The UK's leading designer of automated packing solutions for farmers and packhouses has launched a new low-cost robot palletiser.

PACE Mechanical Handling has added the PacePal collaborative robot to its product portfolio.

Collaborative robots (or CoBots) are specifically designed to work in close proximity to people and do not need to be placed within a cage or behind a guard.

PACE's new PacePal model is designed to handle cartons and cardboard boxes, making it ideal for on-farm use where potatoes, carrots or other fresh produce are being packed.

Thanks to PACE's industry contacts, the new CoBot is competitively priced, with models available from £78,000 – more competitively priced than other manufacturers entry level robots.

The PacePal CoBot has a 20kg load capacity, 1300mm reach and can pack up to 15 cartons per minute.

"Over the last couple of years we have heard over and over again the challenges faced by farmers and packers who are struggling to find people prepared to work in their packing operations," says Nick Cesare, PACE Mechanical Handling's managing director. "We've also heard countless times that these growers cannot afford to automate as the cost of the machine is unaffordable. That's why we've used our industry knowledge, built up over 40 years of supplying robots and automated solutions to agriculture, to introduce the PacePal. It's incredibly cheap for what it is and is available to buy, rent or on a hire purchase agreement. We think it will become one of our most popular models."

To find out more about PACE Mechanical, the new PacePal and other automated solutions, visit www.robotpalletizing.co.uk, email sales@robotpalletizing.co.uk or call 01775 630 900.