Ritter Sport automates palletizing with cobot-based modular system

Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG produces and distributes its well-known chocolate products worldwide. At the company’s logistics site in Reichenbach, near Stuttgart, finished products must be packed into retail cartons and palletized before shipment.

While a central palletizer handled most packaging operations, additional palletizing capacity was required at decentralized locations such as loading gates. The challenge was to automate these tasks within very limited floor space while maintaining high operational flexibility and acceptance among employees.

Requirements for a compact and flexible solution
The company needed a palletizing system that could be installed quickly, operate safely alongside workers and adapt to changing product formats. Traditional industrial robots typically require safety fencing and extensive integration work, making them less suitable for decentralized use in constrained environments.

To address these requirements, Ritter collaborated with Bayer GmbH & Co KG, which specializes in robotics and automation engineering solutions.

Modular cobot-based palletizing system
Bayer implemented its PLT HC palletizing system, a modular platform designed for decentralized automation. The system consists of a mobile base equipped with a collaborative robot that loads Euro pallets positioned on either side of the unit.

The robots used are collaborative models from the HC series produced by Yaskawa. These cobots are designed for direct interaction with human operators and therefore do not require safety guards during secured operation. Their reach allows them to cover the entire pallet area and stack loads up to two metres high.

Cartons are supplied to the robot via a conveyor system that groups products before palletizing, ensuring consistent and stable handling. Bayer’s custom vacuum gripper allows the cobots to pick and place cartons, trays and other packaged goods with high precision.




Decentralized palletizing with simplified operation
The robot system is controlled through the MOTOMAN YRC1000 robot controller, which can operate independently or be integrated into higher-level production systems if required. Bayer developed a simplified user interface for the “smart pendant,” enabling logistics personnel without robotics expertise to operate the system.

Although the palletizer follows a standardized design, it can be configured for specific packaging requirements. At Ritter’s facility, for example, each pallet layer contains 40 boxes. The robot achieves this pattern by picking up groups of cartons and placing them in two sequential steps, sometimes rotating them to maintain the correct stacking pattern.

Gradual rollout following successful pilot
The first palletizing system was commissioned at the Reichenbach logistics centre in autumn 2024. After positive operational results, three additional units were installed by the end of 2025.

The modular system allowed Ritter to automate palletizing tasks in areas where traditional solutions would have been difficult to implement due to space constraints.




Improving ergonomics and operational flexibility
Manual palletizing is physically demanding and increasingly difficult to staff. By deploying collaborative robots, Ritter has reduced repetitive lifting tasks while allowing employees to focus on supervisory and logistics roles.

According to the company, the systems have operated reliably since installation and support the efficient handling of packaged chocolate products at the Reichenbach hub. The project illustrates how modular cobot palletizing systems can provide flexible automation in food manufacturing environments where space, safety and adaptability are critical factors.

Edited by Industrial Journalist, Romila DSilva, with AI assistance.