Oakberry Farms

Objectives

Oakberry Farms wanted to improve packhouse efficiency by increasing throughput while reducing labour requirements for packing blueberry punnets into trays. They were seeking a reliable, compact automation solution that would accelerate the packing process, and deliver a clear return on investment through improved productivity and labour savings.

The Problem

Oakberry Farms were looking for an automation solution that could significantly reduce labour requirements on their packing line while remaining practical and reliable at high-speeds in a production environment. A key requirement was the ability to remove four people from the packing process, creating a strong financial return on investment. However, labour savings alone were not enough. They also needed a solution that could operate consistently without breakdowns, without any reliance on technical specialists, and be simple enough for existing staff to run independently.

In addition to reliability and ease of use, the packhouse required a system that would maintain high safety standards and fit within the available floor space. The challenge was to find a machine capable of delivering operational efficiencies without introducing unnecessary complexity or disruption to daily operations.

The Solution

Punchbowl Automation delivered the ARKMUS SpeedStacker, a robotic case packer designed to streamline the end-of-line packing process. The system successfully met the business’s key requirements by automating work previously carried out by four operators while remaining straightforward to operate and maintain.

Inderjeet Singh Thind, Packhouse Manager at Oakberry Farms, said: ‘It’s a very simple machine. It’s doing a really technical and important job, but when you look at it, it’s really simple.’ This simplicity enables packhouse staff to run the equipment without requiring highly specialised technical expertise. The compact design also ensures the machine can be integrated into the existing facility without consuming excessive floor space, while maintaining a safe working environment.

The delivered solution exceeded expectations, achieving a processing capability of up to 192 punnets per minute. The team at Oakberry Farms have expressed a high level of satisfaction with the system, describing it as a potentially revolutionary technology for the packhouse industry and stating they would strongly recommend it to others.