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Picking from a Moving Conveyor with the Robotiq Palletizing Workcell

Enable synchronized picking from a moving conveyor with Robotiq's Palletizing Workcell

Some palletizing applications require picking boxes from a moving conveyor rather than a fixed pick position. This article explains how to combine the Universal Robots conveyor tracking feature with the Robotiq Palletizer to achieve synchronized picking, so the robot can grab a box while the conveyor keeps moving.

1. Enable conveyor tracking on the Universal Robots controller 

First, activate and configure conveyor tracking on the robot. Universal Robots provides a detailed setup guide here: Conveyor Tracking with Wizard

2. Simulate an always-on box sensor 

The box sensor signal input for the palletizer node must always be on. You can achieve this in one of two ways:

  • Wire a cable from a 24 V output into a robot input that will act as the box sensor, or
  • Use the box sensor checkbox in the palletizer node settings.



Once this is set, you can move on to the next steps.

3. Configure the Palletizer Node

Inside the Palletizer node, record the PrePick position and insert a wait command that waits for the real box sensor signal. The program structure looks like this: 


4. Position the Box and Define the Pick Pose

Place a box on the conveyor and move it toward the box sensor, just far enough to trigger it. Define the pick position above the box so the robot does not touch it. In our example, the pick pose is set about 50 mm (2 in) above the box. Then, in the grip node, add a wait until the input wired to the real box sensor goes high. 

5. Relative Move

Do a relative move to reach the object, start the vacuum, and raise back to the previous position.

With this logic, the robot moves to the "fake" pick position above the box. Once the sensor is triggered, it picks the box while the conveyor is still moving, then lifts back to the PrePick pose.

Note: the PrePick pose tracks along with the conveyor during execution.

Conclusion

By combining conveyor tracking on the robot with the right logic inside the Palletizer and Grip nodes, the robot can reliably pick items from a moving conveyor. Want to see it in action?

Download the program and video example



Need help? Contact Robotiq Support

Updated: July 2026