Use Case – AUTOBOX10 Automatic Case Erector

The Challenge

A food and beverage manufacturer located near Graz was manually assembling and sealing cartons in its shipping department. The operation handles about 1,200 cartons each day, with two employees assigned to carton erecting during the busiest shifts.

Each carton was opened, folded, and sealed by hand using handheld tape dispensers. This process resulted in long lines at the packing stations, inconsistent box squareness, and frequent rework when cartons failed to fit the automated conveyor system. Overtime for the packing crew averaged €500 per month, mainly due to the slow pace of manual carton erecting.

Manual Process

Staff followed a repetitive routine: select a flat carton, open it, fold the flaps, and apply tape by hand. Operator fatigue and differences in technique led to uneven taping and sometimes damaged corners.

Before Automation:

• Daily output: 1,200 cartons/day
• Time per carton: 24 seconds/carton
• Total time per day: 1,200 × 24 s = 28,800 s = 480 minutes (8.0 hours/day)
• Labor expense: 8.0 h × €25/h = €200/day
• Rework/issues: About 6% of cartons required rework (72/day)

With 6% of cartons needing to be refolded or resealed, packers often had to halt the line to fix boxes that were not square enough for automated weighing and labeling. Management aimed to recover at least one full-time position from this area and ensure a steady outbound flow.

Automated Solution

The facility installed the AUTOBOX10 Automatic Case Erector at the start of the packing line, feeding erected, bottom-taped cartons directly onto the conveyor. The equipment was configured for the company’s three primary carton sizes and integrated with the existing tape supply system.

After Installing AUTOBOX10 Automatic Case Erector:

• The machine runs at 60% of its maximum output for consistent performance
• Updated cycle time: 6 seconds/carton (about 10 cartons per minute)
• Total time per day: 1,200 × 6 s = 7,200 s = 120 minutes (2.0 hours/day of operator time)
• Labor expense: 2.0 h × €25/h = €50/day
• Quality gains: Rework dropped from 6% to 2% (from 72 to 24 cartons/day)

Now, a single operator oversees the AUTOBOX10 for roughly 2 hours daily to load cartons, change tape rolls, and perform checks, then moves on to other duties. The line reliably achieves the 1,200 cartons/day target, with extra capacity for peak periods.

ROI Calculation

Investment:
Machine cost: €9,990
Daily savings: Before €200/day − After €50/day = €150/day
Monthly savings (22 workdays): €150/day × 22 days = €3,300/month
Payback period: €9,990 ÷ €3,300/month = 3.03 months ≈ 3.1 months

Other benefits, not directly measured, include fewer line interruptions from misaligned cartons and reduced overtime during busy weeks. The AUTOBOX10 also allows for increased output without needing more staff in shipping.

Conclusion

By switching from manual to automated case forming with the AUTOBOX10 Automatic Case Erector, the facility reduced carton assembly labor from 8.0 hours to 2.0 hours per day and cut rework by two-thirds. The project generated about €150/day in direct labor savings, resulting in payback in just over 3 months.

“The AUTOBOX10 freed almost one full operator from carton erecting, lowered our daily labor from €200 to about €50, and we now process 1,200 cartons a day without the bottlenecks we used to have. Recovering our investment in just over three months made this one of the easiest decisions to make.” — Martin Hofer, Packaging Manager, AlpenFrisch Foods/Graz, Austria