Aagard Maximizes Throughput and Minimizes Footprint

Not every packaging project starts with a single, clear-cut plan. Some take years of conversations, iterations, and trust-building—layer by layer—until the right moment hits.

Tightly integrated combination case packer, palletizer, and stretch wrapper for deli meat.

That was the case with this long-standing customer, who had a clear goal in mind: upgrade the end-of-line systems for six deli meat packaging lines. The challenge? Make it more efficient—and fit it into the footprint of a case packer.

After five to six years of ongoing collaboration, onsite visits, and gradually evolving design ideas, the project finally kicked off. What emerged was a tightly integrated combination solution: case packer, palletizer, and stretch wrapper—all in a space originally reserved for case packing alone.

The Power of Compact Integration

The original plan didn’t include palletizing or wrapping at the line. That’s because, traditionally, those systems take up valuable floor space—especially in cold environments like this customer’s freezer room. But Aagard brought something different to the table: a highly compact, fully integrated system that included palletizing and stretch wrapping within the same footprint, saving massive amounts of space.

On top of that, the system included product accumulation buffers, giving the upstream process 4–5 minutes of coverage during short stops. That meant better uptime and fewer interruptions, even in high-speed operations.

Combination machine with Aagard's Rapid Lauch™ Technology for faster changeovers.

Engineering for Flexibility and Efficiency

This wasn’t a copy-and-paste job. Even though we’d worked with this customer on other machines before, we looked for ways to improve—starting with infeed flexibility for a broader range of deli products. We also moved from older third-party robots to Aagard’s own delta-style robotic loaders, which gave the system a more open feel and improved operator access without sacrificing speed or robustness.

And then came the case design—a double-walled box built to support heavier deli meat packs. This change eliminated deformation issues and enabled better pallet integrity.

We also made strategic layout changes at the palletizer’s output, shifting its interface to face the aisle for easier forklift access. Small adjustment, big impact—especially for teams running multiple lines in a tight facility.

Smart Choices That Paid Off

Initially, the customer wasn’t planning to invest in Aagard’s Rapid Launch™ technology. With dedicated lines, they didn’t think they needed the faster changeovers and recipe flexibility. But after seeing how much it simplified operation and cut downtime on the first machine, they quickly decided to retrofit it across all of their lines.

We also implemented smart row palletizing to build dense, stable loads, integrated on-machine printing, and worked with Ambliflex to optimize vertical transitions based on their site conditions.

Results That Stick

The machine has been running at 95% efficiency, handling additional SKUs since its installation, and continues to deliver real value. What started as a project, years in the making, turned into a true example of what Aagard does best—engineering combination systems that adapt to the real-world needs of operators, space constraints, and evolving product lines.

This wasn’t just an upgrade. It was a complete transformation of how end-of-line automation can look—and work—in a modern food facility.