8 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Robotic Palletizer

Most manufacturing, warehousing and distribution centers must build pallets of products for storage or shipping. When done manually, the task can be time consuming and ergonomically challenging for employees and, when mixed pallets are part of the operation, figuring out the optimal stack configuration can be tricky. Exacerbating these issues is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain workers in palletizing positions because the work is both physically taxing and mundane.

View Details

For these reasons, many operations are considering purchasing a robotic palletizer, but selecting the one that best fits the parameters of the application can be rough. This blog will outline the basic types of robotic palletizers and provide a list of essential questions that will help whittle down the choices during the selection process.

Types of Robotic Palletizers

Robotic palletizers are available in several different types, each with many available configurations and features. The most common include:

• In-Line Palletizers: The simplest type, in-line palletizers use articulated arms or gantry-style robots and specialized end of arm tooling to service one or more palletizing lines. While they consist of just a single robotic palletizer for the entire operation, some may feature the ability to place tier or slip sheets or dispense pallets.
• Palletizing/Depalletizing: Capable of performing all the functions of an in-line palletizer, these robotic palletizers can also perform depalletizing functions.

Please note that while the name suggests they can perform both functions, it really just means that the robotic palletizer can be programmed for use as a depalletizer. 

• Layer-Forming Palletizers: These palletizers consist of an integrated system of multiple robots where each robot performs a single task. For example, one robot may layer products, while another stacks them. Because this greatly increases speed, layer-forming palletizers are ideal for high-throughput situations.
• Mixed-Configuration Palletizers: Ideal for pallet loads that contain a mix of products or container types, mixed-configuration palletizers can create stable, optimally organized layers from boxes and cases of varying sizes and shapes. They are available in a variety of configurations and capabilities. For example, a robot that is mounted to a track might move between a series of pallets, select a product and finally set it onto the receiving pallet, forming stable and efficient layers. Another mixed-configuration palletizer may involve a series of conveyors that feed product into a staging area where a robotic arm selects and orients the products, forming layers into a load that is guided to an end stop where it is finally lifted onto a pallet by a robot.

8 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Robotic Palletizer

While selecting the ideal robotic palletizing system from the many types and configurations can be confusing, answering these eight questions may help narrow down the choices. After selecting the robotic palletizer type or model that seems well suited to the application, talking to a reputable manufacturer or supplier can provide further assistance with choosing an appropriate model and the best accessories.

To start the selection process, consider gathering the information to answer the following questions:

1. What types of products are being palletized? Noting the size, shape and material characteristics of the products being palletized, as well as the container type, dimensions and weight will help determine the required payload of the robot, as well as whether specialized end effectors will be needed.
2. What are the current palletizing needs? In addition to knowing the required throughput, be sure to consider the expected configuration of each pallet, including number of layers, different layer arrangements, if you anticipate mixed pallets and whether slip or tier sheets are required.
3. What type of speed and accuracy are required? The robotic palletizer must be able to provide the necessary throughput, so speed is an important consideration here. Be sure to look into palletizing rates and inquire about guarantees regarding those rates. Also, accuracy can be crucial to meeting quality standards, so it may be important to ask how accurately the robot can place product onto pallets while maintaining the required speed. In other words, you don’t want a robot that moves quickly, but doesn’t properly stack the pallet.
4. Will there be variability in the products or pallet configurations? If the products change frequently or the pallet configurations may differ in the future, flexibility is important. In these cases, it’s best to seek out a robotic palletizer that can easily be reprogrammed or re-tooled to handle changes in product or pallet configurations without the need for costly downtime or major modifications.
5. How many robots will be needed? If there is a complex product mix or pallet configuration or if it is a very high throughput application, several robotic palletizers may be required to handle the operation. Typically, robotic palletizers can be purchased individually or as part of a system that allows multiple palletizers to run simultaneously.
6. What end of arm tooling is most appropriate? This is related to the type of product being palletized. There are many end effectors available that are designed to gently handle all sorts of products, boxes, bags, cases, containers, etc. Consider whether vacuum cups, compression plates or some type of gripper will be best suited to the application.
7. Where will the robotic palletizer be located? It’s essential to know where the system will be located, as well as the location of the packaging or production equipment it will serve, to determine how the palletizer will be arranged, whether a robotic arm or gantry-style robot will best serve the application and what reach will be required. Robotic palletizers can take up significant space in a facility, so it’s important to determine how much area will be dedicated to the palletizing operation and to find a palletizer that meets these specifications. Also helpful: determine ahead of time that there is sufficient mechanical and electric support near the location.
8. What type of safety systems are necessary? As with any piece of industrial equipment, safety should be a high-priority concern. It’s important to ensure that the robotic palletizer comes with or can be equipped with safety features such as pallet guards, light curtains and emergency stop mechanisms.

Taking the time to gather the information needed to answer these questions and discuss options with a supplier, such as JHFOSTER, will be worthwhile and ensure the selected robotic palletizer easily meets the throughput and quality requirements while also boosting the efficiency and safety of the palletizing operation.

What is palletizing?

To define it in the simplest way, palletizing means placing goods onto a pallet so they can be transported or stored. Usually, a set number of items will be placed into a box which will be moved to a pallet once the quota has been reached, or large items in their own boxes will be stacked onto the pallet. Implementing a cobot to automate palletizing saves time and energy by making it easier and quicker to transport goods around your facility and to their end destination.

While palletizing is a critical task for any business that handles physical goods, it isn’t always a pleasant one. Spending the day carrying out repetitive motions, potentially involving heavy boxes, puts strain on your people and it will quickly become dull to even the most resilient employee. That’s why lots of businesses will bring in a robot palletizing system to completely automate the process.

For an SME, the size and expense of a traditional industrial palletizing robot means they’re not always a realistic prospect. Collaborative robots (cobots) offer a solution for companies looking to introduce automation into their workflows without the need to implement a traditional industrial robot. They are simpler to deploy, more flexible and more cost effective, especially when it comes to automating palletizing. Learn more about how robotic palletization fulfils business objectives.

What is a palletizing robot?

A palletizing robot is an industrial machine that can transfer, sort and stack boxes or items onto a pallet. You’ll most commonly find them at the end of a production or manufacturing line, making neat stacks of products that a forklift can take away for storage or transportation. There are lots of industrial applications for cobot palletizers, from robotic material handling to picking the correct items to be packed.

These clever machines automate potentially unsafe and dull tasks,which can lead to RSI (repetitive strain injuries) over time or sudden load-related injuries or accidents. Humans tire or get bored, putting them at risk of lifting with incorrect form or slowing down, but a machine will retain correct form and a consistent speed throughout its lifetime.

How can a palletizing robot be customized?

Palletizing is a broad category. Businesses use palletizing robots for lots of tasks, including handling extremely delicate items like glass, oddly shaped or tricky to grab items, products that can be damaged by a human touch or even hazardous materials. While there are turnkey solutions that simplify the process, you can also choose from end effectors called ‘grippers’ to customize your cobot palletizer for your work.

Explore more:
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing semiconductor machines
What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of Pallet Wrapping Machine
4 Advice to Choose a Multi Stage Hydraulic Cylinder

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit XuTengDa.

You’ll find a gripper for virtually every sort of palletizing task. A vacuum gripper uses suction to transport items from one place to another, which could be ideal for an item that is hard to handle or easy to crush. Magnetic grippers can move metal products with ease. A claw or hand-shaped gripper can pick precise items and place them into boxes as part of the palletizing process. Read our guide to the types of grippers for palletizing to find out which ones are best for your operations.

What software and hardware do I need for a palletizing system?

If you’re planning on using a cobot for palletizing, you’ll need to start with a few hardware essentials – the cobot arm. Generally, an arm with a higher payload will be better suited for some palletizing tasks as it will increase how much you can move. For other tasks you may require a longer reach rather than a higher payload, so make sure you choose the right cobot model. You’ll also need to choose an appropriate end effector (also known as end of arm tooling, or EOAT) based on the items you’re going to be moving.

For other tasks you may require a longer reach rather than a higher payload, so make sure you choose the right cobot model. You’ll also need to choose an appropriate end effector (also known as end of arm tooling, or EOAT) based on the items you’re going to be moving. With a turnkey solution, everything will be covered, but here’s what you should consider if you’re taking a DIY approach.

To ensure your cobot can automatically complete tasks, you’ll also need to find the right software. Different products will help you tailor your cobot or cobots to do exactly what you need. Some allow you to set custom paths of motion without using complex calculations, while others are designed for ultimate engineering precision.

The UR+ ecosystem has more than 340 kits, end effectors and pieces of software, and you’ll be guided as to which ones are right for your business when you purchase your machine. Learn more about the key palletizing principles here, or discover the types of hardware and software that support robot palletization.

Does a palletizing robot have limitations?

While it’s possible to implement many types of palletization solutions with cobot arms, the technology does have some limitations. Cobots are much smaller and more lightweight than industrial robots, which means their lifting capabilities are more modest. If you need to handle heavy goods that are over 20kg, one of our cobots will not have the capabilities to meet your palletizing needs as they have a payload capacity of up to 20kg.

When handling items that are placed at two sites that are distant form each other, cobots may not be the right choice. A cobot arm with a maximum reach of mm (51.2ins) is ideal for palletizing between two Euro-pallets. A traditional industrial robot, on the other hand, can reach across greater distances when palletizing goods in your production line.

Even if cobots can palletize goods for longer periods of time than people and relieve employees from this exhausting and repetitive work, their speed still falls short of that offered by a traditional industrial robot. To operate securely without safety barriers and without endangering workers, palletizing collaborative robots are often slower than other automation options. However, after adding a cobot into their palletizing processes, businesses still claim considerable productivity gains.

A big factor in these positive results is due to the fact that cobots are an excellent tool for addressing bottlenecks in workflow. They can, for example, address the need for human workers to take breaks or the need for manual checks to ensure consistency and regularity. There are ways to easily remove bottlenecks in palletizing processes to increase efficiency and outputs.

Do small and medium businesses need a robot palletizing system?

A robot palletizing system will transform how efficient and productive smaller businesses are. With a limited number of employees on the line, SMEs are more vulnerable to staff sickness or attrition. Engaged and satisfied employees are less likely to leave their workplace than those who are bored or unhappy. Automating a tiresome task like palletizing will free your people up for more purposeful work. By making employees’ roles more engaging, you can hold on to great talent.

A compact cobot palletizing system will transform how efficient and productive smaller businesses are. With a limited number of employees on the line, SMEs are more vulnerable to staff sickness or attrition. Engaged and satisfied employees are less likely to leave their workplace than those who are bored or unhappy. Automating a tiresome task like palletizing will free your people up for more purposeful work. By making employees’ roles more engaging, you can hold on to great talent.

There are a number of turnkey cobot palletizing solutions that are ideal for businesses who need a simple solution. They include the right cobot arm, gripper and software, which a trusted UR partner firm will ensure is the right option for your operations.  Even if you have little technical knowledge, these solutions can be installed, customized and set up for your staff to use with minimal training – with ROI achieved typically within a year.

If you’re looking to bring a palletizing cobot into your business, check out our checklist and guide for first-time UR customers.