CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Random mixed depalletizing at GNC.

High daily volumes and mixed product flows made manual depalletizing a bottleneck at GNC’s Indianapolis distribution center. A robotic depalletizing solution introduced consistency, reduced physical strain, and stabilized throughput in a demanding retail and e-commerce environment.

Customer

Industry

Intralogistics

Application

Random mixed depalletizing

Product

Cardboard boxes & shrink-wrapped/sealed items

Location

Indianapolis, IN, USA

Stable throughput

Stable throughput, even with volume changes

Better ergonomics

Less physical burdens for employees

Higher-value tasks

Focus on more varied tasks for employees

About GNC

GNC is a global retailer focused on health and wellness products, serving customers through both physical stores and e-commerce channels. Its distribution centres handle a wide variety of products in fluctuating volumes. Efficient intralogistics operations are essential to maintain product availability and meet customer expectations, especially in high-demand fulfilment environments where accuracy and speed directly impact service levels.

The challenge

Daily inbound volumes between 15,000 and 28,000 units created pressure on manual depalletizing processes. Handling mixed pallets required significant manual effort, leading to ergonomic strain and inconsistent throughput. Six to eight employees were needed each day, while congestion in the facility reduced productivity. Uncertainty around automation initially delayed improvement, as integration with existing operations remained unclear.

The solution

A turnkey robotic depalletizing system was designed and implemented to handle random-mixed packages. Two industrial robots automated the manual process, supporting operators rather than replacing them. The system has

AI-guided vision system identifies mixed products
Custom end of arm tooling enabling multi-pick and shrink-wrap handling
Slip sheet removal, automatic pallet stacking, and automatic labeling

Results

Product flow became more predictable despite fluctuating volumes. Physical strain on employees was reduced, supporting safer daily operations. Labor allocation improved, allowing staff to focus on customer-facing and higher-value activities. The system also reduced congestion in the facility, improving overall productivity while creating a scalable foundation for future growth in throughput.