Anonymous Consumer Packaged Goods Firm

Consumer packaged goods manufacturers face relentless pressure to increase throughput while controlling costs and maintaining product quality. For this enterprise CPG firm, sorting different goods across multiple conveyors at a 1-second-per-cycle rate exposed a fundamental limitation of conventional robotic platforms: closed architectures require separate robot controllers operating alongside machine control systems, creating interface layers between them. These interfaces introduce synchronization delays, complicate programming across disparate environments, and create data loss risks whenever systems fail to communicate cleanly. As production complexity grows and labor shortages intensify, each additional control system compounds operational burden — raising maintenance costs and slowing troubleshooting response.

autonox Robotics deployed an open mechanics architecture that eliminates the interface layer between robot kinematics and machine control entirely. Rather than pairing a standalone robot controller with a separate PLC, the solution uses Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000 design environment and a single Logix controller to govern the complete system — conveyors, robots, and process devices — as one unified machine. Two wash-down autonox HHD DELTA RL4-1200-3 kg kinematics handle primary product sorting onto packaging conveyors, while a standard DELTA RL4-T1-1200-3 kg with T-shaft performs secondary case packing. Allen-Bradley Kinetix servo motors and drives provide consistent motion performance across all axes. The system was virtually commissioned using Rockwell's Emulate3D software before physical build, and robot programming was completed entirely within the Studio 5000 environment using embedded robot libraries.

The integrated system achieved the target 1-second sorting cycle time, enabling the CPG firm to meet high-throughput packaging demands without compromising precision or quality. Beyond hitting the headline speed metric, the unified control architecture delivered measurable operational improvements:

• Single production data system across all motion axes, eliminating cross-system data loss risk
• Reduced maintenance complexity — one drive family (Allen-Bradley Kinetix) serves conveyors, robots, and process devices, reducing spare parts inventory
• Integrated safety handled within the same control environment, removing a historically separate system
• Faster time-to-value through virtual commissioning via Emulate3D before physical installation

The OEM can now focus on application outcomes rather than managing incompatible control ecosystems.

• Open mechanics architectures remove the root cause of robot-machine interface problems — not just symptoms. Eliminating the separate robot controller eliminates the integration point where data loss and sync failures occur.
• Unified drive families across all motion axes (conveyors, robots, process devices) reduce spare parts inventory and simplify technician training.
• Virtual commissioning with digital twin tools (such as Emulate3D) de-risks physical build by validating robot programming and system behavior before hardware installation.
• 1-second cycle times in CPG sorting are achievable only with tight motion synchronization — shared-controller architectures provide this where multi-system setups cannot.
• Food-contact applications require purpose-built mechanics: wash-down ratings, food-grade lubricants, and elimination of external gaps and springs are non-negotiable for hygienic compliance.