It takes more than a brush to fill paint store orders

To report on the design and development of a robotic order‐building system that both depalletizes pails of paint and then repalletizes them by customer order instructions.

A paint products manufacturer called in a custom material‐handling robot builder not only to design the robot but to design and commission the entire order‐building system.

Robot handling of heavy paint pails can speed order building, reduce workforce injuries and improve accuracy of shipments.

Do not rule out robotic handling of odd shapes in thinking of how robotics can automate operations. Finding a system integrator who has experience with products of one's own type can prove a key to project success.

Learning of the success of another company in addressing tough to handle containers can provide ideas for addressing a company's own automation needs.