End-of-line automation gets a compact new option for food and CPG manufacturers: Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc. will debut the CP110L high-speed palletizing robot in North America at PACK EXPO International 2026, running October 18–21 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The launch targets packaging and food processing operations where throughput demands are high but available floor space and ceiling height are limited—a combination that has historically forced operators to choose between capacity and fit.
The Specs
The CP110L handles up to 2,200 cases per hour under specified operating conditions and delivers a maximum reach of 2,505 mm. Its compact architecture requires a ceiling height of just 2,242 mm, with a revolute-axis interference radius of 453 mm—dimensions that allow system integrators to design palletizing cells in tight end-of-line corridors common in food production and cold-storage environments. The robot runs four controlled axes, delivers ±0.05-mm repeatability, and has a robot mass of 820 kg. It rounds out the bottom of Kawasaki's CP Series palletizing lineup, which now spans payload capacities from 110 to 700 kg.
Two design details stand out for food and beverage production environments. The hollow wrist routes cables and hoses internally, reducing interference with surrounding conveyors and equipment while simplifying sanitation access and routine maintenance. A standard power-regeneration function captures energy generated during deceleration and converts it back into usable electrical energy—an efficiency advantage in palletizing applications that involve frequent vertical movement, and one that aligns with the energy reduction goals many food manufacturers are pursuing across their facilities. Operators evaluating energy-and-sustainability improvements in end-of-line equipment will find this feature worth quantifying against baseline power draw.
Beyond the Flagship Launch
Kawasaki will also demonstrate two integrated systems at PACK EXPO that speak directly to food-sector use cases. The first pairs the RS013N robot—13-kg payload, 1,460-mm reach—with a case-packing cell designed and integrated by Design For Making. The cell features an intuitive HMI and is built to expand with additional tooling, vision, and safety technologies as production lines evolve, making it a practical starting point for food manufacturers automating case packing for the first time.
The second demonstration features the IRIS RPZ-U palletizing system, developed by IRIS Factory Automation, built around Kawasaki's RS025N robot (25-kg payload, 1,885-mm reach). Designed as a modular, turnkey platform, the IRIS RPZ-U is intended to drop into existing operations without a full line redesign—an important consideration for food processors and cold-chain distributors working within constrained facility footprints.
Paul Marcovecchio, Director GI Industries at Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc., framed the CP110L's development plainly: "Palletizing is often one of the clearest places for manufacturers to automate, but the available space at the end of the line doesn't always match the automation they want to install. The CP110L gives customers another way to increase palletizing capacity without assuming they have unlimited floor space or ceiling height."
The timing aligns with accelerating industry investment: PMMI's 2026 Robotics in Packaging & Processing report found that 61% of end users surveyed expect to increase robotics investment over the next 12 months. For food and beverage operators already evaluating foodservice automation and robotics across their back-of-house and production operations, the CP110L's ceiling-height and footprint specs make it a credible option where conventional high-mast palletizers simply cannot fit. Kawasaki will exhibit at Booth N-5933.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
