What Is a Cobot Palletiser? End-of-Line Palletising Explained

A cobot palletiser is a collaborative robot that stacks finished cartons or packs onto a pallet at the end of a production line. Unlike traditional industrial palletisers, a cobot palletiser works alongside people without safety fencing, making it a compact, flexible way to automate a manual, repetitive task.

How cobot palletising works

A collaborative robot arm picks each carton from the line and places it onto the pallet in a programmed pattern. Force sensing and collision avoidance let it share the workspace with operators safely, so it fits into existing floor space without guarding.

Cobot palletiser vs traditional palletiser

• Footprint: cobots are compact and need no safety cage, while conventional palletisers need fenced cells.
• Flexibility: new stacking patterns are programmed in minutes and cobots switch between products easily.
• Cost and ROI: lower install cost and maintenance, suited to small and mid-volume lines.
• Speed: traditional palletisers win on very high throughput, while cobots cover most SME volumes (up to around 12 cartons per minute).

Where it fits

Cobot palletising suits food, beverage, pharmaceutical and general manufacturing lines that currently stack by hand. It pairs with other robotics such as delta robot pick and place for upstream handling. For the difference between collaborative and traditional robots, read our guide on cobots vs industrial robots.

Frequently asked questions

Is a cobot palletiser safe without fencing?

Yes. Force sensing and collision avoidance let it stop or slow when a person is near, so it can operate without traditional safety cages, subject to a risk assessment.

How heavy a load can a cobot palletiser handle?

Typically up to around 20kg payload, with options to around 30kg, and stacking heights up to about 1.8m.

How long does it take to change the stacking pattern?

New job setup usually takes under 30 minutes, and patterns can be stored for quick recall.

Ask Nexus Australia whether a cobot palletiser suits your end of line.