Robots Don’t Fix Bad Boxes

Spent last week chasing random stops on a new case packing cell. Everyone blamed the robot or the PLC.

Root cause was inconsistent corrugate and warped RSCs. The EOAT lost vacuum and retries stacked up; vision missed edges; maintenance chased sensors. We slowed the cycle a touch, changed the cup layout, added simple squaring guides and a cheap air knife. Also set a hard fault after two retries instead of six to stop making a mess. Downtime dropped.

Takeaway: before reaching for smarter vision or path tweaks, check the basics: materials, simple guides, air quality, vacuum lines, cup wear, and recipe limits. Robots are honest mirrors of upstream variation.

Where do you draw the line between fixing the process and making the robot smarter? What simple mechanical or procedural tweaks have saved you more than a clever algorithm?