Save Time and Money by Choosing a Palletizing System that Works for You
Palletizing Systems

Knowing that you need to palletize is an easy decision, deciding which technology is best for your business, is not. Both Layer Forming Palletizers and Robotic Palletizers have their distinct niche in the packaging world.  Which is best for you?

Determining which palletizing technology is right for you is depends on what your material handling system requires. By defining the system’s criteria, the right solution or solutions can be developed specifically for your palletizing needs. Gathering this information in the beginning will lead you in the right direction from the start; saving you time, money and frustrations down the road.

The first step is to answer a couple fundamental questions:

• What is the desired number of unit loads per minute/hour?
• What is the desired pallet pattern?

The answers to these questions will begin to point you in the right direction; for instance, if you determine that the number of layers per minute is over three or four, than more than likely a high level, layer forming palletizer is the right choice for you.

The second step is to evaluate the type of product(s) being palletized.

If the product is deemed “hard to handle”, such as pails, drums, cans and other containers requiring both nesting and interlocking layers with separation, then a Robotic unit is generally the best choice. On the other hand if your product needs to be compressed or tamped between each layer, as is the case with many products that are placed in bags, than a Layer Forming Palletizer would be the appropriate choice.

The third step is to determine the height and weight of the unit load.

If the weight of one layer is over 500 pounds, a high level palletizer is generally the favored choice.

The fourth step is to determine the number of lines being fed to the system. Robotic Palletizers are suited for medium speed applications with up to three or four lines, while overhead robots or gantry systems are suited for more than four lines having slower speeds.

Although these are the main factors that need to be taken into consideration when deciding on a palletizing system, other factors need to be considered as well:

• available space
• number of products running through the system
• use of slipsheet and tier sheets
• budgets
• growth potential

Therefore the question is not Layer Former versus Robotic designs, or even modern versus traditional; but what solution does your mathematical equation state is best for you?

Westfalia will help you determine which system gives you the best results – even if it is not one of our systems.

Put Westfalia to the test!  Contact us via email or call 800-673-2522 or 717-764-1115.