The Challenge
Meeting Skyrocketing Demand with Limited Labor Resources
A Wisconsin-based manufacturer of disposable silverware faced a growing demand for individually wrapped place settings—but relied heavily on outsourced manual labor to assemble them. This model was unsustainable and could not scale with growth.
- Manual assembly was labor-intensive and spread across several contract firms
- Labor shortages made it difficult to meet increasing production needs
- Outsourcing limited production visibility and consistency
- The customer wanted to bring the process in-house without overwhelming internal resources
To scale effectively and regain control of production, the customer turned to MWES to automate the full silverware wrapping and packaging process.
The Solution
End-to-End Automation from Wrapping to Palletizing
MWES engineered a turnkey automation system that dramatically reduced the need for manual intervention and increased production capacity—all while improving reliability and product consistency.
- Dual multi-robot systems wrap napkins around utensils automatically
- Robotic pick-and-place handles fork, knife, and spoon placement with precision
- Automated bagging and case packing reduces operator touchpoints
- Integrated conveyors, barcode reading, and palletizing streamline the process
With intuitive operator loading stations and advanced Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC controls, the system runs with minimal oversight—yet delivers high-speed, high-accuracy results.
The Results
From 20 Workers to 2—While Doubling Output
The customer realized dramatic improvements in labor efficiency and throughput, enabling them to meet rising market demand without scaling labor costs.
- Reduced labor from 10–20 workers to just 1–2 operators
- Achieved 100-piece-per-minute production speeds
- Improved production forecasting and supply reliability
- Built-in expandability supports 5 SKUs and up to 6 wrapping lines
This project not only brought production back in-house but gave the customer a competitive edge with scalable, efficient, and dependable automation.
