When digital twins meet lean palletizing on the factory floor

CES is often associated with consumer technology and futuristic concepts. At CES 2026, the focus also included something manufacturers care about today: how digital intelligence and physical automation can work together to solve real palletizing challenges on the factory floor.

At the event in Las Vegas, Robotiq partnered with Universal Robots and Siemens to demonstrate a next-generation palletizing solution that combines collaborative robotics, lean palletizing, and real-time digital twin technology.

At the Siemens booth, attendees experience a live demonstration that brought together:

• Robotiq’s PAL Ready palletizing cell
• Universal Robots’ UR20 collaborative robot
• Siemens automation hardware and Digital Twin Composer software

The palletizing cell is rendered photo-realistically in real time using a digital twin, while the physical system operats live on the show floor. This digital-meets-physical setup allows visitors to understand how the palletizer behaves before, during, and after operation.

For manufacturers, this approach reduces uncertainty and shortens the path from planning to deployment.

Palletizing is a critical end-of-line process, but it is often constrained by space, product variability, and workforce availability. Digital twin technology makes it possible to address these constraints earlier and with more confidence.
By combining lean palletizing with real-time simulation and analytics, manufacturers can:

• Validate palletizing layouts before installation
• Optimize robot motion and gripping strategies
• Predict performance and cycle times
• Reduce commissioning risk and downtime

This is where digital AI meets physical AI, creating automation systems that are easier to deploy and easier to scale.

During the demonstration, the system palletized boxes of chips and beverages while digital twin analytics dynamically optimized gripper performance and suction points. Data was captured using Siemens Industrial Edge hardware and streamed to Siemens Insights Hub Copilot, providing real-time visibility into palletizer behavior.

This closed loop between simulation and reality enables faster adjustments and more predictable palletizing performance without redesigning the cell.

As our CEO, Samuel Bouchard, explains:

“This collaboration with Universal Robots and Siemens demonstrates how lean palletizing, combined with cutting-edge digital twin technology, can help companies boost efficiency and adapt quickly to changing demands.”

A key takeaway from CES 2026 is not just the technology itself, but how accessible it has become. The integration of the UR20, PAL Ready, and Siemens’ digital environment shows how manufacturers can deploy advanced palletizing automation without excessive engineering or long lead times.

This approach supports:

• Faster return on investment
• Lower deployment risk
• Easier adaptation to new products and layouts

Jean-Pierre Hathout, President of the Teradyne Robotics Group, sums it up clearly:

“The seamless integration of our UR20 robot with Robotiq’s palletizing cell and Siemens’ advanced automation and software shows how digital and physical innovation can work hand-in-hand to transform production environments and deliver measurable ROI.”

This collaboration highlights a broader shift in industrial automation. Manufacturers are looking for systems that are easier to plan, easier to operate, and flexible enough to evolve with their business.

The future of palletizing automation includes:

• Digital twins that support deployment decisions
• Lean robotic cells that adapt to variability
• Open platforms that avoid lock-in
• Colaborative robots designed for fast, scalable ROI

At Robotiq, our goal is to make palletizing automation practical, predictable, and accessible. CES 2026 shows that when lean robotics and digital twins come together, manufacturers no longer have to choose between flexibility and performance.
The technology is ready. The applications are real. And the factory floor is where it delivers value.

If you want to see whether palletizing automation makes sense for your facility, start with the Palletizing Fit Tool — a quick, interactive way to see if Lean Palletizing is the right match for your line.