WAGO components help to streamline palletising at LG Motion
30 April 2025
Reliable automation needs reliable components – which is why LG Motion, when building its StackSmart automated palletiser, turned to WAGO.
WAGO worked in close partnership with its automation specialist distributor, BPX Slough, which provides logistical support for LG Motion.
The adaptable, quick and easy-to-install robot palletising solution is designed to help factories streamline operations and overcome the challenges of workforce shortages and low productivity.
Capable of payloads of up to 30kg and a stack height of up to 2150mm, StackSmart can easily handle the heavy lifting, repetitive tasks, and awkward postures that can lead to musculoskeletal injuries in manual palletising, said Ben Kiefer, automation supervisor at LG Motion.
“We want to show that high-quality automation doesn’t have to be expensive. The whole system is ‘plug and play’. It can either sit on a lifter or on a steel plinth, and it picks up boxes then puts them on the pallet in any configuration the end user wants,” he said, adding that the robot activates when optical sensors detect pallet-ready boxes on the conveyor.
“It’s a hard-working machine that enables factories to deploy staff to more value-added, more mentally stimulating tasks.”
Hard-working – inside and out
The StackSmart, which launched in January, is capable of palletising up to 10 boxes a minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “That means a lot a movement,” Kiefer explained. “We needed to incorporate components that could stand up the vibrations.”
To minimise the chances of failure and unplanned downtime, StackSmart uses WAGO TOPJOB S DIN rail mount terminal blocks, with the company’s renowned “push-in” technology. The spring pressure ensures a vibration-proof and maintenance-free connection, and prevents loosening during mechanical movement.
Kiefer said, “Everything from the human-machine Interface (HMI) is wired into these blocks, and then to either the cobot controller or software.
“The terminal blocks also provide the flexibility needed to support StackSmart’s customisable configurations and programmable options, allowing teams to fine-tune operations to meet their specific needs,” he went on.
Collaborative working
As well as the quality of the components, Kiefer has also been impressed with the quality of the relationship his company has built with WAGO.
“At first, we only ordered the terminal blocks, but now they have offered to supply the boxes with the terminal blocks already inside, and with the DIN-rails they sit on,” he said. “Being able to just bolt them in saves us two or three hours in build time.”
Such time savings are mission-critical for small companies that need to maximise productivity in order to grow.
“WAGO have understood our needs and have been very good to work with,” he concluded.
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