Kurose Suisan Optimizes Workload, Safety, and Efficiency with Intralox Merge-to-Sort Solution

Customer Objectives

Kurose Suisan, a Japanese yellowtail processor, was manually packing fish into Styrofoam boxes and moving them to shipping. The labor was difficult, routinely requiring a given worker to stack and carry up to 66 lb (30 kg) of products at a time. Fatigue and space limitations led to physical discomfort, inefficient production, and safety concerns. Facing a generational labor shortage, the processor needed a solution that would reduce manual workload and make better use of their space.

Intralox Execution

Intralox recommended a “merge-to-sort” system of our products, starting with an Activated Roller Belt (ARB) 90-Degree Passive Transfer S4500 to accept boxes. Parallel lanes of manually loaded boxes would merge, then transfer to a conveyor with Series 2100 ZERO TANGENT Radius belting. That conveyor would carry the boxes to a Dual-Stacked Angled Roller Belt (DARB) Sorter S4500, which would selectively send them to trucks at one of two shipping bay exits. To confirm the solution was right for their facility, we developed a simulation of the full system and invited Kurose Suisan leadership to our Innovation Center, Tokyo, for an in-person technology demonstration.

Results

As expected, the Intralox solution improved safety, optimized the facility’s floor space, and decreased their manual workload. Since installation, three team members dedicated to moving boxes have been reassigned and there have been zero injuries due to heavy lifting or workspace congestion.