A palletizer is defined as a machine that assembles products in a predetermined pattern to form layers and sequentially deposits the layers onto a pallet to build a unit load.
Simply put, a palletizer is a machine that takes a product, for example cases of beer, from a conveyor at the end of a production line and places it onto a pallet so that the pallet load of beer cases can be transported to a grocery store.
There are two general categories of palletizers: conventional and robotic.
Conventional palletizers build a pallet load by orientating product in a predefined pattern by creating rows which are pushed onto a layer forming area. Once a complete layer is created it is placed onto the pallet layer by layer until a full pallet load is created and removed from the machine.
Robotic palletizers build a pallet load by picking the product from a conveyor and placing it directly onto the pallet. Building the predefined pattern right on the pallet, again layer by layer, until the full pallet load is created and removed from the machine.