Automation Helps Udhaiyam Dhall Reach New Heights Of Packaging Efficiency
Case in point: Udhaiyam Dhall
At a glance
Focus: Automation Helps Udhaiyam Dhall Reach New Heights Of Packaging Efficiency.
Challenge: Shri Lakshmi Agro Foods had already explored automation on their production lines for primary packaging of their product, Udhaiyam
Approach: The food manufacturing company was seeking to automate their production lines for a greater consistency of output and was especially concerned about finding the right solution
Impact: The UR5 cobot resulted in a 24x7 production output with consistent results
Universal Robots
Universal Robots has reinvented industrial robotics with lightweight and flexible robot arms, dubbed "cobots" (collaborative robots), which are built on the concept of Human Robot Collaboration, or HRC. These Danish-designed cobots automate production across businesses of all sizes and industries – even in SMEs that regard automation as prohibitively expensive, cumbersome, and difficult to integrate. With over 44,000 cobots installed around the globe as of today, Universal Robots makes robot technology accessible to all levels of industry in a multitude of applications, and optimizes production in ever-expanding markets. By offering a user-friendly, flexible, and affordable cobot, Universal Robots lowers the automation barrier, enabling automation in areas previously considered too complex or costly to automate.
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Udhaiyam Dhall
Shri Lakshmi Agro Foods Private Limited is one of the leading consumer food product companies in India, being a five-generation run business with over 85 years of business expertise. Under the most trustworthy brand name Udhaiyam, it is a mass food manufacturer and marketer of many household food products. It is a farm-fresh agro food business, especially in the pulses industry and is responsible for some of India’s largest staple food brands, including Udhaiyam Dhall.
Business challenge
Shri Lakshmi Agro Foods had already explored automation on their production lines for primary packaging of their product, Udhaiyam.
Shri Lakshmi Agro Foods had already explored automation on their production lines for primary packaging of their product, Udhaiyam Dhall. The challenge now was to automate these production lines for secondary packaging of their products.
Due to the static posture of their employees and the repetitive nature of these packaging tasks, workers were faced with massive ergonomic risks over a long period of time which would severely affect their health and result in an unhealthy environment.
Apart from the health-related risks, there was also a scarcity of labour for late night shifts in India. A large portion of the mass-manufacturer’s workforce comprised of women and it was difficult to accommodate these employees in night shifts. Due to this, the production line could not produce satisfactory outputs round the clock.
Industry 4.0 solution
The food manufacturing company was seeking to automate their production lines for a greater consistency of output and was especially concerned about finding the right solution for secondary packaging.
They were primarily looking for an automation solution in order to produce outputs 24x7 to meet the rising demands for the dhall products.
In addition, the mass-manufacturer also required a solution which would be human-friendly and safe to work with.
Since a majority of their workforce comprised of women, they wanted a technology that was easy to use and could help meet productivity demands, so that their female employees wouldn’t have to work late night shifts.
Shri Lakshmi Agro Foods deployed the UR5 cobot on their production lines as a standardized solution for consistent productivity and workplace safety. The cobot was a human-friendly robot that allowed employees to work alongside it, resulting in a significant increase in production.
Key benefits
| Area | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Quality | The UR5 cobot resulted in a 24x7 production output with consistent quality. This enabled Shri Lakshmi Agro Foods to increase their production to meet skyrocketed demands during festivals like Diwali |
| Safety & Workforce | As a majority of their workforce comprised of women, installing the cobot helped empower these women by allowing them to work on these assembly lines with ease in a safe environment. The UR5 cobot helper was particularly vital in enabling uninterrupted productivity so that women would not have to work late night shifts. |
| Safety & Workforce | Many repetitive and physically taxing tasks were re-assigned to these automated assistants, thus eradicating ergonomic risks that the employees were previously facing. |
Technologies used
What they said
"I am really grateful towards Universal Robots as they introduced human-friendly robots. Now, our employees can work alongside them. It is very helpful of UR, as we can now give a consistent output to meet the supply-demand chain exactly at the breaking point."