Spider Robots has been building automatic packing and palletising lines for over 30 years, and are one of Europe’s leading suppliers of palletisers. PALpack is proud to announce that we are the UK’s official agent for Spider Robots.

Spider’s modular palletiser has many impressive features which makes these machines easy to use, very flexible, and compact.

Easy programming

Adding new programs to a Spider palletiser could not be easier as everything is animated on the screen. Simply add your pack size, add your pallet size and the Human Machine Interface (HMI) displays an animated representation of the pack and pallet.

From the HMI, you can move the pack into the position on the pallet, rotate and nudge until it’s in its ideal place. Add another pack and continue until you’ve finished the layer. It’s that easy. You can have up to four variations of layer pattern. Once you have designed your new pallet pattern, simply save it, and recall it whenever you need to in the future.

Quick changeovers

If you need multiple grippers for different pack types, then Spider’s clever quick changeover system makes it simple to do. Each gripper is supplied with an interchangeable connection block. Simply release the four clamps, remove the gripper, place the new gripper into the mating block and snap the four clamps on. All electrical and pneumatic connections are inside the end of the vertical axis, so no need to make any connections. Changeovers are as quick as a couple of minutes.

Modular design for single or multiple production lines

Spider’s system has been designed so that you can have a single production line palletiser, or if you have multiple lines, the frame is extended to accommodate as many lines as you need. If one pick and place head can manage multiple lines, then one head is used – if more are needed for faster production, then more robot gantries can be added.

Flexibility

These palletisers can be fully automated, by adding further modules, such as:

• Pallet de-stackers
• Layer card magazines (including plastic sheets, trays and ridged plastic sheets)
• Pallet conveyors
• Pallet wrappers
• Empty pallet re-stackers

Speeds

These machines can move at a rate of up to 10 cycles per minute. Each cycle can pick multiple packs up, and one of the great innovations from Spider is that, even when multiple packs are lifted, the robot can place each pack into a separate location on the pallet. If the gripper picks four packs up, the robot can move over the pallet into four different positions and place one pack into each. This makes 10 cycles into many more packs per minute. The Spider system also accommodates full layer palletising and de-palletising.

Backup and support

Each machine supplied by Spider has remote access VPN connections. But it doesn’t end there. Each machine is supplied with several cameras which allows access to video from the previous few months, where we can find and identify any issue with the machine or how it has been operated. This is a standard part of Spider Robots offer and makes our backup and support unrivalled. If we need to come to site, we will already know what is needed and can make sure that any spare parts are with our engineers.

Interchangeable parts

Spider has designed their machinery in such a way that all motors are the same size, as well as all sensors, inverters and all other major components. Because of this, you only need a very small spares kit. Our engineers also have a full set of spares in their vehicles, so, when a service or repair is carried out, we can fix anything in one visit.

Products handled

• Boxes
• Trays
• Crates
• Buckets
• Jerry cans
• Drums
• Foil wrapped goods
• Bags
• Sacks
• Doors
• Breakbulk items
• Rolls
• Large panels
• Individual picks to complete layers

To find out more about how we can augment your manufacturing operation with Spider Robots, just get in touch to book your free consultation with PALpack.

It’s been a busy year so far at PALpack, with two new additions to the business. Last month, we announced we were working with secondary packaging specialists Gampack Group, and now we’re delighted to announce the appointment of our first regional sales manager.

Jonathan Carmichael will cover Scotland, taking responsibility for sales enquiries and project management north of the border with a particular focus on the food and beverage sector. He joins us from the Bruichladdich Distillery on the Isle of Islay, where he spent 24 years working in bottling and production, including 15 years as Bottling Operations Manager.

Dave Wood, Managing Director at PALpack, said, “We’re very pleased that Jonathan has agreed to join the PALpack team. His hands-on experience and extensive knowledge of the food and drinks industry will be invaluable as we continue to expand into the sector and allow us to better serve new and existing clients across Scotland.”

Valued at approximately £15 billion, the food and beverage sector is the country’s largest industry and has seen exports more than double in the last 10 years. At PALpack, our experience with manufacturers including a gin distiller and a bottled water supplier makes us well-placed to work with others in the sector.

Jonathan added, “I’ve seen firsthand the dedication that PALpack brings to a project. At the distillery, our remote location and particular needs meant I spent years trying to find the right palletiser, and no one could find the answer – until I spoke to Dave. He jumped straight on a plane, measured the space and came up with a solution that helped us deliver record-breaking figures for that year.

“I’m incredibly excited to be a part of a team that brings that level of service to everything they do and play my part in expanding PALpack across Scotland. It’s a great time to get involved – as businesses face increased competition and pressure, more are seeing the value of automation to improve efficiency and stay ahead.”

According to the latest International Federation of Robotics (IFR) report, sales of individual robots to the UK food and beverage industry increased by 59% in 2023, making the sector one of the key industries contributing to the overall growth in robot installations in the UK.

There are also plans to expand the PALpack offer further through a partnership with automated labelling specialist Industrial Labelling Sytems (ILS). The agreement will see the two companies working together on projects to deliver end-to-end automation, from case packing and sack filling through to palletising and print and apply labelling.

ILS Managing Director, Denis Brett, explained, “There is a natural synergy between our two companies, which makes working together a logical step. With more and more companies seeing the advantages of automation, being able to offer solutions that improve efficiency along the whole production line benefits everyone.”

The firms will be sharing a stand at PPMA Total 2025 in September, showcasing a number of PALpack’s options for more efficient palletising and depalletizing, including from Gampack, and the FlexWipe automated pallet labelling solution from ILS.

To book a call with Jonathan or find out more about automating your production line, contact us.

Manufacturers looking to maximise efficiency must embrace automation at every stage of their operations, from product handling to final packing. At PALpack, we’re working with a new partner to enable exactly that.

Gampack Group provides a wide range of packaging machinery, combining industry expertise with cutting-edge technology to create secondary packaging solutions that are not only functional but also sustainable.

About Gampack Group

One of Europe’s best-known suppliers of high-quality flexible packaging solutions, Gampack Group has been at the forefront of packaging technology for over 20 years. The Italian company is built on a foundation of precision engineering and a deep understanding of the importance of packaging, and has built a reputation for reliability, excellence and expertise across 54 countries and a diverse range of industries.

Why choose Gampack Group?

Specialists in secondary packaging, Gampack prides itself on providing turnkey, highly customised end-of-line solutions tailored to manufacturers’ needs – something which we at PALpack are also dedicated to offering.

The group’s range of equipment is vast and includes palletisers as well as different machines used to improve efficiency upstream, including:

• • Wrap-around case packers – efficiently pack products into wrap-around cases for enhanced stability
  • Vertical packers – designed for high-speed vertical packaging applications
  • Modular cartoning machines – manage various carton sizes and configurations
  • Shrink wrappers – securely bundle and wrap multipacks for transportation
  • Handle applicators – add handles for improved portability and convenience

Gampack’s machines are also designed to adapt quickly to different packaging sizes and types. From rigid containers such as jars and tins to flexible and semi-flexible packaging including pouches and juice cartons, this delivers maximum flexibility, reducing downtime and increasing productivity.

Innovative solutions

Continuous investment in new technology and developments means Gampack’s products offer enhanced operational efficiency. Intuitive software is developed in-house and the integration of AI and smart monitoring allows for features such as real-time status tracking, optimised energy consumption, remote operation and predictive maintenance.

In addition to software innovation, Gampack has also developed monoblock solutions and space-saving layouts, including a patented system that compacts production spaces. Rather than placing machines in a straight line, they’re placed side by side, reducing the overall footprint. Different machines can also be combined in a single system with the addition of specific modules, such as cover overlap application or film wrapping, saving further space and energy consumption.

Focus on sustainability

Sustainability is another key priority and Gampack’s Green Line focuses on minimising waste and environmental impact while maintaining efficiency.

• • The Mini Tray uses a tiny flat blank to join the products by wrapping only their base, leaving the rest of the package free from covering. This reduces unnecessary packaging and maintains brand visibility.
  • The Eco Label is a paper-based adhesive label placed midway up the containers to hold them together. This allows the creation of multipacks without the use of plastic, making the packaging 100% recyclable.
  • The I-Layer is an eco-friendly alternative to shrink wrap. The product units are glued to a vertical interlayer and can also be equipped with a handle for transport.

In addition to these solutions, trays with quarter and a half pallets made from recyclable paper have been introduced.

Sustainability has also been incorporated in other ways, with energy-efficient motors and systems and user-friendly machines that enhance operational efficiency and comfort for users while reducing downtime and energy consumption.

We’re delighted to be working with Gampack and bringing more of its cutting-edge automation, innovative technology, and sustainable solutions to our clients.

Want to find out more? Discover how Gampack can transform your production line today.

Every enquiry that PALpack receives is treated in the same way. We spend a lot of time creating our enquiry reports, which we believe is the reason we have never had any issues with any machines supplied to our clients. During FATs, the enquiry report is used as a tick sheet to ensure that every request by our customers during the enquiry stage has been covered in the supply of the machinery. There are no “surprises”. Our suppliers also love our approach, because everything they need is in one place, one document and one point of reference.

After 30 years in engineering and sales, I have learnt how important it is to ensure that all aspects of the sales process are captured and passed on to the relevant departments responsible for the supply of equipment.

I started doing this many years ago, whilst working as a Director at Yorkshire Packaging Systems, when I noticed that information given verbally often got misinterpreted or forgotten about. As YPS were growing quickly at this time, more and more machines were being sold. So what had worked when the company was much smaller was now not working. I developed a system, which we called the Engineering Sheets, which I believe they still use today. We used our final quotes to the customer as the basis of the Engineering Sheets, and made sure that everything was highlighted to the relevant people in the organisation.

Enquiry reports

Since then, I have developed this with my company PALpack into an enquiry report. In some ways, this system will seem obvious, but I still see many projects, done by other companies, which have issues. And I hear comments like “ I can’t believe they missed that” or “I told them I didn’t want it like this”. Detailed enquiry reports eliminate any grey areas, because the report is sent to the client, the supplier and our project managers. They all have to read it and confirm that it is correct before any project starts.

We supply mainly palletisers, so I will use this as an example. Here is the information we need, when supplying a palletiser:

• Pallet sizes and variations
• Factory layout drawing
• Separator sheets, or layer cards
• Product sizes and weights
• Production speeds
• Manual or automatic pallet loading/unloading
• Pallet patterns

This is what we would call “core information”, so our report (created in Excel) has each of these areas covered, with drop-down menus, so the information can be quickly added. But core information is not the complete picture.

Drilling deeper

Product sizes and weights: It is crucial that all of this information is passed on to the manufacturer of our equipment. So along with sizes and weights, we always request that samples are supplied for pre-production trials. I know this can put time into a project, but trust me, this is probably one of the most critical parts of the project, and not doing trials will almost certainly cause issues during FATs. When palletising, we can pick up sacks, bags, cases, trays with shrink wrap, trays without shrink wrap, jerry cans, steel drums etc. Sending just a picture with dimensions and weights of the product is not good enough, because how the product reacts when being picked up and moved at speed is so important. Pre-production trials is THE most important part of “getting it right first time”.

Pallet patterns: If there are 20 different pallet patterns, then data sheets with every single pattern is supplied, and if data sheets are not supplied by the customer, then we make sure we have photographs and/or we create our own CAD drawings of the pallet patterns. But one way or another, our supplier will have every single pallet pattern, within the enquiry report.

Production speeds need to be clarified and agreed with the client. So for instance, if a client says we can produce 10 cases per minute, we always ask “Is there any chance that this could be quicker in the future?” I can’t ever remember a customer saying absolutely not, and this question quite often makes our customers go away and ask questions. We always say to our clients that we need to make sure that your investment is future proof. 9 times out of 10, the customer will ask us to consider higher speeds.

Loading and unloading pallets automatically: this may seem a step too far for some of our clients, especially those clients who have limited budgets, or space, but adding conveyors and pallet de-stackers is never as expensive as people think, and we can also orientate the component parts of the system to keep it very compact. Why spend money on an automatic machine, only to rely on an operator to remove the pallets? Sometimes you have to lead your customers.

Layout drawings: even if your customer has supplied you with their CAD layout drawings, you need to measure the area yourself. I know this seems a pain to do, when you already have been given their drawing, but I can tell you now, I have NEVER had one drawing supplied to me by a customer that was correct…NEVER! So, measure the site yourself.

Access/obstacles: Can you get the machine into the factory? Another obvious one you might say. Well, check, measure up, look for obstacles that might be in the way, like support beams or pillars. Is there enough ceiling height? Check check, check! I have seen it happen too many times, when walls of a factory have had to be removed to get a machine in, because someone didn’t check. And I can also tell you, your customer will not be happy that he’s had to remove walls, or lift the factory roof off!

Finally, variations. This is another crucial point. Before customers place orders, I am sure you will all have experienced the flurry of emails towards the point of sale. We always copy each email concerning the project into the enquiry report. It is easy to do…cut and paste, drop it into the notes section at the end of the report, such a simple task, and it will not get missed. But these final emails which usually start with “Oh I forgot to mention!”? Put into the report.

Project document

So, at the point where a customer says, you have the order, we freeze the enquiry report, and change it to our project document. We send it to the customer and the supplier, and say, please read through this carefully to ensure everyone is clear on what the customer wants and what the supplier has to do.

During our FATs, our suppliers, customers and ourselves have a printed copy of our Project Document and we all use this a tick sheet, to ensure everything has been covered. As we always say to our customers, the tick sheets are not a legally binding document, just a belt and braces approach to ensure everyone is happy.

After eight years of using this system and supplying countless machines, we have never had a single issue with any FAT. So, that is testament in itself. Reduce your stress levels and implement this, it works.

Please get in touch if you want to discuss this with us, we are always happy to help.

End-of-line automation refers to the packaging solutions employed in the final stages of a manufacturing process, where products are weighed, packaged, labelled, palletised and wrapped in preparation for storage or distribution.

At PALpack, we work with trusted providers including Lita, Europack, Technipes and VAI to supply equipment for everything from sack-filling and shrink wrapping to check weighing and banding. In this blog, we’ll explore each type of machinery in more detail.

What does an end-of-line packaging solution include?

Automated packaging solutions can include conveyors, palletisers, sack-filling machines and other equipment designed to streamline operations, improve efficiency and enhance overall productivity in the final stages of production.

Conveyor systems are an integral part of end-of-line automation, ensuring items are moved to a palletiser quickly, efficiently and safely, ready for stacking. Different products require different handling methods and conveyors can be installed in tandem with other equipment to create a solution that’s bespoke to the plant layout and the types of items to be palletised.

Lita is one of the world’s oldest manufacturers of palletising and handling systems and specialises in handling equipment including bottle conveyors, pallet conveyor systems, vertical elevators and pack dividers, installed alongside conventional medium to high-paced palletisers. We also work with other specialist conveyor suppliers to design and manufacture non-standard systems that allow us to navigate around existing machinery and install palletisers and sack-fillers without changing your factory layout.

Palletisers – an automatic palletiser uses a robot or other mechanism to sort, transfer and stack products onto a pallet, either in bulk or one-by-one. Additional functions such as banding and stretch wrapping can be added and we can also check pallet weights when loading. There are three main types of palletiser:

1. Cartesian or Gantry palletisers feature a structural beam and axis which, along with a gripping device, moves items in four directions to create complex pallet patterns. They are lower speed and lower output but highly flexible and have lower implementation costs.
2. Layer palletisers are designed to load a pallet a whole layer at a time, making them quick and efficient(up to 60 packs per minute). However, whilst they may be faster and better for heavy and awkward packages, which a gripper can struggle to handle, they are not as flexible when it comes to complex pallet patterns, or when labels need to show consistently on the pallet sides.
3. Rotating beam palletisers are manufactured by Europack. They have a relatively small footprint and are incredibly versatile, making them ideal for small spaces. The same machine can collect pallets, layer cards and have multiple lines feeding into the same machine.

Sack-filling machines – these fill, weigh and seal sacks and bags automatically. There are two types:

1. Vertical Fill Form Seal (VFFS) sack-filling machines make, fill and seal plastic (or heat sealable material) bags on the same machine. This means they are extremely efficient but can’t be used for all products due to the heat-sealing method used. The VAI range of VFFS sack-filling machines can integrate devices such as scales, conveyors and printers, removing the need for multiple separate pieces of equipment.
2. Pre-made sack-filling machines use pre-made bags, usually of paper construction, picked up from a magazine using a vacuum. They are filled to a specific weight, either through the open mouth of the bag or a valve, before being sealed with stitches, adhesive or ultra-sonically. Technipes offers the industry’s largest range of packaging machinery for dry products packaged in bulk which can be connected to other equipment such as palletisers to provide a complete solution.

Why invest in end-of-line automation?

From enhanced safety to better compliance, the benefits of adding end-of-line automation go beyond improving efficiency. By automating repetitive tasks, manufacturers can scale up their operations, deliver better quality products to customers and ultimately realise long-term cost savings.

To find out more, get in touch.

Like many industries, the automation marketplace is filled with suppliers all claiming to offer the highest quality products and the best value. So, how can you be confident that you’re picking a supplier that will meet the needs of your business? In this blog, we look at what makes a good robot manufacturer so you can make a well-informed decision.

Robot manufacturers – what to expect

Good robot manufacturers share many of the same characteristics, and these traits are what set them apart from their competition.

Just a handful of the features that mark out a reliable manufacturer include: 

• experience 
• communication 
• aftercare 
• documentation

At PALpack, we only work with robot manufacturers that can prove they excel in these four areas.  

Experience in the automation industry

There is no substitute for proven experience in the automation industry. Manufacturers that have been operating for several years have first-hand knowledge of how it works in practice, which puts them in an ideal position to help businesses that want to streamline their production processes.

How long a manufacturer has been running is a good indicator of how experienced they are in automation.

The Danish manufacturer behind the Global AGV has supplied more than two thousand machines to businesses across Europe and the US since it was established in 1988 – and this experience is one of the reasons we like working with them at PALpack.

Communication and aftercare service

How responsive a robot manufacturer is says a lot about them and their policies on customer service. In the automation industry, communication is particularly important at the beginning and end of the buying process, which is why we’ve combined it with aftercare.

At the start of the process, a good manufacturer will work with a business to understand what they need before they start designing a solution. 

We look for these attributes in our preferred suppliers, like Italian manufacturer, Europack, which promises a customised design, a responsive service, and technical support from beginning to end.

Issuing the right documentation

Robots and other automated machinery have to meet certain industry standards to be deemed fit for use in a real-world environment. Ensuring the machinery and the company has the credentials to issue the right documentation is key to selecting a manufacturer.  

Choosing a robot manufacturer

When it comes to choosing a robot manufacturer, it’s often easier to hand the decision over to an expert and that’s where manufacturing automation consultants can help. 

PALpack’s Managing Director, Dave Wood, has over thirty years’ experience in the industry, and he is passionate about helping business owners introduce automation into their production lines. 

When you work with a consultancy like PALpack, you are guaranteed an impartial opinion, because unlike the manufacturers, we have nothing to gain from recommending one company over another.

We only work with robot manufacturers that we firmly believe can meet the criteria we’ve outlined in this post, so our clients can rest assured that they’re in good hands.

Introducing automation into your processes strategically can mean building up your robotics one step at a time. But automating tasks across multiple processes can be a challenge. When you already have an automated process in place, how do you introduce more without involving a human transition?

Staging automation

In manufacturing, there’s usually a staged approach to automation. With the food industry, it makes sense to automate the cooking and primary packaging processes first, to remove the human element from food production for better quality control. Many manufacturers automate their palletisation as a priority, as for the human workforce, this is a manual, repetitive, labour-intensive task with multiple Health and Safety risks. But what then?

The next step tends to be working backwards from this, preparing the products to be palletised – such as integrating a conveyor, delivering the products ready to be stacked. Or it could be adding an orientation device, capable of turning or lifting cases or packs into position. How do you manage the interface between the new machine and the one that’s already there?

Why multiple robots may not collaborate

Manufacturers do take into consideration your existing process when designing new equipment, but there are several reasons why your machinery doesn’t function together. Perhaps the user requirement specification wasn’t clear, or the issue isn’t realised until the equipment is already in place. Plus, there’s a market for second-hand automation. Of course, you could handle the transition manually, but then why automate at all? The driving factors for installing any automation project are to reduce human labour, increasing safety and productivity for your production line.

Learn more about PALpack

As well as being the UK partner of many top-of-the-range European manufacturers, PALpack are experts in designing and implementing systems that work. Get in touch for more information on how we can help your business improve.

PALpack has strengthened its automation portfolio, now offering sack filling automation solutions from European manufacturer VAI.

About VAI

VAI is an Italian company which has designed and supplied automatic and semi-automatic automation solutions for over 40 years. VAI stands for Veneta Automazioni Industriali, meaning Venetian Industrial Automation, and they specialise in advanced packaging technology. VAI is a sister company of PALpack’s long-term partner, Europack.

Offering a wide range of bespoke automation solutions, VAI focuses on sack and bag filling, and working alongside Europack, they often supply turnkey production lines, including Europack’s palletising systems.

The company boasts quality, reliability and flexibility for each stage of product concept and design, packaging solution development, assembly and testing. Vai is an innovative manufacturer who offers multi-industry experience for their custom builds.

Speaking about the new partnership, PALpack Director Dave Wood said, “I’m excited to offer our customers a wider range of automation solutions. With their industry experience and excellent reputation, VAI is a great company to partner with and I look forward to installing our first VAI system.”

Sack filling

PALpack have offered sack palletising for some time, and now with VAI, we can offer the process step before this – automated sack filling, for food and non-food products. VAI’s automatic systems have the capacity to fill up to 1500 bags per hour.

Products that can be bagged include:

• Dry food like flour, pasta, sugar, rice, biscuits and seeds
• Pellet products
• Construction products like cement and mortar
• Animal feed

In addition to their packaging systems, options for add-ons include weighing and dosing.

Want to learn more about sack filling?

More and more manufacturers are making moves to introduce automation into their production lines. Sack filling can be a very manual and messy process, so you wouldn’t be alone in considering a faster and more efficient method of this task.

PALpack has been working with automated machinery for over 25 years, and are experts in designing and implementing systems that work. Get in touch with PALpack to discuss how a sack filling machine can benefit your production.

Automation agent for Lita and other European manufacturers, PALpack operates across the UK and Ireland.

We’ve written recently about automation allowing businesses to continue pretty much as normal throughout the pandemic, when those relying on manual labour have been forced to shut down – and we’ve seen this on both sides of the Irish Sea. Because PALpack’s territory covers both the UK and Ireland, we travel across both countries regularly to visit customers, carrying out installations and servicing of our top-of-the-range machinery.

Palletisers in Ireland

We tend to find that Lita machinery is very popular for palletising systems in Ireland, as Lita has been around since 1962 – reliable and future-proof.

As we work with manufacturers in industries like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and food production, we offer brands that achieve the most effective results for a specific stage of the packing process. As well as Lita, PALpack works with Europack, Global AGV and Clevertech for end of line, palletising, de-palletising and AGV automation solutions.

Automation support in Ireland

PALpack’s engineers carry out all installations on-site, and we have local engineering support partners in Ireland to service and maintain the equipment.

Brexit

Because PALpack’s machinery partners are based in the EU, supplying our Irish customers with automation solutions will pose no problem. You can be confident that orders and turnaround times aren’t affected by Brexit.