Tray stacking

Tray stacking is the end of the line, and usually the last part of it to be automated. It is also where the manual handling is: lifting loaded trays to shoulder height, hundreds of times a shift, is the task most likely to put someone off work in the whole plant.

Stacking and destacking to a set height, fed on demand rather than on a timer, removes that lift and squares the load at the same time. Stack heights are stored per SKU, so a dolly leaves the line the same way on every shift.

Beyond the stacker, returnable baskets need buffering, routing and feeding to the wash line — work that is invisible right up until it stops, at which point it is the only thing anyone in the plant wants to talk about.