PACKAGING IN LOGISTICS

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PACKAGING IN LOGISTICS
Andrzej Szymonik

1. Types of packaging from the perspective of logistics
Practically speaking, logistics is nothing else than the physical movement of goods from the point
of origin to their destination, with all management functions included. The efficiency and effectiveness
of moving goods in the supply chain depends, among other things, on packaging, which should be
properly designed, adopted to the customer’s requirements, transport, identification and regulations
applicable for this field. From the logistics perspective, packaging should fulfill the following
functions:
- protective function – packaging should be fully adapted to the technical and functional
features of the product, as well as its “value”;
- storage, transport and handling function – these are associated with the susceptibility of the
packaging to the processes of mechanization and automation (packaging should be adapted to
the existing standardized dimensional system, facilitate storage, make it easier to form unit
loads etc.)
- informative function – packaging is a carrier of information used in identification, handling
(including dynamic complementation) and storage processes, also helpful in controlling the
flow along the entire supply chain.
- recycling, cassation-related function.
Considering the requirements associated with the participation in the supply chain, the type of unit
load (logistic load)
1
and the marking system that has been used, we may divide packaging into five
groups
2
:
The first one (global application); meaning the units of trade which may be priced, ordered or
invoiced for business purposes between participants at any point in the supply chain. This definition
applies to everything that has predefined features, starting from raw materials to the products (and
waste) sold to the end user.
The second one (global application); these are logistics units of any composition, established for
the purpose of storage or transport, that must be recognized and tracked along the entire supply chain.
The process of creating a logistics unit includes:
- compilation of products – putting a few small items in larger units;
- normalization – unit alignment in terms of shapes and sizes;
- enabling the use of mechanical means for handling;
- adaptting the unit for stacking.
We may distinguish several forms of logistics units:
- packaged goods;
- containers;
- boxes;
- palettes
- packet units and others.
The third one (global application); includes reusable resources (packaging or transportation
equipment of certain value, such as beer kegs, gas cylinders, plastic palettes or boxes).
The fourth one (global application); includes shipping and consignment executed by the seller
(consignor) of the cargo.
 Technical University of Lodz, Faculty of Organization and Management, Chair of Production Management and Logistics,
601 261 602, dgw_szymonik@op.pl.
1
Logistics load (logistic unit) – a concise packaging form containing material packed in individual or collective packaging,
having its own identifier and label, packed in a way that enables its storage transportation oraz pobieranie and collection of
the particular units it contains, http://www.mags1.ilim.info.pl/slownik, 15.06.2012.
2
Cf. Kody kreskowe, ILiM, Poznan 2000, p. 71 – 135.

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The fifth one (internal application). Includes packaging used inside the country (or the
company).
2. The labeling of packaging
In the circumstances of developing market economy, proper labeling of traded goods is becoming
increasingly important. In Poland, there are laws that specify, inter alia, the nature and extent of
information mandatory or prohibited to appear on the packaging, thus ensuring full consumer
protection and preservation of fair business practices.
The symbols placed on a package that convey the basic information about products and packaging
may be divided into
3
:
- compulsory, i.e. without which the packed product cannot enter the market;
- non-compulsory (optional), used by the companies freely, in order to shape a particular image
of a product or enterprise.
With regard to information conveyed, symbols may be divided into:
- essential for the information of the product and its manufacturer;
- informational, describing those features of a product that determine its properties, suitability,
quantity, value; the data that are used for automatic product identification in the supply chain
etc.;
- caution signs, indicating danger for people, the surrounding, the environment;
- handling signs, indicating the need for a specific manner of handling the packaging during
storage, moving and use;
- advertising to promote the product.
With regard to the graphic form of the symbols, one may apply a division into:
- a logo (a graphic sign) – most often represents an object or activities that evoke certain
associations in the form of writing, pictorial symbol, graphic symbol;
- a graphic symbol – built of geometric elements, figuratively expressing a term or an object;
- a pictorial symbol, a pictograph – a graphic sign in the form of a simplified drawing,
expressing a concept or an object in a figurative way.
The most significant, both for the company introducing a product onto the market, and for the
consumer-recipient, is the range of compulsory marking, defined by appropriate legal provisions.
For the need of logistics, depending on the market needs, appropriate marking system is selected
for the packaging, i.e. its kind, type, bar code format, or the size of transponder, for electronic
marking.
In standard, universal application, unified (international) marking systems are used, which are
recommended by the GS1 non-profit organization (previously named EAN.UCC). In Poland, the
institution that usually deals with the implementation of automatic identification
4
– i.e. bar codes and
EDI
5
– is The Institute of Logistics and Warehousing GS1 (Instytut Logistyki i Magazynowania, ILiM
GS1) in Poznan. Besides that, ILIM develops national solutions and is actively involved in developing
global standards and applications. It performs research and development works, along with counseling
service, to increase the effectiveness of enterprises and entire supply chains.
Each group of packaging (presented in the previous section) has its own specific and unique system
of global standards recommended and developed by GS1.
Commercial units are marked with a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), with the use of all its four
structures: GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13 and GTIN-14. In the database, all these numbers are stored in
fourteen-number fields. The main use of this system is to identify the units to be scanned at a retail
outlet, also called consumer units. Their identification is GTIN-13, and if the items are very small,
3
www.eko-spec.pl, 08.08.2010.
4
Automatic identificationis a technique that enables coding and subsequent automatic reading of the code. Several categories
of automatic information are distinguished: bar code, electronic product marking (RFID), voice recognition system, etc.
5
Electronic Data Exchange EDI is sending electronic messages (counterparts of trade or administrative documents on
paper), created according to the universally adopted standard between applications in different computer systems, by
means of teletransmission. Currently, EDI is also understood as the technology of document circulation and exchange
between different applications of cooperating business partners, http://e-prawnik.pl/artykuly/prawo-spolek/edi-elektroniczna-
wymiana-danych-electronic-data-interchange-co-to-jest-i-czy-jest-ci-to.html, 20.06.2012.

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GTIN-8, or GTIN-12 with reduced zeros, represented respectively by EAN-13 or EAN-8. The units
not intended for retail sale are identified by GTIN-14.
Commercial units may occur as
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:
- individual packaging
7
– where GTIN-13, GTIN-8, GTIN-12 are used;
- collective packaging
8
, when GTIN-13 is used if different goods are collected and GTIN-14
when we deal with one kind of goods only;
- containers with variable quantity (e.g. fruit, meats); in such case, GTIN-13 with a shorter
number of a commercial unit, and GTIN-14 in international trade.
Logistic units receive the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC), which must be unique for
different logistic units, even if they contain identical units of trade. Their features, such as e.g. their
gross weight are also presented in standard value. The SSCC number is the only compulsory element
of a logistic unit and is generated by the company that creates this unit. The best practice is for the
company creating the logistic unit to use its own prefix. Reusable packaging and devices (group
three) are identified with the use of:
- Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI), which allows tracking and recording all data
relevant for packaging;
- Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) used, inter alia, to identify the packages in the
enterprise.
Shipping and delivery should be identified by the Global Shipment Identification Number (GSIN).
It is given by the seller (consignor) of cargo. It is a unique number that identifies a logical grouping of
physical units for shipping needs. GSIN was developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO)
as an identifier adequate for the presentation of the UCR (Unique Consignment Reference) marking.
GSIN has been recognized as a global identifier for GS1, which may, in a simple and at the same time
comprehensive way, meet the requirements set for UCR by WCO. Thus, GSIN, as a global
identification number for grouping transport units in commerce, the so-called dispatch, fully meets the
needs of the customs organization.
An element often used in logistics are logistic labels (placed on packaging), one of the basic tools
used to mark and monitor the movement of logistic units (e.g. pallets ) in the supply chain A logistic
label GS1 us a carrier of logistic information in the supply chain, in which all participants (the
producer, the carrier, the distributor and the retailer) communicate with one common language. This
communication is enabled by the use of the standards of global system GS1 (previous name EAN
UCC) A GS1 logistic label constitutes of three parts
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:
- the top one, of the sender, contains any textual information (the content of this part depends on
the company that puts it on; companies place there the compulsory unit identifier SSCC, and
apart from that a non-compulsory commercial unit identifier GTIN, the manufacturing date
etc.)
- the medium part, of the recipient, contains textual information: location of the recipient, order
details;
- the bottom part, of the carrier, contains information on the shipment process and all that is
related to the carrier, postcodes, “send to”, information on movement etc.
The data on the label should include standard application identifiers (AI). In the GS1 system, it
identifies (describes in a unique way) the kind and format of subsequent information. In other words,
AI provides hints as to what kind of information is contained by the subsequent code. For instance,
after AI-00, there is the SSCC number. After AI- 01- the GTIN number, after AI-10, the production
batch number, after AI-15, the date of minimum durability, after AI-37, the number of items in a
logistic unit etc.
3. GS1 bar codes and vs. the electronic product code.
6
Cf. Opakowania w systemach logistycznych, A. Korzeniowski, M. Skrzypek, G. Szyszka (eds.), ILiM, Poznan 2010, p. 85.
7
Individual packaging – packaging that contains a given amount of the product, meant for retail sale, according to PN-O-
79000:1997.
8
Collective packaging – packaging including at least two individual wrappings, most often used with transportation marking
for transport and storage, according to PN-O-79000:1997.
9
Cf. Opakowania w systemach logistycznych …, op. cit., p. 87-88.

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In practice, we find two ways of physical marking of packages, i.e. with bar codes and electronic
product codes.
The beginning of bar codes was their application in retail sale and warehouses in the USA. The
rapid growth of the number of supermarkets in the 1960s in the USA and Canada contributed to the
development of a standard allowing for automatic bar code identification at cashpoints.
Bar codes are a particular combination of light and dark bars, reflecting different signs in a specific
particular way. These may be digits, if these are numeric codes, or digits and letters or other characters
(alphanumeric codes) to be read by a machine. With the aim to present the biggest number of
characters on the smallest area possible, several hundred of types and varieties of bar codes have been
developed (linear bar codes, including the reduced ones; two-dimensional, including composite and
compound ones), but only a few of them found its practical application, especially in logistics,
performing the function of universal international standards established by GS1.
Currently the following standards of bar code symbols are used
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:
- EAN/UPC: EAN-8, EAN-13;
- UPC-A, UPC-E;
- ITF-14;
- GS1-128;
- GS1 DataBar;
- GS1 DataMatrix;
- Composite Symbology.
For reading in retail cash points, only EAN/UPC bar codes can be used.
For other applications, such as receipt of goods, inventory procedure or compilation of supply in
the warehouse, one can use three different kinds of symbols: EAN/UPC, ITF-14 or GS1-128.
While for labeling packaging with small space, such as syringes, vials, telecommunications
components etc. one may use GS1 DataMatrix and Composite Symbology bar codes.
In the area of labeling products (including packaging) there was a breakthrough when a new
method was applied, known as EPC (Electronic Product Code). The synonyms used simultaneously
are: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), RFID radio ID, tag, transponder.
The first application of RFID dates back to the World War II. The IFF system (Identification,
Friend or Foe) developed in the UK, was used for identifying aircraft, and it is fair to call it the
predecessor of RFID.
In 1948,a work by Harry Stockman appeared, which started the concept of passive RFID systems.
In the 1950s and 1960s of the previous century, scientists in the United States, Europe and Japan
conducted research on the use of radio waves to identify subjects remotely. The first
commercialization of RFID technologies concerned the anti-theft systems. The 1990s of the 20th
century was the time when RFID has become a part of everyday life and economic activity. Since that
time, thousands of businesses over the world have emerged that work on the development and further
application of RFID technology
11
.
Among the well-known global companies that have started to implement RFID technologies for
electronic product marking, are: Wal-Mart, Target, Albertsons, Metro, Tesco, Marks&Spencer,
Procter&Gamble, Gilette. The RFID technology will in close future replace bar codes used for
marking goods, which will increase transport, storage and sales efficiency. An example of successful
implementation of such system is the American Wal-Mart chain. Currently, RFID finds still wider
application in logistics, public transport, security systems and at the electronic payments market
12
.
An electronic product code is a 96-bit identifier of packages, encoded in tag and equipped with an
antenna. The EPC code is developed in accordance with GS1 global standards, which allows for better
integration of supply chains and does not enforce changing the previously used packaging identifiers
(in the form of bar codes).
10
http://www.gs1pl.org/gs1-polska/dzialalnosc, 20.06.2012.
11
http://www.bankier.pl/wiadomosc/Historia-i-dzialanie-technologii-RFID, 20.06.2012.
12
Ibid.

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Figure 1: The principle of Radio Frequency Identification
Source: Automatyczna identyfikacja w systemach logistycznych, S. Kwaśniewski, P. Zając (eds.), PW, Wrocław 2004, p.
154.
The radio frequency identification system includes a base station to which an antenna is attached,
that emits the energy necessary to power the transponder (Figure 1). The same base station antenna
serves for communication with the RFID transponder, allowing encoding and decoding the inscription
to/from the tag. The base station is connected to an external computer through a wired interface. The
base station communicates with the radio transponder using radio interface. The transmitter and
receiver circuits are tuned to the same frequency. The used RFID transponders can be divided into two
groups: RO (Read-Only)and RW (Read-Write). The latter have the option of modifying the contents.
In turn, by the power source, we divide the transponders into:
- active, that have their own power source which provides energy for the microprocessor, and a
transmitter with an antenna (the advantage of this kind of tags is more memory and the ability
to both read and write data, while the disadvantage is the size, much bigger than that of the
passive tags, the price and shorter durability).
- passive, that have no power source of their own; the electric energy needed for temporary
charge of the microprocessor is taken from the electromagnetic field emitted by the reader (the
advantage is their small size – some chip models have dimensions measurable in tenths of a
millimeter – and low price, while a small range of reading is a disadvantage);
- semi-passive, are a kind of compromise between passive and active tags (internal battery
charges the microprocessor only, the antenna is powered, like in passive tags, with the energy
of the field emitted by the reader). The range also depends on the frequency spectrum used in
RFID systems, as shown in Table 1:
- Table 1: Parameters of RFID systems working at different frequencies.
Frequency allocations
for:
100-135 kHz
13,56 MHz
2,45 GHz
Reading distance up
to:
120 cm
100 cm
12 m
Powering the tag:
passive
passive
semi-passive
active
Durability:
depending on load
depending on load
up to 10 yrs
Packaging speed:
up to 3 m/s
up to 3 m/s
up to 20 m/s
Reading range:
circle
depending on antenna
dimensional
Barrier penetration:
high
high
depending on
material
Use on metal:
limited
limited
possible
Source: Automatyczna identyfikacja w systemach logistycznych, S. Kwaśniewski, P. Zając (eds.), PW, Wrocław 2004, p.
154.
Energy
Writi
ng
Reading
Co
mp
ute
r
Inteface
Base
interface
Trans-
ponder
Base
unit

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Analyzing the usefulness of currently used bar codes and RFID, one may reach the following
conclusions:
- the amount of information we can obtain on-line for logistics load is much larger when EPC is
applied, as we may place the data on the tag itself as well as in the IT system, while e.g. the
logistic bar code label informs only about the logistic cargo, e.g. palette, not about its
content
13
;
- for reading the bar code, one needs to get with the reader to the package (or vice versa, which
significantly prolongs reading time and involves an employer (increases costs), and we do not
have these disadvantages in case of EPC, where everything is happening automatically,
without human participation.
- reading a bar code, we are sure if the item is or is not there, e.g. on the shelf, which is
confirmed by the operator and the reader; while in case of RFID a situation may occur that the
lack of information from the reader may be interpreted as the lack of item or a failure of one of
radio identification systems (this may be caused e.g. by lack of communication between the
base station and the transponder, interference in the propagation of radio waves, too much
distance between the tag and the base station, damage of the electronic element, power failure,
improper system of recognition and verification);
- EPC protects against counterfeit (the amount of information contained in the database allows
you to encode data about the product) and also helps to track and identify a single item of
packaging in the entire global supply chain, e.g. for traceability
14
;
- EPC enables reading many tags simultaneously, which is impossible with barcodes;
- EPC facilitates e.g. managing luggage at airports, as compared to bar codes, which are 70-
80% readable (EOC allows reading the luggage within 99.3%)
15
;
- RFID eliminates queues at cashpoints, as long as good and reliable radio identification
systems are used (multi-dimensional base antennae).;
- bar codes will yet long be used in logistics because of their reliability (if the transponder is
placed directly e.g. on metal packaging, its scope of work equals to zero
16
). Their universality
and the relatively low cost of implementation and use.
The above-presented analysis on one hand shows the merits of bar codes, however also reveals
that RFID is unavoidable in logistics, as future technology provides still better and less costly
solutions while the benefits of radio identification cannot be denied (such as speed, reading
without human participation, protection against counterfeit products). At present, the best solution
for valuable shipments and “on-time” ones is to use at the same time both labels with an RFID tag
and the code printed on a product.
4. Packing and palletizing
For a logistician, a manufactured product is the so-called unit load. This means cargo made of
many homogenous or heterogenous smaller loads, with or without the use of additional devices that
would compose it for transportation as one solid cohesive whole. A unit load should be adjusted do
mechanized re-loading operations.
The following logistics units are distinguished
17
:
13
Cf. A. Szymonik, Information…
14
Traceability is the ability to track (recreate history) of the flow of goods in supply chains and networks, along with the
registration of parameters that identify these goods and all locations connected with this flow. Ensuring the safety of the
products delivered to the market means registration and gathering of data related to them, at every stage of the food supply
chain, and therefore on the level of each company that takes part in this chain. It is of huge significance, especially in the
situation when, for some reason, the product needs to be withdrawn from the supply chain. According to the legal
requirements (int. alia Regulation (CE) no 178/2002) the traceability requirement is mandatory for the food industry, and
since July 1, 2013. for the cosmetology industry (Regulation (CE) no 1223/2009. One of the most important elements of the
traceability is the recall of the goods. Most often, the tracking system for product movement and origin is used for locating
faulty or dangerous foods, pharmaceuticals or other traded products that pose threat to the customer.
http://www.gs1pl.org/traceability, 22.06.2012.
15
J. Ejsymont, Czy nowa technologia EPC zastąpi kody kreskowe, [in] Logistyka 6/2006, p. 85.
16
Automatyczna identyfikacja w systemach logistycznych, S. Kwaśniewski, P. Zając (eds.), PW, Wroclaw 2004, p. 137.

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- homogenous, containing one item of the assortment;
- heterogenous – contains more than one item of assortment, or at least two batches of the same
item.
By physical form and technological similarity, the following kinds of unit loads are distinguished
18
:
- micro units (non-palletized); transport and storage containers are used and packaging, e.g.
cardboard;
- pallet units, formed on flat pallets, box pallets or special palettes;
- packet units, formed from goods the length of which is much bigger than other dimensions
and amounts to more than 1.2 m (this particular length is the length of most pallets).
- container load; transportation in a device of durable construction, with guaranteed multiple
use, with one or more means of transport without the need to re-load the cargo it contains.
Every change in the form of a logistic unit brings about additional costs related to the workload,
effort and the risk of damage. For this reason, when manufacturing products, one should bear in mind
that they will be moved along the supply chain and one should strive for the production unit (produced
first) was also a unit for:
- transport;
- storage;
- sale.
Thanks to this approach, the unit load formed in the production process does not need to change its
form in the supply chain. In effect, it saves time and work along with better quality of the goods
delivered to the final recipient.
The way of packing and creating pallet logistic units should not be accidental. There should be
previously specified procedures that would describe in detail
19
:
- the manner of packaging;
- the packaging itself (design, packaging equipment, auxiliary materials);
- the pallet structure of the unit load (pallet type, the alignment of packages on the pallet, the height
of packages on the pallet etc.);
- transport conditions (distance, time and means of transport, temperature, humidity etc.)
- logistics labeling, according to the GS1 standard;
When using packaging, one should consider the following:
- transportation requirements, depending on the means of transport;
- acceptable pressure norms;
- bearing capacity of the unit load;
- unit load dimensions;
- machines used for loading and unloading the transport unit.
The packaging process is applied in many fields of economy, inter alia in the following industries;
- pharmaceuticals;
- chemicals;
- food industry;
- machine industry;
- electronics.
The most characteristic industry where there is a great variety of manufactured goods, is the food
industry
20
. Here, the standard application of robots is for the packaging process, both to prepare
packaging itself (e.g. trays, containers) as well as product wrapping to be packed in cartons and
stacking them in pallets.
Many multi-function automatic machines have been developed (e.g. for liquids, for powdered and
granular products).
- Machines for forming packages;
17
http://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo.php?id=3917485, 25.02.2012.
18
Cf. A. Niemczyk, Zarządzanie magazynem, Wyższa Szkoła Logistyki, Poznan 2010, p. 29.
19
Cf. A. Hejduk, A. Kosmacz – Chodorowska, System wspomagania doboru opakowań. Jak wybrać opakowanie, [in:]
Logistyka 4/2011, p. 51.
20
J. Barczyk, B. Jarzembski, Robotyzacja pakowania. Problemy i rozwiązania, [in:] Pomiary Automatyka Robotyka, 5/2004,
p. 13.

8
- Filling machines;
- scales and dispensing machines;
- closing machines;
- labeling machines;
- organizing machines;
- transporting machines etc.
In the packaging process, an industrial robot is
used for:
- taking (gripping) the packaging in its initial
position;
- transporting the product in packaging;
- the release of the product at destination.
One of the techniques often used in the
packaging process is vacuum adhesive grip, which is about obtaining such power of adhesion of the
object to the suction cup that it would not move throughout the handling process (the force is usually
generated by negative pressure active on a particular area). To create the vacuum in the vacuum
grippers, rotary vacuum pumps or ejectors are used.
The material of which the suction cup is made is selected according to its working conditions and
the chemical agents acting on the suction cup (it is also important that the suction cup should leave no
traces on the handled objects, e.g. polyurethane cup)
21
.
As an example of an enterprise which automatized its packaging process, one may mention the
Australian branch of Wrigley’s. In 2005, the company started looking for new solutions to lower the
direct labor costs and the safety hazards connected with both manual packaging and the limited floor
area. The essential requirements sought were also: flexibility in product development, low cost and
ease of use. Wrigley’s invested in a factory in Sydney which supports the market for South-East Asia
and Oceania
22
.
The solution applied in the Australian branch of Wrigley’s, offered by Hot Metal & Packaging
Systems – a company specializing in manufacture and development of packaging automation
equipment, consists of six robotic work units working in two groups, three units each. The task of
every unit is to:
- make and set a cardboard box;
- pack the required number of items into the box;
- push the packed box onto the external conveyor belt.
Every unit includes an ABB IRB 2400 industrial robot (Fig. 2), which collects cardboard
packaging from the storage space with a vacuum head, makes the box and sets it in a workstation.
The robot collects products from the conveyor belt and puts them inside the box until it is full. The
whole system needs only one operator who supervises its work.
Another example in food industry is the Italian company Zaini, producing sweets since 1913,
with two factories: in Milan and Senago. The main problems related to the packaging process
automation were flexibility and ease of modification, due to large number of changes in the
manufactured assortment (seasonal sweets, produced for Christmas, Easter etc.)
Also the amount of produced sweets is conditioned by the demand level changing throughout
the year – the highest demand occurs during the September-to-December period, falls around the
Valentine’s Day and Easter, to raise again as late as another September. The flexibility of the
production line allows the employees to deal with more important tasks.
21
J. Barczyk, B. Jarzembski, Robotyzacja pakowania. Problemy i rozwiązania, [in:] Pomiary Automatyka Robotyka, 5/2004,
p. 13.
22
Packaging. Magazine from ABB, czerwiec 2007, 12-13.

9
Figure 2. IRB 2400 Industrial Robot
Source: http://georgesidra.edublogs.org/, 29/02/2012
The biggest challenge in the proposed solution was to make the robot handle 130 kinds of goods
and ca. 40 different sizes the weight of individual bags of sweets ranges from 50 grams to one
kilogram; the content of the bags has different shapes and sizes. Moreover, the bag sizes and their
contents change constantly.
While moving the goods along the production line,t he camera detects appropriate packaging
formats and communicate them to the FlexPickerIRB 340 robot (Fig. 3), to make it perform
appropriate action.
Figure 3 IRB 340 FlexPicker
Source: http://www.exapro.com/abb-irb-340-flexpicker-robot-pe94662/. 28/02/2012.
This robot is able to handle 90 50-gram packs per minute and 35 1 - kilogram packs per minute,
working in two shifts (16 hours) a day, five days a week. The above-mentioned camera provides
additional quality control on the production line; it is able to locate open packages and report them to
the operator.
Palletizing
Palletizing is associated with the last production stage. Packaged products or collective packaging
should be placed in successive layers of the palette, until the planned height or weight is achieved. The
schematic alignment of each layer is not accidental and results from the need to use the largest
possible surface of the pallet.

10
After reaching its destination, each pallet must be unloaded. This process, taking place in shops,
warehouses and factories, is called de-palletizing. The products placed on the pallet, often
intermediates are placed directly on the production lines (like e.g. bottles or jars) or onto other pallets
in order to complete various products for one order.
During the automation of palletizing / de-palletizing, the following factors must be specified:
- types and sizes of pallets;
- types and sizes of packaging foil;
- a description of each product (dimensions, weight);
- if the item is packaged – what the packaging material is
- the floor arrangement;
- whether the labels on the packages ought to be visible after placing the goods on the pallet;
- when and how to place the electronic label of the product;
- how raw materials are fed into the system (e. g. by means of the feeding strip);
- what control system is implemented to monitor the production;
- the way the buffer is managed (i.e. the continuity of the line when the pallet is being loaded) during
the transfer of the loaded pallet from the workstation;
- how loaded pallets are transferred from the workstation;
- the tolerances required for incoming raw materials to create a completely uniform unit load;
- definition of a “good” work unit.
The main advantage of applying robotics in both packaging and palletizing are the following:
- increasing the availability of the production line to 24 hours a day;
- repeatability improving the quality of packed or palletized items;
- efficiency improvement;
- manufacturing flexibility improvement;
- cost reduction;
- employees’ health risk reduction;
- increased safety in food production – no direct contact of a human with produced food.
An example of an industry where palletizing has been automatized is chemicals for civil
engineering. The Kawasaki ZD130S type robot (Fig. 4) replaces company employees responsible for,
inter alia, loading sacks of above 25 kg weight. Before robotics was applied, several employees were
needed on one shift to keep the efficiency of 25t/h. Due to the hard nature of the work, they would
often use long-term sick leaves. This would not allow for the realization of production orders
according to schedule, which would directly affect the financial results of the company.
Figure 4: Automated palletizing position. Kawasaki Robot ZD130S
Source: ASTOR, Kawasaki industrial robots. Palletizing systems, p. 8

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Thanks to the use of the robot, the whole workstation works in an automatic mode. It needs only
one employee to operate it, responsible for the arrangement of empty pallets in the storehouse and the
reception of full ones.
Another example is the factory of the British company SCA, located in Skelmersdale in, North-
East England, dealing with paper processing (manufacturing toilet paper, paper towels etc.) The new
production hall of the company has an automatic palletizing system for packing finished products as
well as palletizing and labeling them.
The robotic stations are placed at the length of 85 meters. Empty pallets are provided to each of the
stations by a forklift, which at the same time takes away full pallets, putting them on a conveyor belt,
from where they are transported to the packaging and labeling equipment located at the end of the
production line. Each station consists of a conveyor belt providing products for palletizing, an ABB
IRB 6650 robot, a conveyor belt discharging loaded pallets, which may take maximum up to three full
pallets. The grippers for industrial robots have been provided by Langhammer. The producer
configured them in such a way so as to be able to carry one package or a whole layer of packages.
Implementing robots brought SCA the following profits:
- employment reduction by 30 employees;
- increased competitiveness;
- fostered manufacturing process;
- increased flexibility.
The choice of packaging, when the customers needs are to be taken into consideration, along with
complex manipulation within the supply chain, environmental protection, and primarily the costs to be
getting lower, is not an easy task. To foster quick and effective decision-making regarding the choice
of packaging, the Central Packaging Research and Development Centre (in cooperation with a
Norwegian partner: Ostfoldforskning, and the national partner, the Institute of Warehousing and
Logistics – GS1 Poland) has developed the SWDO (System Wspomagania Doboru Opakowań,
Packaging Selection Support System). It aims to prompt every producer as to what packaging to
choose, so that the product packed in it would be safe, handy for transport and supplied according to
the demand of the receiver. Moreover the SWDO has also the following tasks to fulfill:
- ensure continued access to counseling;
- develop cooperation between packaging users and the suppliers of packaging materials and
containers;
- contribute to the improvement of packaging market availability.
Literature:
[1] ASTOR, Roboty przemysłowe Kawasaki. Systemy paletyzacji.
[2] Automatyczna identyfikacja w systemach logistycznych, red. nauk. S. Kwaśniewski, P. Zając, PW,
Wrocław 2004.
[3] Barczyk J., Jarzembski B., Robotyzacja pakowania. Problemy i rozwiązania, [in:] Pomiary
Automatyka Robotyka, 5/2004.
[4] Barczyk J., Robotyzacja w przemyśle spożywczym, [in:] Pomiary Automatyka Robotyka, 1/2007.
[5] Glaser A., Industrial Robotics. How To implement The Right System For Your Plant, Industrial Press,
Inc. New York, 2009.
[6] Hejduk A., Kosmacz – Chodorowska A., System wspomagania doboru opakowań. Jak wybrać
opakowanie, [in:] Logistyka 4/2011.
[7] Hejduk A., System wspomagania doboru opakowań. Cel i zakres funkcjonowania SWDO, [in:]
Logistyka 1/2011.
[8] http://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo.php?id=3917485, 25.02.2012.
[9] http://e-prawnik.pl/artykuly/prawo-spolek/edi-elektroniczna, 20.06.2012.
[10] http://georgesidra.edublogs.org/, 29.02.2012.
[11] http://www.exapro.com/abb-irb-340-flexpicker-robot-pe94662/. 28.02.2012.
[12] http://www.gs1pl.org/gs1-polska/dzialalnosc, 20.06.2012.
[13] http://www.mags1.ilim.info.pl/slownik, 15.06.2012.

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[14] Kody kreskowe, ILiM, Poznan 2000.
[15] Niemczyk A., Zarządzanie magazynem, WSL in Poznan, Poznan 2010.
[16] Opakowania w systemach logistycznych, Korzeniowski A., Skrzypek M., Szyszka G. (eds.), ILiM,
Poznań 2010.
[17] Packaging. Magazine from ABB, June 2007.
[18] PN-O-79000:1997
[19] Szymonik A., Information Technologies in Logistics, Lodz University of Technology, monographs
2012.
[20] www.eko-spec.pl, 08.08.2010.
Key words: logistics, packaging, bar code, electronic marking, RFID, palletizing, packaging, GS1.
Abstract: The article is devoted to packaging that from the logistical point of view is part of secure,
efficient and effective movement of goods from the place of origin to final destination. Packaging has
been classified according to the requirements arising from participation in the supply chain, the type of
logistic load and the labeling system applied. It also presents international requirements for labeling of
packaging and its content in the context of whatever has been established by GS1. An analysis of
advantages and disadvantages of labeling products with a bar or electronic (EPC) code has been
presented. The last chapter is devoted to packing and palletizing with the use of robots and machines.