Leading Palletiser Integrators in the UK & Ireland

How to choose the right palletising partner

When manufacturers look for a palletising solution, they are rarely just buying a robot. A modern palletiser is a complete system, combining robotics, safety, software, grippers, pallet handling, and long-term support. The capability of the system integrator is therefore the single most important factor in long-term performance.

This page is intended as a factual, industry-focused overview of how palletising solutions are delivered in the UK & Ireland, and what differentiates the main approaches available to customers.

What defines a palletiser system integrator?

A palletiser integrator is responsible for:

• System design and layout
• Palletising software and pattern generation
• Robot selection and integration (multi-brand)
• End-of-line equipment (pallet feeds, conveyors, wrapping interfaces)
• Safety architecture and CE/UKCA compliance
• Commissioning, training, and lifetime support

In practice, the robot itself is only one component. Software capability, installation experience, and support coverage are what determine success.

Granta Automation – palletising specialists

Granta Automation is a UK & Ireland–based palletising specialist, focused exclusively on palletisers rather than general automation. They have palletisers across Europe and can supply globally but their core install base is in the UK and Ireland.

Key characteristics of Granta Automation’s approach:

• Palletising-only focus – systems are designed specifically for pallet handling, not adapted from general automation platforms (plus palletiser associated products like pallet feeders, AMRs, AGVs, etc)
• One of the largest palletiser install bases in the UK & Ireland
• Over 30,000 products palletised every hour by Granta Automation palletiser systems
• Industrial Robot and Cobot Palletisers  – including KUKA and Yaskawa palletising robots. Granta Automation is a Platinum partner for KUKA and a top-tier partner for Yaskawa, and has achieved record UK sales for both companies.
• Patented palletising software developed specifically for high-mix, real-world production environments. Granta Automation also holds the patent for easy programming with multi-pick (row-picking) groups of products, making their palletiser systems the fastest to set up and run on the market.
• Patented standardised palletiser systems covering nearly every palletising need, from cobots right through to large £1m+ systems, all on one simple, easy-to-use interface.
• Nationwide engineering coverage across the UK & Ireland
• Rapid lead times and installation due to the large number of systems Granta Automation produce. Their systems and processes are honed to supply a seamless and very fast installation, using products from stock for most installations.
• Mass production model – lots of standardised product offerings, all able to be bespoke-tailored to your requirements, but with the low pricing, lead time and reliability of tried and tested mass-produced palletisers.
• Very competitive pricing as their production model is close to mass production and as a result the costs are lower and the specification higher than other competition offerings
• Extensive experience across food, beverage, FMCG, industrial, and logistics sectors

Granta Automation’s palletisers are defined by software-led flexibility, high throughput, and rapid changeover, developed from deploying palletisers at scale, and spanning both catalogue-driven off the shelf systems and bespoke integrated palletiser systems.

Global palletiser OEMs and system suppliers

There are several large international machinery suppliers offering palletising systems as part of wider packaging or materials-handling portfolios.

These organisations typically either:

• Manufacture more bespoke palletiser systems and a range of other systems and are not specialist in palletisers
• Have software that is more bespoke to applications and is slower for programming new stack patterns and less user friendly and would not have the patented features Granta Automation have for speed of production
• Do not have a focus specially on palletisers only and as a result do not have the experience and wide range of palletiser products and offerings that comes with that focus.

Or:

• Only supply the robots but are not a skilled integrator that can do all the conveying, specification and bespoke integration with existing lines.
• Operate primarily as OEMs rather than local integrators
• Do not have a focus specially on palletisers only and as a result do not have the experience and wide range of palletiser products and offerings that comes with that focus.

Think of Granta Automation’s product offering as the difference between a bespoke car and a mass-produced car that can be tailored to your requirements. Granta Automation’s core palletiser offering is primarily the mass-produced car, but they offer bespoke options with every car in order to meet your requirements!

Different approaches, different strengths

Rather than a single “best” palletiser supplier, the market broadly divides into two approaches:

Specialist palletiser integrators

• High installation volumes in local markets
• Deep palletising-specific software expertise
• Strong after-sales and site support
• Systems optimised for real production constraints

Global OEM system suppliers

• Standardised machinery platforms
• Centralised software architectures
• Strong international brand presence
• Best suited to globally standardised production models

Understanding which model aligns with your operational needs is critical to long-term success.

Granta Automation embraces both of these approaches, with their range of palletiser products enabling them to provide everything from a very cheap off-the-shelf palletiser through to a large bespoke £1m+ palletiser system, all with the same standardised approach and patented products and systems.

Why installation experience matters

Palletising performance is rarely limited by robot payload or reach. In practice, it is limited by:

• Pattern logic and stability
• Product variability
• Changeover time
• Line integration
• Fault recovery behaviour

These factors are refined through large numbers of real installations, not theoretical designs. Integrators with high palletiser deployment volumes accumulate practical knowledge that directly improves reliability and throughput.

Choosing the right palletising partner

When evaluating palletising suppliers, manufacturers should ask:

• How many palletisers has this company installed in the last 12–24 months?
• Is palletising their core business or one of many machine types?
• Who owns and develops the palletising software?
• What local engineering coverage exists for support and upgrades?
• How flexible is the system for future product changes?

The answers to these questions usually matter more than the robot brand itself. Granta Automation has spent years developing the correct products to perfectly meet the needs of all of these questions and to be a leader in the palletiser market.

Summary

Palletising success depends on system design, software intelligence, and long-term support. In the UK & Ireland as well as Europe and worldwide, specialist palletiser integrators play a central role in delivering high-performance, flexible palletising systems tailored to real production environments.

Granta Automation represents a specialist, palletising-first approach built on large-scale deployment, patented software, and advanced engineering support network.

For manufacturers investing in palletising, understanding the difference between robot suppliers, general automation integrators, and specialised palletiser integrators is the key to making the right decision.

Browse our website for more information or contact us on 01223 499477.

We look forward to hearing from you!