Amplifying Packaging Automation at Crutchfield

The Challenge: Oversized Boxes and Inefficient Packaging Processes

Since 1974, Crutchfield has provided its customers with technology and sound equipment for their cars, homes, even boats! However, as they continued to grow exponentially, it became clear that their own warehouse was lacking the technology it needed to keep up with demand.

“Prior to partnering with Packsize, we had manual pack stations and I had five to eight packers handling roughly between 2,500 – 3,000 orders a day,” said Chris Groseclose, Chief Fulfillment Officer at Crutchfield. “We were kind of at the end of our rope of being able to physically fulfill the orders…” In 2013, they came to Packsize with two asks: to reduce their overall carbon footprint and reallocate their labor.

Chris Groseclose, Chief Fulfillment Officer, Crutchfield

“There are other people out there trying to do this and they can’t. We have never had a day that we didn’t get all the shipments out. [Packsize] has literally never let us down … we’re looking forward to many more years of having Packsize as one of our key business partners.”

The Solution: Innovative, Fully Automated, Right-sized Packaging on Demand®

After years of successfully utilizing Packsize solutions, Crutchfield decided they wanted to expand to a more automated solution to accomplish their throughput goals. Enter the X5: Packsize’s latest innovation, and the world’s first fully automated erected box system. The X5 was the perfect solution to help Crutchfield take their automation to the next level, producing a ready-to-pack, right-sized box for every order.

Andrea Crowe, Enterprise Area Manager at Packsize:

“The results have been fantastic. After we installed the X5, they’ve now been able to exceed 450 boxes an hour and they have transitioned their workflow as well as their labor force to different parts of the warehouse.”

The X5 also has the capacity to accommodate future growth, with the ability to produce up to 600 boxes an hour. Right-sizing also means that Crutchfield is using less corrugated, less void fill, and taking up less space on trucks, reducing their overall carbon footprint significantly.

Reduced carbon footprint with right-sized boxes for every order
Reallocated manual packaging labor to other areas of warehouse
Increased throughput, exceeding 450 packaged boxes per hour

Groseclose:

“[The] X5 has been a great platform for us. It makes the box, seals the bottom, and just injects it onto the conveyor. It’s a quality of life improvement for the operators. It’s an efficiency gain for us – and part of that package is we have an on site tech – that’s been huge. [The X5] hits the volume, it’s fast, the machine’s reliable. We’re significantly impressed.”