Column-style palletizers at the end of the production line are highly automated and space-saving material stacking devices. They operate in a cylindrical coordinate system, precisely stacking packaged goods (such as cartons, woven bags, and drums) onto pallets via column rotation and the lifting and extension of the robotic arm.

1. Core Working Principle
Column-style palletizers typically employ four-axis linkage control:

Rotation Axis (X-axis): The entire column rotates horizontally.

Lifting Axis (Y-axis): The robotic arm moves up and down along the column.

Extension Axis (Z-axis): The gripper head extends and retracts.

Steering Axis (R-axis): The gripper head rotates to adjust the angle of the material.

2. Why Choose a Column-Style Palletizer? (Core Advantages)

Small Footprint: Compared to large high-level palletizers or large articulated robots, the column-style structure is very compact, making it ideal for retrofitting existing production lines with limited space.

High cost-effectiveness: Its cost is typically lower than that of a six-axis industrial robot, but its efficiency and stability in palletizing tasks are comparable, with a short payback period.

High flexibility:

• It can handle materials from two production lines simultaneously.
• The gripper head (handler) can be customized according to material type (suction cup type, clamp type, bottom support type).

Simple maintenance: Modular structure, relatively intuitive mechanical structure, ordinary maintenance workers can operate it after simple training.

3.Technical Specifications (Refer to feature description)

Palletizing speed: 300 – 600 times/hour (depending on material weight and stroke)

Maximum load: Common specifications are 50kg – 100kg, heavy-duty can reach 200kg+

Palletizing height: Up to 2.2m – 2.5m

Control system: PLC + touch screen (supports one-click switching of multiple palletizing recipes)

4. Common gripper types

The gripper design is crucial depending on the material at the end of your production line:

Clamping type: Suitable for standard cartons, clamping via the side.

Finger/Bottom-mounted: Designed specifically for woven bags (such as flour, cement, and chemical raw materials) to prevent bag breakage.

Vacuum suction cup: Suitable for flat surfaces or lightweight cartons.

Grip type: Suitable for barrels or irregularly shaped items.

5. Application Areas

These devices are widely used in:

• Food and Beverage: Cartoned beverages and condiments.
• Feed and Chemicals: Woven bags containing powders and granules.
• Daily Chemicals: Detergents and paper towel packs.