Robot automation for FMCG manufacturers

WiredWorkers automates repetitive, physically heavy work in FMCG production with a cobot or an industrial robot, brand-independent. We work for manufacturers that want to take the strain out of case packing, palletizing, label and quality checks, tray loading or repacking — without replacing the whole line.

What we do in FMCG

FMCG lines run many SKUs, changing volumes and a tight crew. The work that remains is often the same: products into outer cases, labels checked, trays filled, pallets built. That work is repetitive, physically heavy and ergonomically taxing. It is also predictable enough to automate, if you pick the right spot.

WiredWorkers Nederland B.V. (trading as WiredWorkers) was founded in 2016 by CEO Robbin Mennings. We design and build robot cells for manufacturers, with FMCG as the primary market: food, non-food liquids and other packaged consumer goods. We choose a cobot or an industrial robot per line. We are brand-independent and work with Universal Robots, FANUC, Techman and Franka Emika, among others.

Two routes:

• Plug & Produce for applications that repeat, such as our cobot palletizer and cobot case erector.
• Custom engineering when the gripper, the fit or the rest of the line requires it.

We do not claim a specialism in one food niche. We work in FMCG and food in general: packed products, changing SKUs, end-of-line that has to keep running.

Explore cobot applications in the FMCG industry.

Five spots where robotization delivers results quickly

Not every task on an FMCG line is a good first case. In practice we see the fastest results in five spots:

1. Case packing — products or smaller packs into outer cases. Fixed positions, predictable pace.
2. Palletizing — stacking boxes on pallets. Physically heavy, often several SKUs per shift. See palletizing.
3. Label check and visual QC — checking a label, batch code or sleeve with vision.
4. Tray loading — products into trays or carriers for flowpackers and cartoners.
5. Repacking and rework — promotions, outer cases, correcting faulty packs.

Also see: pick-and-place applications · machine tending · quality testing.

Cobot or industrial robot

A cobot is often the right choice at medium volume, frequent changeovers and limited floor space. Our Plug & Produce cobot palletizer lifts up to 25 kg, stacks 3 to 4 boxes per minute up to 3 metres stack height, weighs about 200 kg and has two pallet positions. That is the operating range of that cell — a cobot is not an industrial high-speed palletizer.

Does the line run continuously at high capacity, or are the loads heavier? Then an industrial robot is usually better. We do not force a cobot when the line needs a robot.

What we have already done in FMCG

At Boermarke in Enschede (cheese, yoghurt, ice cream and other desserts) we built a palletizer with a Fanuc CRX25iA. Production leader Marcel Olde Olthof: “Where previously four employees were needed, one employee is now sufficient to put pallets away and bring empty pallets back.”

At Multifill in Mijdrecht (non-food liquids) five automated palletizers run with a Fanuc cobot. First one cell as a pilot, then a rollout across the lines.

How a project starts

A good project does not start with a robot brand. It starts with the task, the product and the line. We check whether automation is feasible, test with your product where needed, and only then choose cobot or robot, Plug & Produce or custom. Feasibility studies and cobot rental are existing services; you do not have to buy immediately to test.

Frequently asked questions

Which FMCG companies do you work for?

Manufacturers and co-packers that make packed products: food and non-food. Typical tasks sit at the end of the line or at handling into a packaging machine.

Do I need a cobot or an industrial robot?

That depends on payload, pace, space and how often you change over. For palletizing, 25 kg and 3 to 4 boxes per minute is the operating range of our cobot cell. Above that we look at an industrial robot.

Can you supply brand-independently?

Yes. We choose the brand that fits the task. We work with Universal Robots, FANUC, Techman and Franka Emika, among others.

Do you have references in food and FMCG?

Yes. Boermarke (food, Enschede) and Multifill (FMCG non-food, Mijdrecht) are published cases.

Do you replace a complete line?

No. We automate the tasks where repetitive, physically heavy work or stable handling is the bottleneck. The rest of the line stays.

How do I get in touch?

Via contact, phone +31 314 700 590 or [email protected]. Visiting address: Kryptonstraat 24, 7031 GG Wehl, Netherlands.

Advisory conversation

Want to know whether your line needs a cobot cell, an industrial robot, or a feasibility test first? Book an advisory conversation. We look at product, pace and floor, and we say so if automation does not make sense now.