IN Brief:
- Tekpak will run a live TD3/R pick-and-place cell demonstration at interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf.
- The system targets trays, cases, cartons, thermoformers, and flow-wrapper infeeds with controlled or vision-based random picking.
- The focus is compact, modular robotics that can be added to existing packaging lines to improve flexibility and handling precision.
Tekpak Automation will use interpack 2026 to put a live robotic cell in front of food and packaging buyers rather than rely on static specification sheets. On stand A15 in Hall 16, the company plans to run its TD3/R Series three-axis pick-and-place system, aimed at loading or stacking products into trays, cases, cartons, thermoformers, and flow-wrapper infeeds.
For food packaging applications, the appeal lies in flexibility as much as raw speed. Tekpak’s food configuration is designed for controlled picking or vision-based random picking with minimal product preparation, which suits lines handling mixed presentation, variable spacing, or format changes that are awkward to automate with conventional transfer equipment. The company says the cell is built for compact footprints, rapid size changes, and quick-change grippers, allowing one platform to move between pack formats with less mechanical disruption.
That compactness is likely to be central to the conversation in Düsseldorf. Many packaging automation projects now start with a single constrained zone, such as a cartoner infeed, tray loader, or case-packing handoff, rather than a complete line rebuild. A three-axis cell that can pick from either controlled or random presentation gives processors a route to automate those bottlenecks without redesigning the whole area around them.
Precision is another part of the pitch. Tekpak says the robot delivers positional accuracy of plus or minus 0.1 mm, with vision control used for tracking and product location, which supports gentler handling where packs or primary products are easily marked, broken, or misaligned. That pushes the system into the same discussion as labour substitution, but also into the less visible issue of reducing handling variability at secondary packaging stages where small placement errors can cascade into stoppages further down the line.
The broader message at interpack is modular line building. Tekpak’s portfolio extends beyond pick-and-place to cartoning, case packing, and full packaging lines, with OEM integration where required. That reflects a market in which processors remain selective on capital spending, but are still prepared to invest where a compact automation module can lift OEE, stabilise changeovers, or remove persistent manual bottlenecks.
interpack runs in Düsseldorf from 7 to 13 May, and Tekpak’s live cell demonstration gives the company a direct way to show how robotics can be deployed in food packaging without the footprint or complexity associated with larger multi-robot systems. More information is available via Tekpak’s TD3/R food system page.
