Automated palletising is an excellent way to get around labour supply and occupational health and safety issues while improving output and quality control.

However, it’s expensive, requires a fair bit of conveying and floor space, and—unless it comes with pallet programming software—a real headache to introduce new products and pallet configurations.

The perfect palletiser for smaller manufacturers would offer absolute flexibility, be easily deployed (plug and play) and take up about the same amount of space as manual palletising.  

Our Technology Products team has discovered the perfect solution. Meet the Instant Palletiser.

Instant Palletiser features:

• No programming or teaching, set up in less than 5 minutes 
• Maximum payload of 18kg 
• Completely portable, just wheel it in to position 
• Completely safe, without the need for safety fencing 
• Operate at speeds of up to 10.5 cycles per minute 
• Palletises up to 1.55m or optional 2.50m high
• Palletises to two pallet locations, for continuous operation. 

Performance

Instant Palletiser has a maximum payload capacity of 20kg, providing an effective case payload of 18kg with the use of a top vacuum gripper. 

It can operate at speeds of up to 10.5 cycles per minute with the HS zone scanner version.

If case weights permit, it can palletise at a rate of 21 cases per minute by picking two cases simultaneously. 

The palletiser can stack to a height of 1,550mm, with an option to include a telescopic mast to increase the maximum stack height to 2,500mm.  

This high level of performance for a collaborative robot solution is achieved by the use of advanced Doosan cobot technology from South Korea. It is also achieved by the integration of the optional 5 vertical zone safety scanners into the design. 

The solution can palletise at two locations, or alternately the second station can store slip sheets, with palletising occurring at one location. It can even simultaneously palletise two separate SKUs, one to each pallet location. 

Safety

Collaborative robots are designed to work alongside humans, and so are inherently safe.

They almost instantly stop moving if they meet any resistance on their programmed path. Operational speeds, though, are limited to a maximum of 6.5 cycles per minute. 

Our higher-speed models offer 8 or 10.5 cycles per minute and incorporate 5 vertical zone scanners into the base of the design to guard against any intrusion into the case pick-up and palletising cell zones.

The palletiser can be set up to stop entirely or slow to a much lower speed if an area scanner zone is breached. With the zone scanners in place, the solution can operate at speeds up to 10.5 cycles per minute. 

Instant Palletiser has been fully risk-assessed by our Foodmach safety specialists. A full risk assessment will be provided for each deployment of the solution. 

Ease-of-Use

Instant Palletiser was designed to be the quickest and easiest cobot-powered palletiser to set up and operate.

It requires no programming, teaching or calibration.  An intuitive set-up wizard on the 13’’ touch screen requests inputs on case dimensions, case weight, pallet type and stack height. It then suggests a number of pallet pattern options, which when selected are then saved for that particular SKU.  

The smart software provides pallet pattern configuration options that consider optimised interlocking for pallet stability, pallet utilisation and breathability factors.

The software even asks if case barcodes need to be positioned on the outside surface of the pallet. 

The solution includes sensors and indicator lights to confirm that an empty pallet is present and placed correctly. 

Instant Palletiser has a button-set that includes a stop, error reset, start and an emergency stop that allows operators to easily interact with the system with no need to ever touch the robot reach pendant.

Mobility

Instant Palletiser can be moved into place on castor wheels, a pallet truck or a forklift.

Short production lead times make it an attractive option for businesses needing a quick fix.

It offers the only work cell that doesn’t need pick point programming, because its integrated skewed infeed conveyor ensures the incoming case is always in the same consistent pick location.

Continuous Operation

Instant Palletiser is able to stack at two pallet locations, on either side of the base, so it never needs to stop.

The benefit of this is that an operator can remove a completed pallet while the cobot continues to palletise a secondary pallet with no interruption.

Or, it can be configured to stack two different SKUs to each pallet location simultaneously. Indicator lights communicate the status of each pallet to the operator so there’s no confusion.

Grippers

Instant Palletiser comes with a pneumatic or electro-mechanical case gripper.

A custom-designed vacuum gripper with two channels means two boxes can be picked at once, increasing the palletising rate to 21 boxes/min if required, or if total weight permits

The infeed conveyor gating system always ensures the correct flow of boxes to the pick station.

Compact Footprint

Because it doesn't require a safety fence, Instant Palletiser is extremely compact.

Its total footprint, including two pallet stations, is just 3,607 x 2,636mm. 

5 Steps to Instant Palletising!

1. Roll Instant Palletiser into place and connect it to air and 240V AC power.
   
   
2. Turn the unit on.
   
   
3. Enter the case dimensions and weight, select pallet type and height.
   
   
4. Let the automated pallet pattern generator create the stacking strategy.
   
   
5. Start palletising!

Options

We offer Instant Palletisers to suit a variety of manufacturing needs:

Looking for a quick and economical way to introduce automated palletising?

We're here to help!

Just ask us