Map the complete facility
Capture machines, available routes, process constraints and flow requirements.
Case Study 03 / TOTE & CARTON HANDLING
AUTOMATED TOTE HANDLING
KEEPING PRODUCTION MOVING.
A 3D-simulation-led approach to keeping empty and full totes moving through a congested production facility without disrupting existing operations.
3DFacility simulation
2Tote flow directions
1Integrated flow strategy
The challenge
ENGINEERING AROUND
THE CONSTRAINTS.
A high-volume production operation needed to move both empty and filled totes around a busy manufacturing floor. Existing floor congestion meant material flows could not interrupt production and largely needed to be routed overhead.
- Move empty totes from de-nesting to filling
- Move filled totes from filling to palletising
- Avoid already congested floor-level routes
- Accommodate variations in product sizes, weights, batch sizes and throughput
The engineering approach
FROM CHALLENGE
TO SOLUTION.
IO Systems developed a comprehensive 3D facility model covering critical machinery, material paths, throughput requirements and equipment constraints. The team assessed spiral conveyors, elevators, roller conveyors and modular-belt solutions, together with digital control logic matched to product and process requirements.
Simulate alternatives
Compare conveying and elevation strategies before equipment selection.
Simplify the solution
Identify elevators combined with roller conveyors as the strongest balance of performance, reliability and cost-efficiency.
Control the batch flow
Apply custom logic to account for throughput, load characteristics, equipment capacity and changeovers.
Project outcomes
BUILT TO
DELIVER.
Key outcomes described in the project case study:
- Continuous, controlled tote flow across the production process
- Potential bottlenecks identified before implementation
- Reliable availability of totes to keep production moving
- Improved handling of batch changeovers through coordinated logic
Simulation made it possible to challenge assumptions and select a simpler, better-matched material-flow solution before capital investment.