20kg Payload 2000mm Reach Palletizing Collaborative Robot Arm for High-Speed Cells

20kg Payload 2000mm Reach Palletizing Collaborative Robot Arm for High-Speed Cells

Overview

The AUBO iS20L Pro is a 6-axis collaborative robot arm (cobot) built for case and carton handling, and this configuration delivers it as a working palletizing workstation with cobot safety characteristics: arm, controller, teach pendant, base plate, gripper flange and safety-ready I/O arrive as one integration package. A 20 kg payload carried across a 2000 mm reach means a single collaborative robot arm can cover a 1200 x 1000 mm pallet and the infeed conveyor beside it, replacing the manual lifting that slows the last metre of every packing line.

All six joints use the same joint modules and harmonic drives as the rest of the iS Pro series, and the wrist carries an integrated six-axis force sensor - no external sensor body, no extra cable run, no separate amplifier in the cabinet. That matters in palletizing: the arm feels a carton seating on the layer below, presses a slip sheet flat, or stops on contact when a pallet has been spotted a few millimetres off, instead of driving through the stack. Repeatability of +/-0.05 mm keeps layer patterns square from the first pallet of a shift to the last.

Figures in the table below are taken from the manufacturer datasheet, revision 2026-07, and are given per joint and per axis rather than as best-case headline numbers. If a cycle time has to be validated before purchase, send the carton size, layer pattern and pallet height and we return the reach envelope and joint speed calculation for that layout.

Key Specifications

Advantages

• A 20 kg payload carried through the full 2000 mm reach lets one arm move a complete layer of cartons instead of a single case per cycle.
• The 2000 mm working radius covers a 1200 x 1000 mm pallet plus the infeed conveyor beside it, so the palletizing workstation fits a standard end-of-line footprint without a linear track.
• +/-0.05 mm repeatability keeps layer patterns square and stack corners aligned, which protects cartons during stretch wrapping and truck loading.
• An integrated six-axis force sensor at the wrist (500 N / 40 N*m) detects contact with the layer below, flattens slip sheets and stops on a misaligned pallet before damage occurs.
• IP54 protection is standard for dusty packing halls, with IP66 available for wash-down, food-adjacent and high-humidity plants.
• Floor, wall and inverted mounting options let the same collaborative robot arm work above a conveyor where floor space is already occupied.
• A 4.8 m/s tool speed, 1000 W average power draw and 72 kg arm weight keep cycle times short and let the unit run from a standard 230 VAC supply.
• Modbus, Profinet and EtherNet/IP interfaces, plus Python, ROS and ROS2 support, connect the arm to existing PLC, WMS and vision systems without a gateway box.

Applications

• Carton and case palletizing at the end of a packing or filling line
• Depalletizing of incoming cases and totes onto accumulation conveyors
• Bag, sack and pail stacking where manual lifting creates injury risk
• Mixed-SKU pallet building with layer patterns taught from the pendant
• Interlocked tray and shrink-pack handling between two production cells
• Line-side handling of fixtures and containers in 3C, automotive parts and hardware plants

Building the Palletizing Workstation

A palletizing workstation built on this industrial robot arm is only as good as the hand-off between conveyor, gripper and pallet. The 2000 mm reach is used to place the arm base so that the pick point, the pattern build area and the pallet pickup aisle all fall inside the envelope with margin for approach and retreat moves. The 20 kg payload leaves room for a vacuum or finger gripper that handles a full layer of small cartons, and the integrated force sensor lets that gripper press down without a mechanical compliance device. Because the arm runs on 115/230 VAC with a 1000 W average draw, the station needs no dedicated power cabinet, which keeps retrofit projects inside an existing electrical room.

Commissioning follows the same order on every unit: base plate levelled and anchored, arm mounted and joint limits checked, tool centre point calibrated, then pallet patterns taught from the pendant and verified with three dry cycles per format. Guarding, safety scanners and light curtains are specified against the measured stopping distance at the 4.8 m/s maximum tool speed, so the safety layout is documented rather than assumed.

FAQ

Q: Can this palletizing collaborative robot arm lift a full 20 kg at 2000 mm reach?
A: Yes. The 20 kg payload rating is quoted at the wrist across the 2000 mm working radius, not only close to the base. Keep gripper and vacuum tooling weight inside that budget - a typical carton gripper adds 3 to 6 kg.

Q: What pallet and carton sizes fit inside a 2000 mm reach?
A: A 1200 x 1000 mm pallet placed beside a 600 mm wide infeed conveyor sits comfortably inside the envelope, with stack heights up to about 2 m depending on gripper height. Send your pallet footprint, carton dimensions and layer pattern and we confirm the exact reach and joint speed for that layout.

Q: How does the integrated force sensor help during palletizing?
A: The wrist sensor resolves 0.15 N and 0.015 N*m, so the arm feels a carton landing on the layer underneath, presses a slip sheet flat, and detects a leaning stack or shifted pallet. In practice that reduces crushed corners and lets the same collaborative robot arm handle cartons with soft or uneven walls.

Q: Is IP54 enough for a dusty packing hall?
A: IP54 covers dust and splashing water, which suits most carton and bag lines. For flour, starch, wash-down cleaning or humid cold stores we quote the IP66 option on the same arm.

Q: Can the arm be mounted on a wall or above the conveyor?
A: Yes. The iS20L Pro accepts floor, wall, inverted and any-angle mounting, and the controller can sit up to 5 m away, or 6 m with the longer cable option. Inverted mounting is common where the pallet position is fixed and floor space is taken by conveyors.

Q: Which controllers and software does the workstation connect to?
A: The AUBO-CB-iS controller speaks Modbus-RTU, Modbus-TCP, Profinet and EtherNet/IP, with 4 digital inputs, 4 digital outputs and 2 analog inputs on board. Programming is open across C, C++, C#, Lua, Python, JavaScript, Java, ROS and ROS2 on Windows or Linux, so pattern logic can live in the PLC or in a Python script.

Q: What is included in the palletizing workstation package?
A: One AUBO-iS20L Pro arm, the AUBO-CB-iS controller, the AUBO-TP-iS teach pendant, a 5 m arm cable, mounting base plate, gripper flange, and the electrical drawings plus datasheet pack. Grippers, safety scanners and guarding are quoted against your carton and pallet specification.

Q: How is the arm shipped and how long does installation take?
A: The arm and controller travel in an export plywood case with shock-absorbing foam and a moisture barrier. Mechanical installation and power-up typically take one day; pattern teaching for three or four pallet formats usually takes a further one to two days on site.

Q: What happens after delivery if a joint or the force sensor fails?
A: Every unit ships with a 1 year warranty and a factory test report covering repeatability and force calibration. Spare joint modules and sensors are stocked, and remote diagnostics through the controller log usually identify the fault before a technician travels.