For a furniture manufacturer, each week of production generates a large volume of heterogeneous panels and packages to be shipped. The challenge is huge: how can the loading process be automated while optimising truck capacity and organising orders in a coherent manner?
To address this issue, we developed a customised algorithm designed for production and logistics teams. The objective was to achieve two goals: to make panel palletising, which is mostly automated, more reliable, and to efficiently organise the stacking of additional packages, which are added manually. All this while minimising the number of containers used and maximising the fill rate of shipments.
The developed tool offers palletising plans adapted to the nature of the products. It considers the specific characteristics of the panels, the thickness of which is standardised according to six families, and other varying dimensions, to generate stable stacks, whether flat or edge-on. Once this first step is complete, the tool integrates 3D packages—accessories, order supplements—into a manual palletising process, while respecting stability and volume constraints.
Beyond geometric optimisation, the solution also intelligently groups orders with the same destination. This reduces the number of containers required, optimises trailer loading, and ultimately results in substantial savings on transportation costs. The reliability of robotisation is enhanced, manual operations are simplified, and logistics flows become more consistent.
Thanks to a pragmatic and collaborative approach, the tool integrates naturally into existing processes, while providing immediate gains in efficiency and profitability.
