PalletTool 3 – Teaching the Infeed Origin using a Single Zone Gripper

In this Tech Transfer Short, we will walk through the process of teaching an infeed origin using a single zone gripper in PalletTool 3. This overview focuses on the practical steps required to configure and validate an infeed station so that your palletizing application reflects real world conditions with accuracy and consistency. We will move through the PalletTool 3 interface, highlight key setup considerations, and demonstrate how the infeed origin wizard simplifies what could otherwise be a manual and error prone task.

We begin by navigating the PalletTool 3 plugin and confirming system setup, then reviewing how to identify whether an infeed origin has already been defined. From there, we explore two available methods for teaching the origin, with a strong emphasis on using the guided wizard. This approach helps ensure that what is taught matches the physical layout on your production floor, which is especially important when small differences between CAD layouts and real installations can impact accuracy of the station origins.

As we continue, we will cover how to configure gripper types, define box dimensions which are used for teaching the infeed, and align product flow along the conveyor. The video also demonstrates how to position boxes correctly, jog the robot into place, and capture accurate pick points. Special attention is given to ensuring the robot is centered properly and how to account for real world variables such as gripper compression. Finally, we validate the setup and confirm that the taught origin behaves as expected.

Requirements:

• Access to PalletTool 3 and the teach pendant
• A configured gripper with valid UTOOL values
• A sample box or product for infeed teaching
• Ability to jog the robot in Cartesian mode
• Proper system setup within the infeed configuration menu

What we will learn:

• How to access and navigate the PalletTool 3 system setup
• How to identify and verify an uninitialized infeed origin
• The benefits of using the infeed origin wizard
• How to input and validate box dimensions and orientation
• Best practices for positioning boxes on the infeed and determining which side of the conveyor the boxes will be aligned against with respect to the conveyor flow
• How to jog the robot accurately for teaching positions
• Methods to confirm and validate the final infeed origin

By the end of this session, we will have a clear understanding of how to set up and verify an infeed origin using a structured, repeatable workflow. This ensures a smoother deployment and more reliable palletizing performance, while helping reduce setup time and potential errors.