Go-Go, Gadget Arm: Scaling a New Product with Robotic Automation

Developing and deploying 30 high-speed robotic workcells across eight facilities to help Vestcom bring a new retail product to market.

Vestcom provides shelf-edge pricing and promotional solutions to more than 70 percent of retail food, drug, and mass merchants in the U.S. When the company developed a new product designed to reduce the labor required for weekly retail price changes, demand quickly created another challenge: producing it at scale.

Vestcom turned to Concept Systems to develop a flexible robotic automation solution that could integrate with existing production equipment, accommodate frequent product changes, and be rapidly deployed across facilities throughout the country.

The Problem: Scaling a New Product for Nationwide Production

Vestcom specializes in digital printing for the nation’s leading retailers, and guarantees that it will meet retailers’ schedules, so error-proof production processes are essential. For a new product, it required a flexible system that would allow tooling changes as many as six times in each 10-hour shift to print tags on-demand. The solution needed to work with Vestcom’s existing production lines, including retrofitting a bar code scanner to an existing laminator system. Not only were speed and accuracy critical in producing the labels, but Vestcom also required a quick installation process.

Vestcom provides custom-printed material with a one-to-five-day lead-time from order to delivery. Because the product is one-off and delivered in a highly specific sequence, any damaged product represents a significant cost in material and time.

The Solution: A High-Speed Robotic Pick and Place System

Concept Systems developed a robotic workcell for each production line using a FANUC M-2iA/6H delta robot equipped with a custom-engineered, high-speed vacuum pick head. The robot separates preprinted labels and stacks them onto discharge conveyors as part of the production process.

The FANUC robot was modified with shorter arms to achieve the required operating speed. Concept Systems integrated the robot controller with the existing laminator control system using Rockwell Automation controls, while SICK barcode scanners, vision sensors, and safety devices supported product identification and safe operation.

Controls for the robotic system were incorporated into Vestcom’s existing HMI, allowing the new equipment to operate as part of the existing production line rather than as a standalone system.

From Prototype to Production

Concept Systems quickly developed prototype tooling to validate the application before designing and building the first complete robotic workcell. The first system was demonstrated within four months and operating in production within six months.

Once onsite, the prototype system was up and running within 48 hours.

As Vestcom continued refining the product based on customer feedback, Concept Systems incorporated changing requirements into the workcell design during rollout. The scalable architecture allowed the solution to be replicated across multiple facilities while accommodating the flexibility required for one-off orders, varying product dimensions, and both low- and high-volume production.

The Results

Concept Systems ultimately delivered 30 production-ready robotic workcells across eight Vestcom facilities, providing the manufacturing capacity needed to support the nationwide launch of the new product.

• First complete robotic workcell demonstrated within four months
• First production system operational within six months
• Prototype system running onsite within 48 hours
• 30 robotic workcells deployed across eight production facilities
• Supported frequent tooling changes and varying product sizes, shapes, and volumes
• Enabled flexible, just-in-time production of highly customized orders
• Integrated new automation with existing laminator controls and HMIs
• Adapted the workcell design as Vestcom’s product requirements evolved

“Vestcom entrusted Concept to design, build and install custom robotic manufacturing systems for a brand new product. Concept’s design prowess, controls expertise and project management methodology quickly moved the project from idea to prototype validation to full rollout in less than 12 months. These efforts resulted in the nationwide installation of dozens of robotic cells across eight production facilities, enabling Vestcom to successfully provide our clients with an industry-leading new product.” 

– Scott Aten, Vestcom

Scale production with robotic workcells engineered for speed, flexibility, and integration with existing manufacturing systems.

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