Cartesian palletizers, from USD $99,000
Our gantry palletizer is a Cartesian palletizer: it stacks cases on straight X, Y and Z axes instead of swinging a robot arm. It carries up to 65 lb, is built for low- to medium-speed lines, and is simple enough to be a plant's first automation project.
Below: how it compares with a robotic palletizer, using only figures we publish, and the lines it is — and isn't — right for.
- Starting price
- From USD $99,000
- Single pallet, standard safety, excl. installation, US only
- Payload
- Up to 65 lb (32 kg)
- Line speed
- Low to medium
- Maintenance
- Nearly maintenance-free
What a Cartesian palletizer is
A Cartesian palletizer stacks cases onto a pallet with a picking head that travels on a gantry frame along three straight axes — X, Y and Z. "Cartesian palletizer" and "gantry palletizer" name the same machine: the gantry is the frame, Cartesian is the motion it makes.
Straight-line motion is what makes it simple. There is no articulated arm to program around, fewer moving parts to wear, and the working area is exactly the footprint of the frame. The trade-off is reach and speed: a gantry covers the pallet beneath it and runs at a steady rate, where a robotic palletizer can reach further, carry more and cycle faster.
That trade-off is why we build both. The palletizers overview covers the two side by side; this page is about the gantry.
Cartesian vs robotic palletizer
Our two palletizers, compared only on what we publish for each. For the full decision — layout, SKU changes, installed budget and common mistakes — see the gantry vs robotic palletizer guide.
| Aspect | Cartesian (gantry) | Robotic |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From USD $99,000 — single-pallet configuration, standard safety, excluding installation, US only | From USD $165,000 — standard safety, excluding installation, US only |
| Payload | Up to 65 lb (32 kg) | Higher payload capacity |
| Speed | Built for low- to medium-speed lines | Faster cycle times |
| Motion | Linear X, Y and Z axes on a gantry frame | Articulated robot arm |
| Operation | Simple to operate, minimal operator training | Flexible palletizing configurations |
| Maintenance | Nearly maintenance-free | No separate figure published |
When a Cartesian palletizer is the right call
Choose the gantry when
- Cases weigh 65 lb or less
- That is the published payload ceiling for the gantry.
- The line runs at low to medium speed
- A gantry palletizer is built for steady end-of-line rates, not for the fastest lines in the plant.
- It is your first automation project
- Simple operation, minimal training and near-zero maintenance make it a low-risk way to take manual palletizing off the floor.
- Budget matters as much as capability
- At a published starting price of USD $99,000, it is our entry point into automated palletizing.
Choose a robot when
- Cases are heavier than 65 lb
- Above the gantry's payload, a robotic palletizer's higher capacity is the right tool.
- The line is fast
- Where the rate outruns a gantry, a robotic palletizer's faster cycle times earn their price.
- Patterns and SKUs change constantly
- Many mixed pallet patterns and frequent changes favor the flexibility of an articulated robot.