Project Background
In the pharmaceutical industry, palletizing and depalletizing in downstream packaging have long been ideal targets for automation due to their high repetitiveness and labor intensity.
Our client, a vaccine manufacturer, faced several challenges: manual palletizing required operators to work in low-temperature cold storage environments (2–8°C), resulting in decreased efficiency, fatigue, and higher error risks. As production volumes grew, the traditional manual approach could no longer sustain the company’s rapid expansion.
ROKAE Solution
ROKAE delivered a zero-programming intelligent palletizing solution using the CR20-C smart collaborative robot, integrated with 3D vision and connected to the client’s MES system.
At the production site, vaccine boxes are conveyed via a belt line to the ROKAE smart collaborative palletizing robot, which performs precise palletizing. An AGV then transfers the stacked boxes to the cold storage area for preservation. After freezing, the AGV returns the pallets for automated depalletizing—achieving fully unmanned, automated operation throughout the entire process.
Key Highlights
1. High Efficiency and Precision
· Powered by ROKAE’s advanced motion control technology, the CR20-C achieves a palletizing speed of 8–13 boxes per minute, ensuring high productivity with consistent accuracy and stability.
· Integrated 3D vision enables real-time box position and orientation recognition, optimizing grasping, placement, and path trajectories for flexible, efficient operation.
· Connection with the MES system allows remote monitoring, intelligent data collection, and quality control.
2. Simple Operation with Zero Programming
· Each joint of the CR20-C is equipped with a high-performance torque sensor, providing ultra-smooth drag-teaching with 1N-level compliance, allowing operators to guide the robot by hand without any programming knowledge.
· Palletizing software offers a graphical interface with an intuitive four-step setup—new tasks can be deployed within five minutes.
3. Safe Collaboration
An independent safety controller and torque sensor-based collision detection allow the robot to respond immediately when encountering humans or obstacles, eliminating collision risks and removing the need for safety fences. This ensures a safe and stable working environment even in compact production areas.
4. Flexible Deployment Upgrades Production Line
The all-in-one modular design of the palletizing workstation enables easy relocation using a forklift or pallet jack. It can be flexibly deployed across different production areas without modifying the existing line layout.
Customer Benefits
ROKAE smart palletizing solution helped redeploy six workers to higher-value tasks, significantly reducing labor costs. The CR20-C operates continuously 24/7 in low-temperature environments, improving overall production efficiency by over 30% and ensuring consistent output to meet growing market demand.
Conclusion:
ROKAE’s smart collaborative palletizing robots have redefined efficiency, safety, and intelligence in vaccine packaging. The project demonstrates how ROKAE’s zero-programming solutions empower manufacturers to achieve high-performance automation even in challenging environments, paving the way for a smarter, more sustainable future in medical manufacturing.
