Case Study — Large-Scale Egg Grading & Packing
Fixing, automating & scaling a fragmented operation without compromise
A facility grading over one million eggs per day replaced a patchwork of legacy integrations, manual processes, and disconnected devices with a single EggLink system — covering supply, production, and dispatch across two grading lines and 30+ connected devices.
Key results at a glance
1M+
Eggs graded per day
Full production volume managed end-to-end, from farm supply -> throughout production -> into dispatch.
2
Grading machines unified
A 120,000 egg/hr existing grader and a new 130,000 egg/hr grader — one system, separate operational histories.
30+
Connected devices
Pack printers, case printers, scanners, and palletising robot lanes — all orchestrated by EggLink Gateway Devices.
100%
Pack-level traceability
Every pack linked to its farm of origin, supply batch, grading record, and final dispatch destination.
~80%
Faster audit response
Traceability queries that once took hours now resolved in seconds through instant system lookup.
~90%
Less manual intervention
Automated labelling, scanning, and reporting workflows across both grading lines.
The Situation
Fragmented systems, unreliable data. Supply receiving relied on an outdated WMS bolted to ERP through a workaround — incompatible systems with no reliable sync. There was no consistent traceability chain across supply, production, or dispatch. Reporting required manual consolidation from multiple standalone sources and spreadsheets.
Manual processes in critical workflows. Pack printers were configured manually for every production run, printing only minimal data. Pallet labels were created manually, without system constraints or traceability links. Dispatch documents were prepared individually for each order. These were not edge cases — they were part of daily operations.
Unreliable machine integration. The grading machine was connected by writing directly to its internal database — bypassing the manufacturer's communication interface entirely. The integration was one-way, fragile, tightly coupled to that specific machine, and impossible to extend to any additional graders.
The scaling reality. The planned expansion did not only introduce new challenges — it also made existing problems impossible to ignore. A second grader at 130,000 eggs/hr, new pack printers incompatible with the new grader, and a four-lane palletising robot requiring unique 2D case codes per product were all arriving simultaneously. The existing architecture could not support any of it. A full integrated solution was required.
What Changed
Supply & ERP: EggLink's supply module replaced the legacy detached WMS with a structured, audited receiving workflow. It operates independently within EggLink System while maintaining real-time two-way synchronisation with the existing ERP. Automated labelling using handheld data collectors eliminated manual receiving steps, full audit trails and customizable inventory documents are generated automatically.
Machine integration: The grading machine was re-integrated using the manufacturer's official two-way communication interface — replacing the old one way approach that wrote directly to the machine's internal database. Live grading data, weight class counts, and line performance now flow into EggLink in real time, through a maintainable, hardware-independent architecture designed from the outset for multi-machine operation.
Pack printing: EggLink Gateway devices connect the grading machine directly to all inkjet pack printers, with zero concerns about compatibility. Print orchestration is fully automated — unique 2D traceability codes and best-before dates are printed on every pack without any manual printer configuration. Print layouts and data fields are configurable per product and per customer from within EggLink System.
Palletising & dispatch: Palletising is driven from EggLink live production data with enforced quantity constraints and full traceability from supply batch through to ready product pallet. Dispatch labels and all accompanying logistics documents are generated and printed automatically — configurable per product and customer combination — with no manual intervention required at any step.
Scaling: With a structured foundation in place, the expansion was implemented without redesigning the system. The second grader and its pack printers were connected via EggLink Gateway devices. A case printer and pack code scanner were integrated the same way, supporting both open and closed-top case workflows, printing case labels with unique 2D case codes per product for the new four-lane palletising robot. An optional scanner on each robot lane captures case-to-pallet traceability as pallets are built. Both grading lines now operate within a single EggLink system — shared control, separate operational histories.
The Results
The operation moved from fragmented and manual workflows to an integrated, controlled & automated system — from day one.
- Unbroken pack-to-pallet traceability across both grading lines, maintained automatically
- Audit and traceability queries reduced from hours to seconds (~80% faster)
- Manual pack printing, pallet labelling, and dispatch preparation eliminated
- ERP inventory synchronised in real time — end-of-shift reconciliation no longer exists
- Live production reporting throughout the shift, from a single centralised interface
- Second grader, palletising robot, and case printing absorbed into the system without rework
Ready to see what this looks like for your operation?
Whether you're grading 100K or 10M eggs a day, EggLink is built to unify your supply, production, and dispatch — without disrupting what's already running.