- The Stoecklin CasePicker system accommodates different size containers, including a mix of disposable and reusable packaging, to optimize palletizing and depalletizing while ensuring product integrity.
- Has a capacity of 135,000 cases of fresh fruit and vegetables per day.
ATLANTA – The surge in demand for fruits and vegetables across retail and food service channels necessitates suppliers to improve their supply chains with automation and other advanced tools. These enhancements aid in making product transfers more efficient and reduce waste. Stöcklin Logistics, a provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions, is set to introduce the Stöcklin CasePicker to tackle specific product logistics issues and seize opportunities in the current produce shipping industry.
The Stöcklin CasePicker is a fully automated solution tailored for distribution centers catering to numerous retail stores, supporting freshness zones ranging from 4°C to 14°C, and capable of handling up to 135,000 cases per day for fruits and vegetables. It is equipped with an intelligent control depalletizer that operates a unique, specially designed gripper featuring a suction strip and an underride plate. This ensures the gentle and reliable selection of cases. Furthermore, the gripper is designed to enable the picking of various returnable and disposable containers consecutively for the first time. (See image below.)
CasePicker addresses challenge of fresh produce container varieties
“Until recently, varying types of containers were a major impediment to automated depalletization and subsequent direct palletization on pallets for each specific retail outlet,” said Damaris Grütter, Director of U.S. & Canada for Stöcklin. “Conventional automated picking systems depalletized the entire pallet and separated the contents on trays in one initial step, which took a lot of extra time and increased the opportunity for product damage and waste. The Stöcklin CasePicker addresses all of these pain points plus dramatically improves throughput performance.”
In line with Stöcklin’s philosophy, the Stöcklin CasePicker is entirely modular and adaptable. It can be enhanced by incorporating new modules as per the performance requirements and can also be utilized in conjunction with well-established Stöcklin equipment like the FTS Eagle-Ant picking and conveying equipment. Furthermore, the modules are easy to incorporate into existing buildings and structures and have the capability to connect seamlessly with existing systems.
The Stöcklin CasePicker’s design ensures that only the designated goods are picked straight from the produce pallet for the retail outlet pallet, thereby avoiding any unnecessary movement. The system’s speed is contingent on the volume of orders. This process optimization and flexible utilization result in a significant reduction in energy consumption compared to traditional solutions.
“The Stöcklin CasePicker is completely scalable and ensures simple modular integration into existing distribution centers,” added Lothar Käufler, Head of Development at Stöcklin Logistics,. “The workforce can be reduced by two-thirds. The remaining personnel experience a considerable improvement in the quality of their workplace and a significantly healthier working environment. This system, therefore, provides a truly employee-friendly alternative to the prior system of strenuous manual picking.”
About Stoecklin Logistics Inc.
For more than 85 years, Stoecklin Logistics has delivered innovative logistics solutions worldwide to meet the highest requirements. We support our customers from the planning and development phase through the delivery of complete, ready-to-use systems. Our experience and products, produced primarily within our own company, allows us to offer conveying and storage systems for highly varying types of load carriers to improve our customer’s competitive ability. More information is available at https://stoecklin.us/.