IRIS FACTORY AUTOMATION
From Back Strain to Breakthrough
How Seymour Paint Automated 4 Lines Without Missing a Beat
Seymour Paint · Sycamore, IL · 4 production lines automated
THE CHALLENGE
The work was unsustainable.
Seymour Paint's team was hand-palletizing 18-pound cases at 15 cases per minute, across four simultaneous lines. That's 270 pounds lifted per person, per minute, every single shift.
Back strain incidents were climbing. Good workers were harder to keep. And throughput wasn't limited by demand it was limited by what the human body can physically endure.
Seymour didn't want to choose between protecting their people and hitting their numbers. They wanted both.
THE SOLUTION
The right system, integrated the right way without disrupting production.
IRIS deployed four RPZ-OPTO robotic palletizing systems, one per line, directly into Seymour's existing operation. No facility overhaul. No months of downtime. No outside engineers taking over the floor.
Each system runs on a single IRIS controller, and operators were up and running from day one and no robotics background required. IRIS managed every step of FAT, deployment, and commissioning, so Seymour's team could stay focused on what they do best: making paint.
THE RESULTS
The numbers speak. So do the people.
4x capacity — across 4 automated lines
100% of heavy lifting — eliminated
0 back strain incidents — post-installation
WHY IT MATTERS
The people stayed. The dangerous work did not.
Automation didn't take jobs. It took the danger out of them. Seymour's workforce moved into roles that are safer, more sustainable, and less physically punishing. Turnover pressure eased. Output grew.
When your team isn't worn down by the end of a shift, everything improves: retention, morale, and the kind of workplace culture that actually attracts good people and keeps them.
That's what the right automation does. It doesn't replace your team. It protects them.
Ready to see what's possible on your floor?
Tell us what you're running. We'll show you how it fits.