Customer: Gruber Pallet
Industry: Pallet recycling / pallet dismantling and repair
Equipment Setup: Four PRS dismantlers conveyor-fed to a single trim saw
Solution: PRS pallet dismantling equipment paired with Zira live production monitoring
Primary Goals: Increase output, improve visibility, reduce downtime, and strengthen accountability across the operation
The Challenge
Gruber Pallet does not run a simple teardown line. The team processes mixed pallet loads directly at the dismantler station, where operators are dismantling pallets, repairing units, and sorting material in the same work area.
That setup gives the operation flexibility, but it also makes output harder to track. Instead of feeding straight teardown into a saw line, Gruber is handling a mix of pallet conditions, lumber sizes, and production tasks at once.
The company also runs an hourly workforce rather than a piece-rate model. That supports culture and flexibility, but it makes clear production visibility and daily accountability even more important.
At the same time, the operation was dealing with bottlenecks beyond the dismantling stations. Forklift delays could slow incoming material, and production surges could overload trim saw capacity. Together, those issues were driving an estimated 10% to 20% downtime.
Gruber needed a better way to increase throughput, tighten accountability, and get more from its pallet recycling equipment without changing how the team works.
The Solution
To improve performance, Gruber paired its PRS pallet disassembly system with Zira’s live production monitoring tools.
The operation runs four PRS dismantlers conveyor-fed to a single trim saw and processes multiple lumber sizes, including 4-inch boards, 6-inch boards, and solid stringers. On the monitoring side, Zira gave the team real-time production data across the floor.
The rollout included:
- Live dashboard TVs above each operator
- A central dashboard comparing operator output
- Daily production review meetings
- Real-time quantity tracking for stronger oversight
This gave Gruber a clearer view of what was happening on the floor at any given time. Operators could see their own numbers. Management could compare stations, spot slowdowns, and make faster decisions based on live production data.
As Gruber explained, “Zira allowed us to have objective and clear accountability with each person every day according to our set goals.” Even using a focused part of the platform as a live quantity counter, the company gained better visibility across operators and a stronger system for pallet plant productivity tracking.
Instead of relying on guesswork, the team gained a more disciplined process backed by real numbers.
The Results
Since implementing Zira alongside its PRS dismantling equipment, Gruber has made meaningful gains in production.
Before Zira, the company averaged per trim saw:
- 400 total pallets per 8-hour shift
This total included pallet repair, dismantling, and sorting.
After Zira, that number increased to:
- 525 total pallets per 8-hour shift
That represents an increase of more than 31% in output, even while the company continues to work through downtime tied to forklift flow and trim saw constraints.
Just as importantly, leadership believes there is still room for more improvement.
2026 Goal:
- 650 pallets per 8-hour shift
- Leadership is confident the operation will reach more than 600 pallets per shift as downtime continues to improve
These gains are especially important because they are being achieved in a real production environment with mixed loads, multiple tasks at each station, and known constraints still in play.
Gruber also made it clear that the system has been practical to implement and valuable to build on:
I have really appreciated the system. The Zira team and PRS have been very easy to work with. I am excited to keep leveraging their tools and that data to improve our business.
The Conclusion
Gruber Pallet’s results show what can happen when proven PRS pallet dismantling equipment is paired with live production data from Zira.
Even in a demanding workflow where operators are dismantling, repairing, and sorting mixed pallet loads in one area, the company increased output from 400 to 525 pallets per 8-hour shift while gaining better production monitoring, stronger accountability, and a clearer path to continuous improvement.
With live dashboards, shared production visibility, and stronger accountability, Gruber has already made measurable progress and sees a clear path toward 600+ pallets per shift and beyond.
For pallet recyclers looking to improve throughput, reduce downtime, and get more value from their pallet recycling machine and processing line, this is a strong example of what the right equipment and the right visibility tools can deliver.