Column vs Robotic Arm Palletizers for Bags
Choose by the filled bag, required pallet positions and demonstrated output of the complete cell. A column palletizer deserves evaluation for a defined bagging-line layout; an articulated arm deserves evaluation when reach, multiple stations or additional tool tasks drive the design. These are starting points, not exclusive capabilities: some column systems also serve several pickup points. Neither mechanism is automatically faster, smaller or fully automatic.
Compare the mechanism and the proposed cell
Scroll to compare all columns.
| Buyer decision | Column palletizer | Articulated robotic arm palletizer |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | A column-supported mechanism lifts and transfers the bag. Concetti’s single-column robot example combines column rotation, vertical travel and a traversing pincer. | Jointed links move the tool through the working envelope. TMI’s ILERPAL R uses a four-axis arm. |
| Bag handling | Check the specified gripper against filled-bag dimensions, shape and closure. | Check bag compatibility together with tool mass, load and reach; arm payload alone is insufficient. |
| Pattern and pallet | Verify overlap, orientation, pallet dimensions and finished height within the machine’s travel. | Verify these at every proposed pallet position; programmed patterns do not establish load stability. |
| Space and access | Request the complete layout, including conveyors, guarding and pallet removal. | Include the arm’s working envelope, guarding, service access and pallet-changing route. |
| Automation scope | Confirm who supplies empty pallets, places sheets and removes finished loads. | Confirm the same tasks; automatic arm motion does not make every task automatic. |
The column example is described by Concetti; the articulated example by TMI. A Cartesian gantry such as ILERPAL P moves its gripper along gantry axes. A conventional layer machine such as ILERPAL C forms and compacts layers. Neither is simply another name for a column or articulated-arm machine. Hybrid systems combine mechanisms.
Compare rates under the same conditions
Concetti lists a maximum of 500 bags/hour for its single-column machine, with specifications described as indicative. TMI lists up to 600 bags/hour for ILERPAL R. Premier Tech’s RPL-1111 datasheet, page 3, lists up to 19 bags/minute, explicitly excluding pallet changeover.
These are manufacturer-published figures for different machines and scopes, not comparable trials or TELIANG ratings. Ask for acceptable bags per hour through completed pallets, including agreed changeovers, sheet handling, stops and rejects. Confirm single- or multiple-bag pickup and all tasks assigned to the same mechanism.
Prove bag handling and line interfaces
Test representative filled bags, including paper, woven or film construction, liners, closure and variation in shape. Demonstrate pickup, transfer and release without unacceptable damage or leakage. Ask whether flattening or settling is needed, then check layer overlap and the finished pallet after handling.
Agree conveyor height, bag orientation, spacing, accumulation, downstream-ready signals, and stop/restart behavior. Check peak bag arrivals as well as average output; do not treat a machine footprint as the complete installation layout.
RFQ checklist and a TELIANG configuration example
- Bag samples: material, construction, filled dimensions, weight and variation.
- Pallet drawing: dimensions, permitted load, height, layer pattern and overhang limits.
- Production brief: sustained output, arrival peaks and format-change frequency.
- Layout: pickup and pallet positions, clearances, utilities and removal route.
- Acceptance plan: test duration, staffing, changeovers, rejects and agreed load-quality criteria.
TELIANG’s confirmed Case 10 uses an S1 column palletizer with granular material packed at 25 kg/bag. This is a project specification, not a general handling range or a throughput test. Our articulated-arm video illustrates a different mechanism; it does not establish performance ratings.
Related machines
Review the Palletizing System and Robot Palletizer against the same RFQ brief.