Case Study: Danone cuts EOAT costs and speeds changeovers with Markforged 3D printing

Danone cuts costs 80% across 374 parts with Markforged

Danone, a food and beverage company, faced challenges in its packaging line due to rapidly multiplying product SKUs and frequent packaging refreshes. Their manufacturing team needed a way to achieve faster changeovers and more agile end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) solutions without high costs or long lead times. They partnered with vendor Markforged to address this using industrial 3D printing.

Markforged implemented a solution using their X7 industrial composite 3D printer and Onyx micro-carbon fiber filled nylon material to produce custom, lightweight, and strong vacuum grippers. This allowed Danone to design and fabricate parts in-house, adjust tooling on the fly, and integrate additional functionality. The results were significant, with Danone's plant in Bieruń, Poland, cutting costs across 374 parts by 80%, reducing production time from weeks to hours, and decreasing the weight load on their robots.

Danone