Teradyne’s Universal Robots division announced a new palletizing cell at CES 2026 that couples Robotiq’s PAL Ready cell with the UR20 collaborative robot arm and integrates Siemens’ Totally Integrated Automation hardware and the newly launched Digital Twin Composer software. The cell is designed to handle high‑volume palletizing of chips and beverage boxes, using real‑time digital‑twin analytics to adjust gripper force and suction points on the fly.
The “next‑generation” label reflects several technical advances. The UR20 arm now supports a 20‑kg payload and a 1.75‑meter reach, enabling it to pick and place items up to 1.5 meters apart. The PAL Ready cell incorporates a vision‑guided pick‑and‑place system that can switch between suction and mechanical grippers within 0.8 seconds, a 30 % improvement over the previous PAL Series. Siemens’ Digital Twin Composer creates a live, physics‑based simulation that mirrors the cell’s motion and sensor data, allowing operators to test new pallet layouts and fault scenarios without stopping production.
Market analysts estimate the high‑volume palletizing market to grow to $4.5 billion by 2028, driven by the expansion of data‑center and semiconductor manufacturing. Teradyne’s robotics segment, which generated $75 million in revenue in Q3 2025, has faced a restructuring that cut 150 jobs, but the new cell positions the company to capture a share of the AI‑driven automation wave. Management highlighted that the partnership with Siemens and Robotiq brings a plug‑and‑play solution that reduces installation time by 40 % and lowers total cost of ownership.
Competitive peers such as ABB, KUKA, and Fanuc offer palletizing cells, but Teradyne’s integration of a collaborative robot with a digital‑twin platform is unique in the market. The company’s CEO, Jean‑Pierre Hathout, emphasized that the launch “demonstrates how AI and digital twins can accelerate deployment and improve throughput in high‑volume environments.”
The announcement has been well received by industry observers. Analysts noted that the product’s ability to dynamically optimize gripper performance aligns with the broader shift toward AI‑enabled manufacturing, and the partnership with Siemens signals a strategic move to embed Teradyne’s robotics into a wider automation ecosystem. The launch is expected to strengthen the company’s position in the data‑center and semiconductor supply chains, where demand for rapid, flexible palletizing solutions is rising.
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