palletizing at Trusco Nakayama’s Flagship Distribution Center: An Innovative Leap Forward

At Trusco Nakayama Corporation’s forefront distribution hub, “Planet Saitama,” a revolutionary step in automation has been unveiled, thanks to a collaboration with Mujin. This facility now showcases MujinPack, an advanced system for on-the-fly mixed-SKU palletizing, which promises unprecedented efficiency in handling diverse products.

MujinPack supplies on-the-fly packing plans for pallet building within the robot system. This technology can follow your business needs to meet requirements for direct store deliveries like barcode presentation on pallet, SKU grouping requirements, or other loading requirements.

Watch the case story video to see it in action.

The Adoption of Intelligent Robotics

Although Planet Saitama had previously implemented automation within their material transport, storage, and packaging workflows, the outbound palletizing challenge remained.  Managing a mixed variety of products with unpredictable release of boxes from packing machines has always been challenging to automate. Humans, with their adaptability, were typically entrusted with this task. However, Mujin’s automated palletizing system has transformed this approach, introducing real-time decision-making and adaptability that’s on par with human capabilities.

Here’s a deeper dive into what this cutting-edge system brings to the table:

Real-time Digital Twin for Simple Integration with Peripheral Devices — The MujinController obtains box dimensions directly from the central system and confirms those dimensions with 3D Vision.  This allows for a reliable, streamlined, and efficient operation built for operations usability and flexibility.

Dynamic Stacking Capabilities — At Planet Saitama, the Mujin robotic palletizer is designed to adjust on-the-fly, offering two distinct stacking patterns:

• Uniform Box Stacking — For same-sized boxes, the robot employs Opportunistic Multipicking, allowing it to stack multiple boxes in one movement. 
• Random Palletizing — MujinPack’s strength lies in its ability to realize optimal stacking patterns in real-time for varied box sizes, ensuring the maximum box count without surpassing the stipulated height.

3D Vision-Driven Precision—Armed with 3D vision, the robot can detect variances between its virtual environment and the real environment, guaranteeing precise loading. This is especially crucial when placing items on pallets positioned by autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). The 3D vision negates the requirement for pallet fixtures. That not only makes the system more flexible, but it also is rendered more cost-effective.

Mujin’s innovative solution at Planet Saitama embodies the future of automated warehousing, where robots not only match human adaptability but offer traceability, consistency, and accuracy. It’s a game-changer for Trusco Nakayama, positioning them as pioneers in employing intelligent robotics to boost their operational efficiency and overall sustainability.