As appeared in May 2012 PBE Copyright CSC Publishing www.powderbulk.

com

Automatic bag palletizers: Robotic versus

conventional

Jack Bertram Chantland MHS

Figure 1
A robotic bag palletizer is just one type of industrial
robot at work in today’s efficient, fast-paced manu-
Automatic bag palletizer types
facturing plants. But as tempting as it is to think that
robotics can always improve production speed and a. Typical conventional palletizer
economy, here’s the surprising truth: Choosing an
automatic robotic palletizer over a conventional au-
tomatic unit isn’t always the best option. This article
compares features of both palletizer types and out-
lines their benefits to help you determine which is
best suited to your packaging operation, production
rate, and budget.

b. Typical robotic palletizer

B
oth conventional and robotic bag palletizers auto-
matically accept filled bags from bagging equip-
ment, arrange the bags into layers, and load the
layers onto pallets. Both are controlled by PLCs with a
touchscreen operator interface. But conventional and ro-
botic palletizers have different mechanisms for arranging
the filled bags in layers and on pallets, and they’re suited to
different production rates:

• The conventional palletizer uses a belt conveyor or live

roller bed and flow dividers to move filled bags into lay-
ers, then stacks the layers to form a pallet load. See a typi-
cal example in Figure 1a. Depending on the model, this
palletizer can handle high-speed packaging rates from 25
to 40 bags per minute.

• The robotic palletizer, as shown in Figure 1b, has a ro-

botic arm that lifts bags and places them on a pallet to
form and stack layers. The arm can swivel between two
or more adjacent stations to begin loading bags on an-
other pallet while a completed pallet load is removed.
The arm’s end effector is typically a hand-like gripper;
 for some low-speed applications, the end effector is a Conventional palletizer benefits
vacuum lifting device. Typically the robotic palletizer Besides handling higher production rates, the conven-
can safely handle up to 20 bags per minute; operating the tional palletizer’s primary benefit is that it produces more
units at higher rates can produce unstable pallet loads. stable pallet loads that are squarer and flatter than those
produced by the robotic palletizer.
Perhaps because of its futuristic appearance or our increas-
ing fascination with robots, the robotic palletizer has A standard function on many conventional palletizers is
rapidly become the go-to choice for most bag palletizing four-sided layer squaring using some type of layer-pusher
operations today. However, many users overlook the ro- assembly, such as that shown in Figure 2. As a layer of
botic palletizer’s pitfalls while underestimating the bene- filled bags is prepared to be stacked on the pallet, this as-
fits a conventional palletizer can provide. Before you sembly applies pressure to a back plate and two side plates
select a palletizer, you need to take an objective look at that extend into the pallet loading area, squaring the layer.
both types. The following information can help. The operator can use the touchscreen interface to control
how much pressure the plates apply, and some controls
allow the pressure settings for different bagged products to
Comparing basic features be stored for automatic recall.
Footprint. The robotic palletizer’s layout typically re-
quires a few more feet in width than a conventional pal-
letizer to allow for the arm’s reach, and it requires about
the same floor space in length as a low-speed conventional The resulting pallet loads are stable enough to be
palletizer but a few less feet in length than a high-speed safely stacked up to four high in a warehouse,
conventional palletizer. compared with only two high for robotic palletizer
loads.
Versatility. Both conventional and robotic palletizers can
be programmed from the touchscreen operator interface to
handle various bag sizes and stacking patterns. While the
robotic palletizer requires no mechanical adjustments, the After the layer is squared and loaded onto the pallet, the
conventional palletizer occasionally needs mechanical ad- palletizer uses a compression mechanism (such as a set of
justments to handle these variations. plates or a table) to compress the layer and flatten it. Many
palletizers have a current sensor on the lift drive to detect
the amount of compression and provide consistent pressure
Capital and operating costs. The capital costs for both for each layer in the pallet load. As with the layer-squaring
palletizers are comparable. However, the robotic pal- pressure, the operator can use the touchscreen interface to
letizer’s arm requires much less energy to operate than the adjust this flattening pressure and, in some cases, store the
conveyor-based conventional palletizer because the ro- pressure settings for different bagged products.
botic unit is powered by servo motors and the conventional
unit is powered by gear motors.

Maintenance. Both conventional and robotic palletizers

Figure 2
use bag- and pallet-handling conveyors — either live roller
or belt types — which require relatively simple mainte-
nance, similar to that for most bagging equipment. The Layer squaring on conventional palletizer
conventional palletizer has more moving parts and re-
quires more routine maintenance than the robotic unit.
However, if something fails, the repair cost for the robotic
unit is typically higher than for the conventional palletizer.
Both units can have a phone modem to allow the palletizer
manufacturer’s service technician to troubleshoot pro-
gramming problems over a standard phone line, avoiding
time-consuming and costly onsite service visits; some
models can be equipped with Internet access to provide
even faster and more complete remote service support.

Some of this information may seem surprising to you. So

what else do you need to know to choose the most eco-
nomical palletizer for your operation? Let’s look at the
major benefits of each palletizer.
The resulting pallet loads are stable enough to be safely that the robotic arm’s reach and output capabilities aren’t
stacked up to four high in a warehouse, compared with overloaded in such an application.
only two high for robotic palletizer loads.

Another advantage of the robotic palletizer is that it can

Robotic palletizer benefits stack bags on pallets placed directly on the floor by a fork-
The robotic palletizer’s major benefit is its ability to han- lift rather than on a pallet-handling conveyor, as is the case
dle filled bags from multiple lower-speed packaging lines, with a conventional palletizer. This eliminates not only the
as shown in Figure 3. This makes it easy to justify the ro- pallet-handling conveyor and the floor space it requires,
botic palletizer’s cost in applications with two or three but the empty-pallet and slipsheet dispensers required by
lower-speed lines, where the palletizer can typically pro- the conventional conveyor. In a typical robotic palletizer
vide a total production rate of 18 bags per minute. One installation for loading pallets on the floor, two stacking
caveat: The palletizer must be carefully chosen to ensure stations are located on opposite sides of the robotic arm,

Figure 3

Robotic palletizer handling bags from two lines

Loading
station A

Bagging line A

Robotic
palletizer
Bagging line B

Loading
Forklift loading station B
empty pallets
 Figure 4

Typical technical data sheet for selecting automatic bag palletizer

CONTACT NAME__________________________________________ LOCATION ______________________________________________

COMPANY NAME & ADDRESS:

_____________________________________ PHONE_____________________ext._________
_____________________________________ FAX____________________________________
_____________________________________ CELL___________________________________
_____________________________________ E-MAIL_________________________________

PREFERRED BAGS PER MINUTE __________________________________________________

TYPE OF BAG __________________________________________________

MAXIMUM LOAD HEIGHT INCLUDING PALLET __________________________________________________

MAXIMUM LOAD WEIGHT INCLUDING PALLET __________________________________________________

SLIPSHEET SIZE AND TYPE(S) __________________________________________________

ELECTRICAL SERVICE AVAILABLE __________________________________________________

“BUTTS OUT” or “TAGS OUT” REQUIRED __

PRODUCT & FILLED STACKING # OF LAYERS PALLET SIZE &

FILLED BAG WEIGHT BAG SIZE PATTERN & LOAD HEIGHT TYPE

1. _______________________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

2. _______________________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

3. _______________________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

4. _______________________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

5. _______________________ ______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

PATTERNS w/BAG & PALLET SIZE EXAMPLES:

A (24x16W/48x40) B (36x18W/54x40) C (27.5x13.5W/54x40) D (27.5x13.5W/54x40) E (27.5x13.5W/54x40)

F (21x14W/54x42) G (21x14W/48x42) H (28x14W/42x42) I (20x10W/48x40) J (20x10W/48x40)

PALLETS: (entry side is required)

TYPE ‘A’ TYPE ‘B’ TYPE ‘C’ TYPE ‘D’

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OR OPTIONS _________________________________________________________

TYPE OF EQUIP. CURRENTLY BEING USED: ___________________________________________

DELIVERY NEEDED – LEAD TIME ____________________________________________

DESTINATION: DOMESTIC __ or EXPORT __ COUNTRY _________________________

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR PROJECT __________________________________________________

and empty-pallet positioning corners are mounted on the
floor at each station. The forklift can stack up to four
empty pallets between the corners at one station, and photo
eyes send a signal to the robotic palletizer to indicate when
the forklift is safely clear of the area so the robotic arm can
begin stacking bags on the top pallet. When the correct
number of bag layers has been stacked on the pallet, the ro-
botic arm automatically shifts to stacking bags at the other
station, allowing the forklift to remove the completed pal-
let load from the first station.

Making your choice

To choose an automatic bag palletizer that can success-
fully handle your application while operating economi-
cally, work with a manufacturer that offers both
conventional and robotic palletizers. Expect to work with
the company’s experienced applications engineer, who
can explain how both types work and discuss their produc-
tion speeds, layout options and floor space requirements,
and other information. The engineer will ask you to com-
plete a technical data sheet, such as the one shown in Fig-
ure 4, to help evaluate your application and budget
requirements.

In some cases, your production rate, warehousing require-

ments, or other needs can make the decision easy. For in-
stance, if you have a high-speed packaging line that yields
between 25 and 40 filled bags per minute, a conventional
palletizer is going to be the most economical machine for
your operation. But if you have two or three lower-speed
packaging lines, each operating at 20 or fewer bags per
minute, a robotic palletizer is the most economical choice.
If your completed pallet loads will be stacked more than
two high, a conventional palletizer will be best because it
forms the most stable pallet loads. And if your bagged
product will settle a lot, you’ll need to choose a conven-
tional palletizer that uses compression and flattening to en-
sure that the pallet loads remain stable. PBE

For further reading

Find more information on bag palletizing in articles listed
under “Bagging and packaging” in Powder and Bulk En-
gineering’s comprehensive article index (in the December
2011 issue and at PBE’s website, www.powderbulk.com)
and in books available on the website at the PBE Book-
store. You can also purchase copies of past PBE articles at
www.powderbulk.com.

Jack Bertram is regional sales manager at Chantland

MHS, PO Box 279, Humboldt, IA 50548; 865-687-7494,
fax 865-688-1980 (jbertram@chantland.com,
www.chantland.com). He has more than 30 years experi-
ence in bulk solids packaging.