How a leading winery boosted efficiency with cobot palletizing

For wineries and beverage producers, palletizing is often one of the most repetitive and physically demanding steps in production. Manually handling and stacking cartons for hours at a time not only slows down throughput but can also lead to worker fatigue and injuries.

One European wine producer faced exactly this challenge. With over five million bottles processed annually and more than 2,500 wine varieties passing through their bottling line, palletizing had become a major bottleneck. Employees were manually handling nearly 40 tons of packaging material every day, leaving them exhausted after each shift and creating inefficiencies across the end of the line.

Traditional automated systems were too expensive or too rigid to meet their needs. What they required was a flexible, cost-effective, and operator-friendly palletizing solution that could keep up with changing carton formats and high volumes — without disrupting production.

The challenge: end-of-line bottlenecks 

The winery’s main goal was to improve operational efficiency while protecting employees from repetitive strain. Manual palletizing was slowing down the entire bottling process, creating backlogs and impacting overall productivity. At the same time, they needed a solution that could handle frequent changeovers and fit within their existing floor space.

The solution: a cobot palletizing cell

The team selected the Robotiq PE20 Palletizer, powered by a Universal Robots UR20 collaborative robot and a Robotiq vacuum gripper.

This cobot palletizer was designed to:

• Palletize two cartons at a time, directly from the conveyor belt
• Operate safely alongside workers, eliminating the need for fencing
• Adapt quickly to different carton sizes and stacking configurations

Because it was compact and fully integrated, installation was quick and required minimal changes to the existing layout.

The results: faster throughput, healthier teams

Once installed, the benefits were immediate. The palletizing cell created a continuous, uninterrupted workflow, eliminating the bottlenecks that had slowed production.

Key improvements included:

• Boosted efficiency: The line now runs without delays at the palletizing stage.
• Reduced physical strain: Workers no longer spend their shifts manually stacking heavy cartons.
• Greater flexibility: The cell easily adapts to changing production demands and carton formats.
• Employee satisfaction: Eliminating a tedious, labor-intensive task improved morale and well-being.
  
  

Tradition meets modern automation

This project shows how wine palletizing automation can blend seamlessly into even the most traditional operations. By automating one of the most demanding tasks on the floor, the producer increased throughput, improved ergonomics, and ensured their team could focus on higher-value work — all while maintaining their high standards of quality.

Your turn: automate with confidence

Whether you produce wine, spirits, or packaged beverages, cobot palletizers can help you overcome labor shortages, reduce ergonomic risks, and keep production running smoothly.

Your first step is simple: try the Palletizing Fit Tool.

In just a few clicks, you’ll get:

• A custom 3D simulation of your palletizing cell
• ROI and payback period based on your real data
• A shareable report for internal decision-making

Start fast. Scale with confidence. Embark on your automation journey.
Fill out the Palletizing Fit Tool today and see if Lean Palletizing is right for your operation.