“Danger, danger, Will Robinson” was a phrase that the robot frequently uttered to the youngest member of the Robinson family during the mid-1960s TV show “Lost in Space,” about a family whose spaceship crash lands on an alien planet. Although the robots in today’s beverage plants do not display human emotions, robotic systems increasingly are being used in beverage operations to speed up bottling, packing and distribution efforts.

Experts note that the use of robotic palletizing, robotic layer forming and robotic layer handling continues to permeate the beverage industry, particularly as companies that have never used automation start to recognize the far-reaching benefits of robotics. These include greater speed and efficiency; cost effectiveness; increased volume with less downtime; the ability to handle different product types, case sizes and pallet patterns with little or no manual changeover; and an ability to function in myriad environments, including freezers.