Two Gloucester companies have come together to enable one of them to handle a 50 per cent increase in demand.

Laithwaites Wine, based at Brockworth, approached Quedgeley automation experts CKF when it needed an upgrade at its ageing facility to cope with an increased in online sales.

CKF, leaders in automated palletising and case handling, proposed a new fully automated layer palletising system with a multi-lane accumulation feed system mounted on a new mezzanine floor.

The engineering team at CKF gained a comprehensive understanding of Laithwaites operations through detailed analysis of the available product data and key review meetings.

The new fully automated system was installed and commissioned in two phases through 2020, working closely with the Laithwaites team to eliminate any operational disruption.

Providing a significant increase in productivity, the new system has enabled Laithwaites to handle a substantial increase in throughput, reduce excessive manual handling and relocate the remaining manual processes into the area below the mezzanine floor and away from busy trucking routes, providing increased safety for their employees.