Part Two - Seegrid Gazette study| APC Growth Led the Company to Seegrid |
The expansion at APC included an additional 100,000 square foot operating and storage space. The increased space led to investigations of ergonomic alternatives to transportation with manned forklifts.
Seegrid technology has helped many companies, like American Packaging, deploy driverless, automated pallet trucks and tow tractors that operate without a need for wire, tape, laser or other automated guided vehicle guidance systems.
APC appreciated that
Seegrid focused on safety first. Seegrid came to APC with a
top-notch design team to learn and understand the company's entire supply chain. Seegrid's material handling experts offered important suggestions to improve the process.
Seegrid does not just sell robotic industrial trucks and material handling equipment;
Seegrid is a strategic partner to customers. |
 Seegrid GP8's allows APC to run multiple eight and ten
color rotogravure presses, 24 hours a day with no transportation cost internally. |
APC had specific pain points that drove them to find
Seegrid, the leading robotic industrial truck solution. The company had already installed one of the world's largest automated cylinder handling systems which facilitates the fastest press changeovers possible. As APC's footprint grew, the need to move printed material farther distances with speed and safety was essential. The option was to add labor or automate.
| Seegrid and the APC Lean Approach. |
Lean manufacturing is defined by continuous process improvement. APC is constantly reviewing how to be the best rotogravure company in the world. American Packaging RPL facility has become an industry leader by specializing in combining in-line process to provide packaging materials that are cost effective and create brand recognition. Continual improvement is the foundation to growth and success.
Seegrid offers flexibility which provides technology to meet the changing demands of the future. Seegrid's commitment to execute the trained routes every time, in an identical way, makes the APC plant safer and more productive; there is no down time or turnover. Beyond exceptional pre-planning by Seegrid, APC reports that implementation of the robots was seamless and the installers stayed until the customer was totally satisfied.
| The Seegrid Promise of Excellence |
Seegrid Robots have operated 24 hours per day without issue since the very first day of installation at PC. There was no new equipment break in period to work out the bugs. The robots work consistently and without issues. Seegrid is passionately committed to our customers, like APC, by providing robotic industrial trucks which define quality, productivity, safety, and bottom-line impacts.
APC Staff Loves the Seegrid Robots
New technology only works when the staff values, enjoys and loves the benefits that follow. Talented and dedicated APC staff members love the Seegrid robots. The robots are easy to work with and take very little effort to integrate into everyone's work style. Initially, operators worried the robots would either take their jobs or force them to work at an unsustainable pace. No jobs were lost; employees were reassigned to new functions to improve the productivity and effectiveness of the company.
Because the robots are so flexible, they fit into each machine operators work flow and are utilized as a tool, not a hindrance. American Packaging executive admits receiving a special benefit from the robots. The first time a customer comes into the plant and sees the robots they get a big smile and ask for details. The robots help define the value APC provides through customization focused manufacturing excellence. |
Seegrid CorpPittsburgh, PA - USA
Email: sales@seegrid.com
Web: www.seegrid.comTel: +1 412-379-4500