Ranpak and Walmart Join Forces in Sustainable Packaging Collaboration
The DecisionTower™ uses machine vision and AI to detect package contents and identify the precise amount of void fill material needed to offer optimal product protection. It then communicates that information to the AutoFill™ machine, which dispenses the paper void fill, closes, and seals the box.
Ranpak Holdings Corp. today announced a major expansion of its existing relationship with Walmart, one of the world’s largest multinational retailers.
Under the terms of this strategic agreement, Walmart will install numerous Ranpak AutoFill™ systems across its five Next Generation Fulfillment Centers, streamlining its fulfillment process, reducing packaging waste, and simplifying work for associates.
Walmart currently utilizes Ranpak AutoFill™ machines at its McCordsville, Indiana, fulfillment center. The upcoming deployment will include: Greencastle, Pennsylvania; Joliet, Illinois; Lancaster, Texas; and Stockton, California.
“Our collaboration with Walmart represents a significant milestone for Ranpak as we continue to scale our automation capabilities to meet the needs of the world's largest retailers,” said Omar Asali, Chairman and CEO of Ranpak. “Walmart’s ongoing investment in automation reflects our shared commitment to reducing friction for associates while optimizing performance across every stage of the supply chain.”
Introduced in 2021, Ranpak’s AutoFill™ system, when paired with Ranpak’s Decision Tower, is a fully automated solution for void filling and box closing that leverages an innovative, AI-powered machine vision technology to precisely measure voids. This enables the optimal amount of paper filler required to protect products during shipment, significantly reducing waste and damage to shipping contents while improving throughput.
By streamlining the end-of-line packaging process, the AutoFill™ solution allows Walmart to ship customer orders faster by removing another step in an already streamlined process and allows fulfillment center associates to focus on fulfilling orders more efficiently for customers.
“At Walmart, we are constantly seeking solutions that increase speed of service for our customers and simplify work for our associates,” said Vik Gopalakrishnan, Senior Vice President of Automation Engineering at Walmart. “Ranpak’s Autofill™ system offers us a meaningful way to reduce packaging waste and get our products into our customers’ hands faster.”
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