Robotiq: The Entire Scope of Collaborative Automation at PACK EXPO

Robotiq is taking palletizing to a whole new level with a comprehensive range of collaborative automation solutions designed to help packaging manufacturers tackle a variety of challenges, including labor shortages, efficiency, and production scaling.

The company from Quebec City, Canada, is already known for its plug-and-play approach to automation, and Robotiq is using this show as a great opportunity to highlight several advanced solutions, purpose-built for rapid deployment and easy integration with the rest of the control system.

Palletizers for Rapid Integration

The booth offers a hands-on look at how automation can be made both accessible and powerful. At the forefront is Robotiq’s newest palletizing solution, the PAL Ready, one of the most innovative systems in its portfolio, designed to be quick to set up, providing ROI immediately upon delivery to the facility.

At PACK EXPO, Robotiq is demonstrating the fast setup, smart programming, and flexible performance in packaging and end-of-line applications. The system features built-in sensors and software that automatically detect pallet dimensions with sensors and can adjust stacking patterns easily, reducing the need for bulky, manual point-to-point programming. It also includes Robotiq’s proprietary application software, which guides users through setup in just a few minutes.

The newest product from Robotiq: the PAL Ready.

Robotic Package Handling

PACK EXPO is all about the handling of various shapes, sizes, and weights of payloads, moving each load to its proper destination. A second demo of a de-palletizing system showed a robot with a vertical 7th axis column placing buckets onto a conveyor system. This demo illustrates the working capacity of robots that can replace some of the more dangerous lifting tasks and alleviate human effort for certain roles.

De-palletizing of buckets by a Robotiq system.

Machine Tending

In addition to the palletizing demos at the show, Robotiq also offers a machine tending solution, which is designed to automate the loading and unloading of CNC machines, injection molders, and other production equipment.

This solution combines Robotiq’s smart grippers, wrist cameras, and intuitive software interface to manage part handling and scheduling without needing expensive custom fixtures, even when the situation demands some flexibility, as is common in modern industry. The major draw is the fact that this solution does not require a separate programming application between the CNC machine and the robot, instead replicating the actions of an operator so that the setup is far simpler and more flexible than typical robotic machine tending.

Bridging the Packaging Skills Gap

Robotiq’s booth at PACK EXPO reflects the demand for automation that doesn’t call for teams of engineers with advanced skills to implement. By focusing on ease of use, modularity, and fast ROI, Robotiq is positioning itself not just as a supplier of collaborative robotic solutions, but as a trusted partner for automation, even after the commissioning is done.