August 13, 2025

Overview
A leading global snack company operating a commercial food manufacturing facility in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Untied States reached out to Grantek with a critical packaging challenge that threatened product quality and operational efficiency. The facility, which produces a variety of baked goods, needed to implement an additional layer of stretch wrap around each SKU requiring tall pallet stack configurations.

The existing automated system lacked the flexibility to accommodate these changes through the user interface, requiring complex coding adjustments to enable the modification. As a trusted automation partner with several years of collaboration history, Grantek was called upon to deliver a reliable solution that would maintain the company’s high standards for product quality and operational excellence. The urgency of this challenge was compounded by immediate operational impacts, making it essential to find a solution that could be implemented quickly while ensuring long-term stability and scalability across the facility’s diverse technology infrastructure.

Challenges
Taller pallet stacks were becoming increasingly unstable during shipment, resulting in significant product damage that impacted both quality standards and bottom-line profitability. This instability led to increased operational costs through rework requirements and customer dissatisfaction, creating an urgent need for a comprehensive solution.

Grantek’s Engineering Team evaluated multiple approaches to address the client’s needs:
Option 1: Advanced Sensor Integration – The first solution considered involved implementing sophisticated sensors to detect variations in pallet height, automatically triggering additional wraps for taller pallets. This approach would include a recipe-based system for wrapping configuration, providing the client with future flexibility and independence in making configuration changes without requiring external technical intervention.
Option 2: Streamlined Code Update – The alternative approach focused on updating the existing code to implement double-wrapping for each pallet load, ensuring secure configuration regardless of pallet height. This solution offered the advantage of avoiding complex hardware modifications while providing immediate results.

Given the urgent timeline requirements, Option 2 was selected as the optimal solution. The code update approach provided a fast, simple, and effective method to secure pallet loads immediately, while maintaining compatibility across the client’s diverse technology ecosystem, including various generations of Allen-Bradley technologies: SLC 505, ControlLogix, PanelView Plus, AB PowerFlex 40 VFDs, and AB 1336 VFDs.

Solutions
The implemented solution directly addressed the core challenge by establishing a reliable double-wrap system for each pallet load. This eliminated the instability issues that were causing shipment damage, immediately improving operational stability and product quality standards. The solution seamlessly integrated across the client’s existing multi-generational technology infrastructure, ensuring no disruption to current operations while providing enhanced packaging security. The compatibility across various Allen-Bradley systems from Rockwell Automation demonstrated Grantek’s expertise in working with diverse automation environments. While implemented locally to address the immediate need, the solution’s flexible architecture makes it readily adaptable for replication across the client’s other production lines and facilities. This scalability factor provides significant value for potential future expansion and standardization efforts.

The client anticipates substantial cost savings through reduced product damage during shipment and decreased rework requirements. Additional time savings are expected as the packaging process becomes more efficient and reliable. Grantek has identified opportunities for further efficiency gains through potential implementation across additional production lines, offering even greater operational benefits. This project reinforces Grantek’s position as a trusted automation partner, demonstrating the ability to deliver rapid, effective solutions under tight timelines while maintaining compatibility with existing systems. The successful implementation opens opportunities for similar efficiency improvements across the client’s broader manufacturing operations.