Assemble multi-SKU variety packs from individual flexible snack bags
Variety/multipack assembly requires picking individual filled, sealed snack bags — small 'pillow packs' of chips weighing roughly 14-57g each (½ to 2 oz across Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, Ruffles) — from segregated upstream flows and placing a defined assortment into a carton or outer bag. The objects are deformable, air-cushioned, slippery filmy packages whose contents (chips) crush and fragment under excess grip pressure, and whose shape shifts as they are lifted. The task sits downstream of single-SKU bagging lines and upstream of case packing/palletizing. It is hard for a robot because each bag is non-rigid with variable geometry, the surface is low-friction metallized film prone to slipping, grip force must be high enough to hold yet low enough to avoid crushing product, and multi-SKU configurations (e.g. 18-, 28-, 30-bag assortments) demand frequent re-grasping of differently sized items. PepsiCo publicly states machines are increasingly taking over this previously manual assembly. We identified this through our own research; we have not confirmed the specifics with the customer directly. This page is our researched read — a starting point for that conversation.
What the task is
RESEARCHED · our reconstructionVariety/multipack assembly requires picking individual filled, sealed snack bags — small 'pillow packs' of chips weighing roughly 14-57g each (½ to 2 oz across Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, Ruffles) — from segregated upstream flows and placing a defined assortment into a carton or outer bag. The objects are deformable, air-cushioned, slippery filmy packages whose contents (chips) crush and fragment under excess grip pressure, and whose shape shifts as they are lifted. The task sits downstream of single-SKU bagging lines and upstream of case packing/palletizing. It is hard for a robot because each bag is non-rigid with variable geometry, the surface is low-friction metallized film prone to slipping, grip force must be high enough to hold yet low enough to avoid crushing product, and multi-SKU configurations (e.g. 18-, 28-, 30-bag assortments) demand frequent re-grasping of differently sized items. PepsiCo publicly states machines are increasingly taking over this previously manual assembly.
Is this the actual task and sequence? What are the real tolerances, cycle rate, and reject criteria, and which steps are today's manual bottleneck? Answering these is what turns this from a researched signal into a validated use case.