The case palletiser, e-commerce and environmental considerations

The environment, e-commerce, discounters: these are some of the most important directions that the market has been taking over the last few years. But how are companies adapting, and how do automatic systems with case palletisers fit into this context?

Case palletisation systems: the winning choice for following the global trends

The issue of environmental sustainability significantly influences consumer decision-making, as they are now more oriented towards responsible choices during the purchase phase: the focus is on products and packaging able to convey a company’s commitment to protecting the environment. But the increase of information and commitment to environmental matters by individuals is not the only global market trend which we can currently easily observe. Added to the issue of sustainability, with the search for an efficient use of resources and reduced waste production, are the e-commerce drive and success of discount retailers. 

The numbers are clear: over 90% of purchases made online are shipped in corrugated cardboard packaging and, for this reason, the packaging itself and the world of case palletisers have taken on a key role in the relational contest of customer services. These trends therefore go as far as to influence a company’s automation and its palletisation systems as well, translating into an ever-more demanding market with specific needs, starting out from limited use of materials and going as far as arriving at ready-to-display products.

A case palletiser robot for ready-to-display products

The role of packaging in e-commerce is taking on functional and communicative aspects, and becoming relevant in the customer experience, but also in the logistical, environmental and management costs of the product itself. 

A ready-to-display case palletisation system provides packaging ready to be displayed directly to the end user. Ideal for different types of packaging, from dishwasher tabs to chocolates, ready-to-display packaging allows the items to be stocked and displayed on the shelves in a rapid, effective and efficient manner, meeting the needs of a market which requires goods which are ever-increasingly easy to unpack, arrange and resupply. Ready-to-display packaging is increasingly favoured by numerous companies selling pre-packaged products and is often a key requirement for large-scale retail. The use of a case palletiser for ready-to-display products not only combines flexibility and value, but also offers considerable advantages in terms of sustainability, thanks to the reduction in consumption of materials such as plastic and corrugated cardboard. 

The result is full product visibility, protected by the primary packaging without the use of box cutters for corrugated cardboard and without needing to arrange the items on the shelves, for overall savings in economic, time and environmental terms. 

The flexibility of a case palletisation system

A case palletiser robot can be inserted in a maximum efficiency line complete with conveyor, rotation, diverter and stop systems for a genuinely high-performance palletisation system. The pick-up heads of a case palletiser can have forks or suction-cups for vacuum pick-up, offering extensive customisation possibilities on the basis of the characteristics of the goods and the ability to palletise multiple product types simultaneously on different pallets.

The flexibility required of these systems derives directly from the world of e-commerce, where the need to manage different types of secondary packaging highlighted the need for ready-to-display cases and special configurations.