From Cartoning to Palletizing: Where Linear Modules Fit in Packaging Lines

1. Why Packaging Lines Are a Great Fit for Linear Modules

Packaging lines share a few characteristics that motion engineers love:

• Repetitive, highly structured motion (infeed, grouping, sealing, stacking)
• Clear travel ranges and loads
• High value from flexibility: new SKUs, carton sizes, tray patterns

Instead of designing custom cam mechanisms for every SKU, you can use:

• A linear actuator for pick and place to move product between conveyors
• A compact XYZ linear module platform to handle carton forming and loading
• A ceiling- or floor-mounted multi-axis linear actuator over a pallet station

Compared with robots, linear modules:

• Are easier to guard and simulate
• Offer very predictable paths and cycle times
• Can be cheaper to scale when you know the task is always “from A to B along straight lines”

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2. From Infeed to Cartoning: Where Linear Modules Start to Shine

2.1 Product infeed and collating

On the infeed, you often need to:

• Pull single products from a random or flowing stream
• Group them into 2×3, 3×4 or other patterns
• Present them to a cartoner or case packer at a fixed pitch

Here, a small linear actuator for pick and place driven by a timing belt drive or ball screw drive can:

• Track products briefly “on the fly”
• Drop them into a fixed pocket chain
• Adjust stroke and position via software when the pack pattern changes

Instead of changing mechanical stops, you call a different recipe on the motion controller.

2.2 Carton forming and top loading

Top-load cartoning is almost a textbook use case for a linear module for automation:

• X axis: moves over the carton lanes
• Y axis: indexes between rows
• Z axis: lifts and lowers the gripper head

Together they form an XYZ linear module platform that can:

• Pick product stacks from an infeed
• Place them into open cartons
• Adapt to new carton sizes via position setpoints, not new hardware

If speed or stroke is long, timing belt drive on X/Y and ball screw drive on Z is a common combination. For heavier loads or higher precision, all three axes might use ball screws and larger lm guides / linear guide rails.

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3. Labelling, Inspection and Reject: Precision on a Smaller Scale

Closer to the end of the line, you’ll find more compact tasks—perfect for smaller linear stages.

3.1 Labeller heads and print & apply

Labeller applicator heads often need a controlled:

• Approach motion
• Press time
• Retract motion

A short-stroke servo motor linear module is ideal here:

• It can control force and position more precisely than a simple pneumatic cylinder.
• Different label types or products can use different velocity and position profiles.

3.2 Vision inspection and reject

For vision and code reading systems, you may use a linear module for inspection machine to:

• Move a camera or sensor to different inspection positions
• Adjust height or angle for different product formats
• Reposition lighting or mirrors between SKUs

Reject systems also benefit from a compact linear actuator for pick and place that can push or lift bad products off the belt with controlled motion — faster and gentler than a crude kicker.

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4. Case Packing to Palletizing: When You Go Big with Multi-Axis Systems

4.1 Case and tray packing

Case packers and tray loaders often need to:

• Handle heavier, bulkier loads
• Reach into deep cases or wraparound blanks
• Support multiple infeed/outfeed lanes

A multi-axis linear actuator (for example, a 2-axis gantry plus Z) can:

• Cover a large working envelope over several conveyors
• Move different pack patterns by software
• Share a single gripper across multiple case sizes

Here, you’ll want to pay attention to:

• Gantry stiffness: the combination of profile extrusion and linear guide rail size
• Drive system: timing belt drive for long strokes; ball screw drive when accuracy and stiffness matter more than outright speed
• Protection: dustproof or IP rated linear actuators if the environment is wet or sticky

4.2 Palletizing and depalletizing

At the end of the line, you can either:

• Use a traditional industrial robot, or
• Build a large XYZ linear module platform over the pallet zone

A gantry-style multi-axis linear actuator can be attractive when:

• Your payload and patterns are well-defined
• You want simple, linear kinematics that are easy to simulate and safety-rate
• You’re building a series machine and want to control BOM cost, not buy robot arms for each unit

In this zone, look for:

• Oversized lm guides and robust support bearings for long life
• Smart cable management and integrated motor and driver options to simplify build
• A motion controller that can handle pallet patterns, layer logic, and safe zones

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5. What Engineers, Buyers and Owners Really Care About

5.1 Engineers’ pain points

• Tired of re-engineering custom linkages every time a format changes
• Fighting vibration and deflection on long axes
• Struggling with siloed components from different vendors

Linear modules help by:

• Providing standard building blocks (axes, gantries, XYZ platforms)
• Making stroke, speed and patterns parameter-driven instead of hardware-driven

5.2 Purchasers’ pain points

• Pressure to reduce upfront cost per machine
• Nervous about betting on one linear actuator supplier without proven packaging experience
• BOM creep from using high-end components where simpler ones would do

A smart strategy is to:

• Work with a focused linear module manufacturer that offers both cost-effective and premium lines
• Standardise on a small family of modules across cartoning, case packing and palletizing
• Match drive type and size to the real duty cycle—don’t put a racing engine on a city scooter

5.3 Factory owners’ pain points

• Want higher OEE and shorter changeovers
• Can’t afford long downtime for format upgrades
• Need equipment that can evolve with new SKUs and pack styles

Correctly applied, linear modules give you:

• Faster recipe-based changeovers instead of mechanical re-builds
• Cleaner, easier-to-maintain kinematics
• A path to incremental automation: start with one linear module for automation and scale to full multi-axis linear actuator cells as needed

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6. A Simple Framework for Deciding “Robot or Linear Modules?”

Before you default to a robot or an all-mechanical solution, ask three questions about each station:

1. Is the motion mostly straight-line?
   • If yes, a linear actuator for pick and place or XYZ linear module platform is a strong candidate.
2. Are future format changes likely?
   • If yes, avoid fixed cams and hard stops; use servo-based modules with parameterised recipes.
3. Is reach and orientation complex?
   • If yes (many angles, random infeed, human collaboration), a robot may still be more appropriate.

Often the sweet spot is a hybrid: robots at truly complex points, and linear modules doing 70–80% of the “boring but critical” motions.