Controls that keep the line moving
and the product protected.
Packaging operations live at the intersection of speed and precision. A form-fill-seal machine running at 200 cycles per minute needs servo registration accurate to the millimeter. A case packer needs to coordinate with the upstream filler, the labeler, the vision system, and the downstream palletizer without creating gaps or jams. A material handling system needs to route product to the right lane, the right dock, and the right truck — at the speed the production line demands.
We design and deploy control systems as a packaging automation system integrator — for packaging lines, end-of-line systems, material handling operations, and warehouse automation. PLC programming, motion control, robotics, vision systems, and SCADA integration engineered for the throughput, changeover flexibility, and reliability that packaging operations require.
Six OEMs, six HMIs, and changeover processes that run on tribal knowledge.
- —Changeovers that take 45+ minutes
- —Manual case packing and palletizing at end of line
- —OEE recorded by hand, unreliable
Unified SCADA, centralized recipe management, and robotic end-of-line running at rate.
- One-click changeover across every machine
- Robotic case pack and palletizing at line speed
- Real-time OEE across every line and OEM
Eight capabilities,
built for cycle time.
Structured PLC logic on Allen-Bradley and Siemens platforms for packaging line control. Form-fill-seal machine sequencing, cartoning, case packing, tray forming, wrapping, and palletizing. Conveyor interlocking and accumulation logic for product flow management between stations. Line coordination logic that manages the interaction between multiple machines from different OEMs — synchronizing speeds, managing buffers, and handling fault recovery without stopping the entire line.
View serviceReal projects,
measurable results.
A packaging line that changes over in minutes.
A consumer goods manufacturer was spending 45 minutes on changeovers between products — mechanical adjustments, parameter changes across multiple machine HMIs, and a first-article inspection process that relied on tribal knowledge. With 6+ changeovers per day, they were losing over 4 hours of production time daily. We standardized the changeover process with a centralized recipe management system. Product parameters for every machine on the line are stored as recipes and downloaded simultaneously during changeover. Servo positions adjust automatically, vision inspection parameters update, and the HMI guides the operator through any manual adjustments with visual work instructions. Changeover time dropped to 12 minutes, and first-article rejection rates decreased because the process is now repeatable rather than operator-dependent.
End-of-line automation that replaced a shift.
A food packaging operation was hand-packing cases and manually palletizing at the end of four production lines. The manual operation was the throughput bottleneck, the labor cost was the highest per-unit cost on the line, and the repetitive motion injuries were becoming a safety and HR issue. We designed and deployed robotic case packing and palletizing cells at each line end — robots pick product from the conveyor, pack cases in the correct configuration, and build pallets per the specified pattern. The cells are integrated into the line PLC and operate at line speed without buffering. The four operators per shift were redeployed to higher-value roles, and throughput increased because the bottleneck was eliminated.
Data from every machine on the line.
A contract packager had a mix of equipment from six different OEMs across their packaging lines — each with its own PLC, its own HMI, and no connection to anything else. Production data was recorded manually, downtime tracking was unreliable, and the operations team had no visibility into line performance. We deployed a standardized data collection layer across all equipment — communicating with each OEM's PLC via the appropriate protocol and normalizing the data into a unified SCADA platform. Real-time OEE, downtime Pareto, production counting, and shift reporting now cover the entire line, regardless of equipment manufacturer. The data revealed that the labeler — not the filler, as everyone assumed — was the primary constraint on two of three lines.
The stack we deploy
on packaging lines.
Allen-Bradley ControlLogix & CompactLogix, Siemens S7-1500 & S7-1200, Beckhoff TwinCAT
Allen-Bradley Kinetix, Siemens Sinamics, Beckhoff servo systems, electronic cam and gearing
FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Universal Robots — pick/place, case packing, palletizing
Cognex, Keyence, SICK — print inspection, barcode reading, dimensional verification
Ignition, FactoryTalk, Siemens WinCC
Conveyor control, sortation, divert, accumulation, barcode/RFID tracking
EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT, IO-Link, OPC UA
Built for cycle time,
not adapted to it.
We design for speed.
Packaging operations are measured in cycles per minute. We design control systems, motion profiles, and robot programs that meet the throughput requirement — not systems that work at half speed during commissioning and never quite reach rate.
We handle multi-OEM environments.
Most packaging lines are built from equipment made by different manufacturers. We integrate all of it — different PLCs, different protocols, different vintages — into a unified control and monitoring architecture. One SCADA system, one set of production data, one view of the line.
We build for changeover.
Multi-product facilities need control systems that make changeover fast, reliable, and operator-friendly. Our recipe management and servo positioning systems are designed for the reality of a line that switches products multiple times per shift.
Straight answers.
Yes. Most packaging lines are built from equipment made by different manufacturers. We integrate all of it — different PLCs, different protocols, different vintages — into a unified control and monitoring architecture. One SCADA system, one set of production data, one view of the line.
We standardize the changeover process with a centralized recipe management system. Product parameters for every machine on the line are stored as recipes and downloaded simultaneously during changeover. Servo positions adjust automatically, vision inspection parameters update, and the HMI guides the operator through any manual adjustments with visual work instructions.
Allen-Bradley Kinetix, Siemens Sinamics, and Beckhoff servo systems — registration control for printed film, cam profiles for intermittent motion, electronic gearing for synchronized product handling, and coordinated multi-axis motion for pick-and-place operations. We program for the tight synchronization requirements of high-speed packaging where mechanical cams have been replaced by electronic alternatives.
Yes. Pick-and-place, case packing, palletizing, and depalletizing with FANUC, ABB, KUKA, and Universal Robots. Robot cells are integrated into the packaging line control system — coordinated with upstream and downstream equipment for continuous operation. We also deploy collaborative robots for flexible, lower-volume operations where traditional guarding isn't practical.
Print quality and date code verification, label placement, fill level, seal integrity, barcode and QR code reading, and serialization verification. Reject systems coordinated with the vision system and line PLC. Vision data logged to the SCADA system for batch traceability, quality trending, and regulatory compliance.
Yes. Packaging operations are measured in cycles per minute. The system isn't done until it runs at rate with acceptable reject levels. We commission on-site, tune motion profiles, calibrate vision, and train operators on changeover and basic troubleshooting until the line holds target.
Ready to talk about your line?
Whether it's a packaging line integration, an end-of-line automation project, or a material handling system — tell us about the project.