Industrial Palletizers
vs
Collaborative Palletizers
How to Choose the Right Robotic Palletizer?
One of the most important and popular questions we are asked is,
"Should we purchase an industrial palletizers, or a collaborative palletizer?"
There are numerous factors that go into choosing the right robotics or automation system for your business,
here are four key characteristics to consider when choosing between industrial and collaborative palletizers.
1. Payload
One of the easy questions you can ask yourself is about the required payload. It’s common knowledge that collaborative robots have lower payloads than industrial robots do. Typically, when talking about collaborative arms from Universal Robots, the maximum case payload is about 20 pounds. In some cases, a higher payload of up to 40 pounds can be achieved, thanks to assistance tools that can be adapted to robotic arms. Even so, you would still need a comprehensive risk assessment, since a person could get hurt if they come into contact with a 40-pound box in motion. In summary, if you are attempting to move a payload that’s greater than the common standard of 20 pounds, that’s a sign that you may need to look towards industrial solutions rather than collaborative ones.
2. Reach
Another factor to consider is the required reach for the palletizer. How high do you need to stack? There are some big robotic arms for collaborative palletizers that have come out on the market recently, like the Doosan arm. However, collaborative arms usually reach about 80 to 85 inches in height, and in some rarer cases 88 inches. Once your required stack height for a pallet goes beyond that maximum, it may be difficult for a collaborative robot to meet your needs. In that kind of case, an industrial palletizer would likely be more useful instead.
3. Safety Requirements
Collaborative palletizers are designed to operate alongside human workers and include safety features that reduce risk, whereas industrial palletizers may require safety barriers and protocols.
4. Production Speed & Volume
Industrial palletizers are typically suited for high-volume, high-speed operations, while collaborative palletizers may be better for smaller, more flexible production needs.
5. Safety Requirements
Collaborative palletizers often feature user-friendly interfaces and adaptability to different products, making them suitable for variable or changing production lines.
5. Cost & Investment
This is likely the most common first consideration.
Consider the initial investment, maintenance costs, and overall return. Collaborative systems might have a lower upfront cost but could be less suitable for very high-speed applications compared to industrial systems.