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Aldo Vargas, CEO of Corporación Vargas, comes from the construction industry, not automation. He installed a bag palletizer Atlas Robots 's plant in La Pascua, State of Mexico, and he recounted the story on camera in 2023.
Project Overview
| Client | Vargas Corporation |
|---|---|
| Sector | Construction |
| Country | Mexico (La Pascua, State of Mexico) |
| Cell installed | Bag palletizer |
| Startup | 2022 |
| Spokesperson | Aldo Vargas, CEO |
The Starting Point
The bagging work was handled by extending the workday. Twelve hours a day to meet production targets, with the resulting strain on the workforce and high staff turnover.
Results
- From days of 12 hours a 8 hours daily
- The same output without extending the shift
- Operation of the robot learned by personnel with no prior technical training
We were told that operating the robot is like using a cell phone. My career is completely different, and today we realize that's true. Aldo Vargas, CEO of Corporación Vargas
A local point of reference for Mexico
The thought of buying a robotic cell from a supplier 10,000 kilometers away is daunting. This case study addresses that very issue: a Mexican company in the State of Mexico that did just that and shares its story, including the names and titles of the people involved.
It is also a different industry from the food industry: whether you’re bagging cement, mortar, aggregates, or any other construction material, the end-of-line problem is exactly the same.
The Full Interview
Transcript of the interview
Aldo Vargas, CEO of Corporación Vargas (State of Mexico). Transcript slightly edited for readability.
My name is Aldo Vargas, and I am the CEO of Corporación Vargas, a construction company. We are located in the State of Mexico, in Mexico.
The company has been growing by leaps and bounds, which has forced us to meet increased production demand. That led us to invest in more specialized machinery and become a little more competitive in the market.
We used to work shifts of up to 12 hours. One person would sometimes load as many as 1,600 packages a day. Today we only work 8 hours a day, and people no longer load even a single package.
My biggest fear was that we wouldn't feel capable of operating a machine like this. The degree I earned has nothing to do with operating a robot. Today we realize that operating a robot is like using a cell phone. With the right guidance we've been given, anyone can operate this machine—with a little care—but it's wonderful. It's not rocket science.
The robot works on its own; it can operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It's been a huge success. My biggest fear was not knowing how to operate it, but now I can handle it with ease.
On the other hand, the warm welcome from the sales team—in this case, from the owner himself—is a very pleasant experience: you come to visit us and offer your support to help us refine our processes and provide guidance. I appreciate you taking the time to come today and join us.
Do you bag products in Mexico and meet production demands by extending shifts? We’ll let you know during a call whether a standard cell would work for your plant and how much it would cost.