How Inland Packaging Exceeded Every Performance Goal with Robotic Packaging

Inland Packaging is a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of labels and packaging solutions, serving customers that depend on consistent quality and reliable delivery. As demand increased, the company faced a common challenge in manufacturing: how to expand production capacity when labor is difficult to find and retain.

One area of particular concern was the end of the packaging line. Employees were manually packaging and palletizing finished products, a physically demanding process that required two people to keep production moving efficiently. The work involved handling heavy boxes throughout long shifts, creating challenges for both productivity and employee ergonomics.

At the same time, Inland Packaging had a significant space constraint. Traditional end-of-line automation systems wouldn’t fit within the available footprint on the production floor. The company needed a solution specifically designed around its operation, not a standard machine modified to work around limitations.

To address these challenges, Inland partnered with DEVELOP, a Wisconsin-based automation company and FANUC Authorized System Integrator. Working together, DEVELOP engineered and built a fully custom robotic end-of-line packaging and palletizing cell designed specifically for Inland's production environment.

The resulting solution—which was designed to fit precisely within the available space—combines packaging and palletizing functions into a compact automation cell while maintaining a simple operator experience. The entire system operates through a single HMI screen with intuitive visual instructions built directly into the interface.

The simplicity of the system dramatically reduced training requirements. Operators were able to gain confidence running the equipment within hours, and some employees successfully operated the system independently after just a few hours of instruction on their first shift.

While ease of use was important, reliability was critical. The custom system sits at the end of a production line with no downstream buffer. Any interruption immediately impacts upstream operations, making uptime essential to maintaining overall productivity. Inland initially set aggressive uptime and downtime goals for the project, but the system exceeded those targets well ahead of schedule.

Unlike many automation projects that reach peak performance immediately after startup, this one continued to improve after installation. DEVELOP engineers remained engaged with Inland's team, analyzing performance and making ongoing optimizations. The original cycle time target of 4.5 seconds was reduced to 4.2 seconds within six months, with additional improvements expected.

The labor benefits were equally significant. The automated cell enabled Inland to reduce staffing requirements from two employees per line to one while maintaining and increasing output. Rather than eliminating jobs, the change allowed Inland to redeploy employees to other areas of the business where additional support was needed, helping the company grow without adding headcount for repetitive palletizing tasks.

Six months after startup, Inland had already achieved every original project objective. The system not only delivered the expected productivity gains but continued to improve throughput, reliability, and employee satisfaction. Today, the automation solution is a visible example of how custom robotic automation can help manufacturers overcome labor challenges, maximize existing floor space, and drive sustainable growth.

"

We’re six months in and we’ve already exceeded our expectations. The goal of the machine was to be able to run the line with one person instead of two. We met that goal early on.

Randy Starkey Manufacturing Engineer – Inland Packaging