Plan the Loop, Then Track It: A Returnable Loop Guide With Rotion

Short answer: Before the first container ships, decide four things: protection, parts per container, pool size and cost. When the loop runs, measure cycle time, dwell time, rotations and losses. Then use the measured values to revise the plan. We wrote this guide together with Rotion. The full guide is on the Rotion blog.

Two parts, one loop

• Part 1, by Vojtech Dousa, Optipacker: how to plan a loop for one part, with numbers from an Optipacker session recorded on 20 October 2026.
• Part 2, by Rotion: how to track the same loop, and what happens to its 48-container pool when the loop runs slower than planned.

The example

• Part: a 90-degree ABS bracket, 25 × 40 × 25 mm, 4.20 g.
• Container: an R-KLT 3215 small load carrier, internal 243 × 162 × 129.5 mm.
• Loop: 12 days, 20 loops a year, peak demand of 50,000 parts a year.

Costs and operating inputs are example values. The bulk count is an estimate.

Results of Part 1

All three options need the same pool: 48 containers on one full EUR pallet. Protection and the insert investment separate them. The highest count is not always the correct choice, because bulk fill suits only parts that tolerate contact.

What tracking adds

The plan rests on four values that only the running loop can confirm: cycle time, dwell time at each location, rotations per container and losses. Part 2 shows how Rotion measures these values. It also shows which option needs a second pallet first when the loop runs slower than planned.

Read the full guide

Read Plan the loop, then track it on the Rotion blog, or watch the recorded Optipacker session. To estimate the pool size and payback of your own loop, use the returnable loop calculator. For the planning and tracking tools on the market, read the returnable loop software comparison.