Robotized palletizer RPE

layer by layerfor carboysjerrycan

Overview
The RPE is AiCROV’s robotic palletizing cell for the end of a filling line, built on industrial robots from premium brands (KUKA, FANUC or Yaskawa). The robot picks an empty pallet from the stack, can lay a slip-sheet where needed, picks filled containers with a project-specific gripper and builds the load layer by layer. It is designed and built together with AiCROV filling machines and runs under the same control system, tested with the line before delivery.

Why palletize with a robot
Palletizing by hand involves repeated heavy lifting and a risk of injury; a robot builds every pallet with the same pattern, producing stable loads for transport and storage while keeping pace with the filler continuously.

How it works

• Empty pallets: A guided stack of empty pallets is provided; the robot picks the top pallet with a vacuum system and places it on the palletizing conveyor.
• Slip-sheets: Where needed, the robot lays a cardboard slip-sheet with a vacuum head.
• Container infeed: Containers arrive on an infeed conveyor and are compacted/aligned by guides so the gripper picks them in a consistent position.
• Palletizing: A mechanical gripper (designed for each project) picks up to four containers at a time and builds the pattern layer by layer; typical speed is 5–6 cycles per minute (example: 16 jerrycans per layer, two layers → 32 jerrycans per pallet).
• Out of the cell: The finished pallet leaves on the conveyor, ready for the stretch wrapper.

Safety
The robot works inside a fenced cell built to machine-safety regulations; operators enter the cell only when the robot is stopped.

Several lines and formats with one robot
A single RPE can serve one or several filling lines. Example configurations include multi-format grippers that carry multiple mechanical grips for different container sizes so the robot can palletize different formats from different lines without operator intervention.

Technical specifications
Containers: Jerrycans, canisters, bottles and pails
Speed: 5–6 cycles per minute
Gripper: Mechanical, up to 4 containers per cycle; multi-format option
Pallet size: Up to 1,200 × 1,200 mm
Empty pallets: Picked from the stack by vacuum
Slip-sheets: Laid by vacuum head
Robot: Premium industrial robots (KUKA, FANUC or Yaskawa)
Lines served: One or several lines (examples: up to four lines in installations)
Safety: Fenced cell with interlocked doors
Control: Integrated with the filling line control system