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Sanofi Automates End-of-Line Packaging for 1 Billion Vaccine Doses

Case-study

9/12/2024

Robotic palletizer stacking boxes on a pallet_crop

Industry

Medical

Application

Palletizing

Robot Solution

OMRON TM12 Cobot

Automating heavy box handling for safer, more efficient vaccine production

At Sanofi’s Marcy-l’Étoile site, manually stacking 9 kg boxes at the end of the packaging line posed a bottleneck for operators. The repetitive lifting limited throughput and placed strain on workers, especially with the facility’s scale—one billion vaccine doses shipped each year to 150 countries.

To address this challenge, Sanofi partnered with OMRON to install collaborative robotic palletizers. The TM12 robot was selected for its payload capacity and compact design, allowing for quick integration into existing lines. Each robotic palletizer now handles 150,000 kg of product monthly, reducing manual labor and enabling operators to shift to more value-added tasks.

Safety remains central, with the system designed to work seamlessly alongside staff. The robotic palletizer not only boosts productivity but also improves operator well-being and process reliability. OMRON’s support ensures reliable performance and adaptability across Sanofi’s global operations.

Watch Sanofi’s story:

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Results at a glance:

150,000 kg of product palletized per month
30% reduction in manual workload for operators
Seamless integration into existing packaging lines
Improved workplace safety and ergonomics
Scalable solution for global vaccine production
Operators redeployed to higher-value roles

Tailored automation for diagnostics manufacturing

Sanofi’s use of OMRON’s robotic palletizer has led to safer workflows, increased efficiency, and greater flexibility in meeting production demands, while allowing operators to focus on more meaningful tasks. If you’re considering automation for your facility, we’d be glad to talk about your project and your goals.