Panovo Alimentaria, part of Grupo Proan, is a leading Mexican bakery manufacturer producing snack cakes and frozen baked goods around the clock. With more than 1,000 employees and multiple production lines, Panovo was running into a challenge common across food manufacturing: manual palletizing was holding them back.

Operators were required to stack boxes up to 2.5 meters (98 in) high — a physically exhausting task that caused fatigue, high turnover, and ergonomic risks, especially during overnight shifts. Manual stacking also created inconsistent pallet quality and strained logistics. And because Panovo’s facilities offered limited floor space, large retrofitted equipment simply wasn’t an option.

“We had a big need to reduce operator fatigue in the packaging area, especially for palletizing. We required a low-cost, small-footprint solution because our space is limited and retrofitting big machines is difficult.”
 — Juan Barba, Project Engineer, Panovo Alimentaria

Aa collaborative approach to palletizing

Panovo partnered with Robotiq and local integrator HTL to implement five collaborative robotic palletizing cells across its production lines. The model that fit best was Robotiq’s AX10 Palletizer, capable of stacking pallets up to 2,750 mm (108 in) high, even in low-temperature environments.

Key to the success was the user-friendly interface, which helped operators quickly adapt to the new system. With support and training from Robotiq and HTL, the transition was smooth and employee buy-in was immediate.

“The robots didn’t threaten our workers. On the contrary, they were amazed — and eager to learn.”
 — Víctor Antimo, Operations Manager, Planta Vualá

Results that stack up

The impact was felt on both the shop floor and in logistics:

• Improved operator well-being: Workers no longer endure the strain of stacking heavy boxes overhead, reducing ergonomic risks and creating a safer, more comfortable work environment.
• Better retention: Employees embraced automation, boosting job satisfaction and lowering turnover.
• Consistent quality: Robotic palletizing delivered reliable, uniform pallets that streamlined logistics.
• Flexibility for the future: The system easily handles multiple product formats and adapts to Panovo’s evolving needs.

Panovo is already planning to expand automated palletizing across more lines.

Lean Palletizing in action

Panovo’s journey shows how collaborative automation frees human hands from repetitive tasks while making production more reliable. By choosing Robotiq Palletizers, Panovo not only reduced injury risk and turnover, but also set itself up for scalable, long-term success.

To learn more about Panovo's success story, check out the full case study  or watch the on-demand webinar!

Let’s make your factory future-ready

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