Industrial Robotic Palletizers

A robotic palletizer is an automated tool used in factories that employ a robotic arm to pick, orient, and place individual products, arranging them into layers which build into a full pallet load for shipping or storage purposes. They are the next generation of palletizers, and they supersede conventional palletizers in the flexibility of system layouts.

Gantry (or Cartesian) robots are used for slower applications and often have a larger footprint. SCARA style robots are often used in faster production facilities and handle larger product. Articulated robots are the most common for palletizing applications, utilizing a robotic arm that can handle heavy product, palletize up to four lines at once, and can pick up to 25 cases per minute. 

There are many advantages of robotic palletizers including cheaper investment costs, the ability to serve multiple lines, versatile operation, and compact footprints. With more flexibility than conventional solutions, the main benefit to robotic palletizing is the modular system design that gives them flexibility. 

There are many factors to consider when choosing a robotic palletizer. The 5 key factors to consider are: production rate, product quality, product type, pallet quality, and robotic integrator. 

For most companies increasing the speed of product output is the ultimate goal, however, with recent struggles of labor shortages, businesses are looking for reliable solutions to assist in increasing productivity.

Robotic palletizers can run all day with reliable load quality, allowing not only for the increased throughput, but also assists in standardizing and quality control of the produced load. Also, robotic palletizers integrate into existing production lines much easier than larger conventional options.

Keeping the system in good condition by providing regular maintenance, cleaning, service, and repairs is important for ensuring a robotic palletizer have a long life. It is also important to ensure proper training for everyone who is operating the system. Poor installation or initial set up can also have adverse effects. 

Our robots follow current Robotic Industries Association (RIA) standards at the time of shipment. All systems are guarded with a trapped key system, e-stops, and light curtains. Final Safety practices for each system are up to the end user’s policies and practices.

Regular preventive maintenance, service, and cleaning of the robot will keep it in good working order and will keep the system running at quoted speeds for the life of the robot. The performance of the robot typically will not diminish throughout its life, as long as parts stay in good working order. Other factors to consider are system layout and upstream equipment being well optimized for end of line palletizing.

Columbia/Okura LLC designs integrates, and commissions end-of-line robotic palletizing solutions for most major industries. For over 25 years, Columbia/Okura LLC has been a leading provider of robotic palletizing systems by delivering custom-engineered solutions to meet demanding customer requirements. This ranges from end effector design to handle your specific application, to a completely modular design allowing the system to work with upstream and downstream equipment.