End-of-line palletising, without the end-of-shift labour problem
Palletising is repetitive, injury-prone and increasingly hard to staff — which is why it's the most common first robotics project for Australian manufacturers. Mobile Automation designs and delivers complete robotic palletising systems for cartons, cases, bags, crates, totes and trays, from compact cobot palletisers to high-speed industrial cells with conveyors, pallet dispensers, slip-sheet applicators and stretch-wrapper integration.
What a robotic palletiser actually costs
Nobody likes a website that won't talk about money, so here are honest ranges. A compact cobot palletiser typically starts around $80k–$120k installed, with larger multi-line cobot systems running to about $250k. High-speed industrial cells range $150k–$500k+ depending on conveyors, guarding, tooling and how much integration your line needs. On multi-shift operations, payback is commonly 12–24 months once you account for labour, injury risk and the cost of a line stopping because nobody turned up to stack pallets.
The variables that move the number most are throughput rate, product weight and shape, how many SKUs and lines the cell has to cover, and whether it's a cobot beside your people or a fenced industrial cell. We'll tell you which one your application actually needs — including when the honest answer is that you don't need a robot yet.
Proven at 40 boxes per minute and 95+ SKUs
For a market-leading dairy manufacturer in Laverton, we automated palletising across six packaging lines: three UR20 collaborative robots on Robotiq PE20 palletising bases, barcode-driven SKU routing to transfer conveyors, and smart pick logic (double-picking light cartons, single-picking heavy ones) across products from 1.2kg to 15kg. Manual palletising was eliminated — six operators per shift became one — and the system runs three shifts a day. Delivered fully in-house in four months: engineering, electrical and mechanical.
Cobot or high-speed industrial? We'll show you the numbers
- Cobot palletisers — best for up to ~12 cycles/minute, tight floor space, frequent product changes and multi-line coverage; typically $80k–$250k installed with 12–24 month payback on multi-shift operations
- Industrial palletising cells — ABB, FANUC, KUKA or Yaskawa robots for heavy bags, high rates and continuous duty; full guarding to AS/NZS 4024
- Simulation first — pallet patterns, cycle times and reach validated on screen before you commit, so the quoted rate is the delivered rate
- Depalletising and mixed-SKU handling — vision-guided systems for inbound and distribution operations
Depalletising — the same cell, in reverse
Inbound pallets are as manual as outbound ones, and often heavier. We build depalletising cells for cartons, cases, trays and bags — layer-picking where the pattern is known, and vision-guided picking where it isn't, including mixed-SKU and randomly-stacked inbound pallets.
Typical applications: feeding empty containers or packaging to a filling line, breaking down inbound raw-material pallets, bag depalletising for powders and grains, and layer transfer between pallet types. Same conveyors, same guarding, same safety validation, same support — just running the other way.
The whole cell from one contractor
Gripper and tooling design for your actual cartons and bags. Conveyors, pallet dispensers and wrapping integration. The switchboard and power supply, installed by our own electricians (REC 8904). Safety systems engineered and validated to AS/NZS 4024. PLC/SCADA integration with your line and your ERP. Operator training, spares, preventative maintenance and breakdown support — all from Mobile Automation.
Frequently asked questions
What speed can a robotic palletiser achieve?
Cobot palletisers comfortably handle up to ~12 picks per minute (more with double-picking, as on our dairy system at 40 boxes/minute across three robots). High-speed industrial cells go well beyond that. We validate your required rate in simulation before quoting.
Can one robot palletise multiple lines or products?
Yes. Multi-line cells with SKU detection and routing are our specialty — our Laverton system handles 95+ SKUs with random box orientation across six lines. Recipe-based pallet patterns make product changeover a screen tap.
How much does a robotic palletising system cost?
Compact cobot palletisers typically start around $80k–$120k installed; multi-line or high-speed industrial cells range $150k–$500k+ depending on conveyors, guarding and integration. Payback on multi-shift operations is commonly 12–24 months.
What about heavy bags and awkward products?
Bag palletising (powders, grains, fertilisers, minerals) needs the right robot payload and gripper — usually an industrial platform. We design custom end-of-arm tooling for bags, drums, crates and irregular shapes.
Who maintains the system?
We do — local preventative maintenance, spares planning and breakdown response. The same team that built your cell answers the phone.
Have more questions? Get in touch with our team and we'll be happy to help.