Footprint
Most companies operate a dual-pallet setup, meaning that the smallest available footprint is just a bit bigger than the size of two pallets. If your safety assessment makes it clear you do not need any additional guarding, your cobot will allow you to make the most efficient use of your floorspace.
Configurations
The way you set up your automated palletizer will obviously have an impact on your space requirements too. A fixed pedestal setup is economical and suited to low-volume, low-output palletizing applications, but it does place limitations on the size of the pallet that can be built.
3. What extra software or hardware do you need?
Most of the time, you will need to complement your cobot arm with additional pieces of kit to make sure it is best suited to the palletizing task you want to automate.
End effectors
End-of-arm tooling is an important decision you need to consider carefully. Of course, the Universal Robots team is on hand to help you make the right choice for your business. If your facility has compressed air, a pneumatic gripper could be an option. If you are handling fragile or delicate items, electric grippers would be a way to go, as many of them include “detect grip” functionality, which indicates whether the item has been successfully picked. Some grippers will also require an additional external power source.
The UR+ ecosystem
A range of specialized palletizing software packages, application kits and end effectors are available through our UR+ ecosystem. For example, Vention’s Cobot Palletizer platform allows users to design, execute and monitor an entire palletizing system from an internet-connected device.