Keeping a 24/7 nylon packaging operation moving with automation, traceability, and continuous improvement
INVISTA’s Kingston, Ontario site operates a highly automated nylon yarn packaging system that supports a supply chain already in motion. Industrial bobbins move through sorting, inspection, buffering, and pack-out before being shipped to customers and sister facilities, where product quality, traceability, and timing are critical. In an operation that runs continuously, even minor interruptions can create downstream effects, making reliability, responsive support, and the ability to evolve the system over time essential to maintaining performance.
Originally designed and built with Eclipse in 2015, the packaging line has become a foundation for ongoing optimization at the Kingston plant. As production requirements have changed, INVISTA has continued to enhance the system with new quality safeguards, code upgrades, and equipment improvements. This combination of strong original design, remote and on-site technical support, and a shared focus on continuous improvement has helped INVISTA keep the line running while creating a path for future modernization.
- 24/7 operation supported by automated packaging, inspection, and buffering
- Long-term partnership focused on uptime, knowledge-sharing, and continuous improvement
- Flexible system design that enables modernization without disrupting production
Our approach
Eclipse Automation worked with INVISTA to design and build a packaging system capable of supporting a high-volume nylon operation where quality, traceability, and throughput are tightly connected. The line includes robotic unloading, conveyor-based movement, automatic cut-and-weigh, inspection, buffer cells, vision verification, and barcode validation. Together, these capabilities help ensure that the right product reaches the right destination while reducing the risk of errors in a fast-moving production environment.
Because the operation runs around the clock, maintaining uptime is essential. When issues arise, Eclipse provides rapid remote troubleshooting and, when needed, on-site support to help INVISTA’s team diagnose and resolve problems quickly. This responsive model is especially important in a tightly linked manufacturing flow, where a disruption at one stage can affect the rest of the line within minutes.
Just as important, the system was built with enough flexibility to support change over time. INVISTA has used that modular foundation to introduce new technologies, strengthen quality checks, and evaluate future improvements such as replacing its automated guided vehicle fleet. This approach allows the plant to modernize strategically while continuing to support uninterrupted production.
“There is no protection of knowledge. Everything they learn, they’re trying to help us build that capacity in our team as well.”
Collaboration across teams
The strength of the relationship between INVISTA and Eclipse extends beyond technical support. Over time, the teams have built a collaborative working model centered on transparency, shared problem-solving, and practical knowledge transfer. Eclipse engineers spend time on site with INVISTA’s technicians, helping them deepen their understanding of the system controls and operating logic rather than simply resolving issues and moving on.
That collaborative approach is particularly valuable in a production environment where precision and consistency are essential. With product moving toward downstream operations that already assume on-time delivery, the teams work together to keep the line aligned, responsive, and ready for change. This combination of automation expertise and plant-level operational knowledge helps INVISTA maintain confidence in both day-to-day execution and longer-term planning.
The outcomes
By combining a robust original system design with long-term support and targeted upgrades, INVISTA has maintained a packaging operation that can run continuously while meeting demanding quality and traceability requirements. The line’s automation and verification capabilities help reduce error risk, support efficient pack assembly, and provide confidence that shipped product matches customer expectation.
Equally important, the partnership has created a strong foundation for future improvement. As INVISTA evaluates new vision capabilities, updated material handling technologies, and broader system changes, it can build on an automation platform designed to evolve. The result is not only a line that keeps moving today, but also an operation better prepared for tomorrow’s requirements.
Download a PDF version of the customer story here.
