The headline number is easy: divide the installed cost of a palletizing cell by the labor it displaces per month. For a collaborative palletizer in a typical two-shift operation, that math usually lands at two to three months of payback.
But the real return is broader. Automated palletizing removes repetitive-strain injuries, stabilizes output during labor shortages, and frees floor operators for inspection and quality work that actually improves the product.
When we scope a full line, the combined investment — case erector, sealer, and palletizer — typically pays back in around six months. The mistake is evaluating each machine in isolation; the savings compound when the whole end-of-line is designed as one system.