Is palletizing software worth using?

    Hi all, my company is building a palletizing cell using an ABB robot. I'm a pretty experienced robot programmer, having worked with Kuka, Fanuc, and Motoman robots in a variety of different applications. A few of those have been palletizers.

    In the past I've always written the palletizing programs from scratch because in my mind this gives me greater flexibility. However, I'm really not familiar with the capabilities of the palletizing softwares from the various robot manufacturers. Specifically, I'm looking into the possibility of using ABB's Palletizing PowerPac for this new cell.

    Could anyone here give me their opinion on whether or not pre-built palletizing software is worth using? My customer in this case would like to be able to store and run over a dozen different pallet configurations, with new ones able to be defined from an HMI. I'm pretty sure I can build that from scratch again, but I'm wondering if I'm just underestimating the capabilities of palletizing software. If I can just hand it a pallet configuration and it already know how to move the robot and plan the pallet approach and departure motions, that's great. However, if I still need to write robot motion logic myself, I may as well just do everything myself.

    Thanks!

    Almost robot maker support "Palletize" option.

    Very useful and easy. but I don't like.

    Because it will disturb "Understand of 3D layer from Program Logic".

    I think to understand of palletizing, create only programming.

    FANUC, ABB, KAWASAKI as the same logic process.

    Calculate number by Divide, Module.
    and define Row, Column, Layer
    mix Offset value
    execute Position mix with RCL value * Offset Value

    so, you don't have worry without palletize option.

    The main point is all robot possible without palletize option and can create only basic program (instruction)

    ABB, FANUC, Hyundai, Kawasaki

    I've written most of my own palletizing programs in the past, too. Probably the biggest advantage of the "bought option" palletizing packages is that they (most of them) offer an operator-friendly front-end interface that makes it easy to modify or create palletizing patterns, without having to touch any program code or variables. For some customers, this is important.
    One palletizing job for a major national warehousing chain ended up requiring a link to an SQL-style database for every SKU that would pass through the warehouses -- literally hundreds of thousands of items, and new items would be added all the time. So the SKU number linked to physical dimensions for each item, and the palletizing pattern was automatically generated by an insanely complex algorithm -- that time, I was happy to be buying an off-the-shelf solution rather than trying to roll my own.

    I would advise looking at the software in advance of the mechanical design, as when I was involved with using a palletising program there are set preconditions to how product is presented, gripper configurations etc which dictate the cell layout to use the software pack.

    I've written all the parallelizing programs that I dealt with.
    I think the decision between writing your own or using the robot software (beside the $$ investment and training) falls on the complexity of the parts and/or the number of parts.

    If you are dealing with hundreds of parts (even dozen) and many patterns I will use the robot own software. There's a limit and you have to choose between what you can handle or not and of course if you are an integrator, think about if your customer has the knowledge to deal with it

    Retired but still helping

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