Robotic palletising in food and drink is one of the fastest ways to stabilise output at the end of the line. When production speeds increase and product ranges expand, manual pallet build becomes a bottleneck. It also drives inconsistent pallet quality, packaging damage, and fatigue-related risk.
At Premier Automation, we design and integrate robotic palletiser systems that fit your products, your hygiene standards, and your factory layout—so you can keep despatch moving, shift after shift. (We’re also an ABB Value Provider, so you get proven robot integration and support.) Premier Automation
Below are 12 common, high-impact applications we see across UK food and beverage sites—written specifically for Premier Automation customers (not copied from anyone else).
1) Secondary-packed beverages: cases, trays and multipacks
Bottles and cans are often stable until they’re not—especially after case packing when formats change frequently. Robotic palletisers are ideal for:
- wrap-around cases
- shrink trays
- multipacks in cartons
You get consistent pallet patterns, fewer toppled loads, and cleaner handover to wrapping and warehousing.
2) Fast-moving canned and jarred products
Shelf-stable lines tend to run hard and long. A robotic palletiser helps you maintain pace without sacrificing pallet quality. It’s a great fit for:
- trays of cans
- cartons of tins
- jarred products in cases
Because the stacking is repeatable, transport damage and rework at goods-out typically drops.
3) Dairy and chilled foods with tight handling rules
Chilled operations don’t forgive slowdowns. Robotic palletising supports steady despatch for:
- milk cartons and crates
- yoghurt multipacks
- cheese cases
It also helps when you need “same every time” stacking to keep pallets stable in cold stores.
4) Frozen food in low-temperature zones
Frozen environments often mean PPE, limited dwell time, and fewer people available near despatch. A robotic palletiser can keep building pallets reliably for:
- boxed frozen vegetables
- ready meals and pizzas
- seafood cartons
If the cell is specified properly, it’ll handle cold-zone operation with fewer interruptions.
5) Bakery products where presentation matters
Bakery packaging can crush, scuff or deform easily. Robotic palletising works well where you need accurate placement and consistent layer alignment for:
- bread and buns in bags or cases
- biscuit and cake cartons
- delicate shelf-ready packs
The result is fewer rejected packs and fewer “wonky” pallets at dispatch.
6) Snacks and lightweight cartons with frequent changeovers
High-mix snack production often involves changing pack sizes, case styles, and pallet patterns. Robotic palletising suits:
- crisp and snack cartons
- variety boxes
- promotional formats
When set up with recipe-based patterns, switching from one SKU to the next can be far quicker than manual re-training on “the right way to stack it.”
7) Confectionery and delicate retail-ready packs
Chocolate and confectionery packs can be light, glossy, and easily damaged. A robotic palletiser supports:
- consistent corner alignment
- gentle placement
- repeatable pallet builds for retail compliance
That consistency helps protect your product and reduces claims.
8) Sauces, condiments and closures that hate impact
Bottles, caps, and labels are easy to mark. Robotic palletising is a strong choice for:
- sauce bottles in cases
- jars in trays
- cleaning-sensitive packaging lines
Controlled handling reduces scuffs and helps maintain brand appearance.
9) Pet food: cases, bundles, and heavier packs
Pet food often pushes the limits of manual handling, especially with heavier bags or awkward bundles. Robotic palletising can handle:
- bulky cartons
- multiweight packs
- mixed production runs
It also reduces manual lifting and improves operator safety.
10) Meat, poultry and protein processors using boxed formats
Protein sites often run strict hygiene and traceability requirements with boxed product flows. Robotic palletisers are commonly used for:
- boxed fresh product
- boxed frozen product
- consistent pallet builds for cold-chain storage
Designed correctly, the cell layout can support controlled access and straightforward cleaning routines.
11) Breweries and soft drinks producers building stable outbound pallets
Beverage distribution is unforgiving—unstable pallets cost money. Robotic palletising helps breweries and drink manufacturers produce:
- stable mixed-case pallets (when planned correctly)
- repeatable pallet patterns for warehouses
- reliable output during peak demand
12) Packaging operations supplying food manufacturers
Not all food and drink palletising is “finished goods.” Many plants palletise packaging too:
- flat-packed cases
- trays and outers
- plastic containers and components
A robotic palletiser can keep packaging flowing to internal lines or outbound customers without tying up people on repetitive stacking.
What a Premier Automation palletising cell can include
Every end-of-line is different. Typical options we integrate include:
- infeed and product orientation
- custom grippers (including mechanical solutions and vacuum as needed)
- interlayer placement between layers (where required)
- pallet pattern “recipes” for SKU changeovers
- guarding and safe operator access
- integration to stretch wrapping, labelling, and conveyors
Example: our robotic palletising systems often use ABB palletising robots and engineered gripper solutions designed around the product and line layout.
