Maison de champagne Gosset, established in 1584, has automated its end-of-line palletization process at its production site in Épernay, France, replacing manual operations with the PE20 system from Canadian robotics firm Robotiq to alleviate physical strain on workers.
The Bottom Line
- The Automation Shift: Champagne Gosset adopted the Robotiq PE20 system, built on an Universal Robots cobot, to handle end-of-line palletization.
- Reducing Ergonomic Strain: The change targets cumulative trauma disorders and heavy physical labor for operators handling cartons weighing up to 11.5 kg.
- Spatial Constraints: The installation operates within a low-ceiling, compact workshop while building palettes up to 1.85 meters tall.
Automating Palletization at Maison de champagne Gosset
The historic champagne house, operating out of Épernay in the Marne region, turned to industrial automation to manage end-of-line pallet tasks previously performed entirely by hand. To execute the transition, the company integrated the PE20 solution designed by Robotiq, a Quebec-based robotics manufacturer. The deployment was managed with assistance from Sysaxes, the official French distributor for Universal Robots, the Danish manufacturer of collaborative robots utilized for industrial and logistics applications.
Before the automated upgrade, production line operators manually handled cardboard boxes weighing up to 11.5 kilograms. This daily routine required workers to lift several tons over the course of a shift, creating a physically demanding work environment.
Addressing Ergonomic Strain in Épernay
“We sought to limit musculoskeletal disorders and ease the physical burden of this workstation, which was a source of hardship for the employees involved,” explained Yvain Leblond, production manager at Champagne Gosset, as reported by Voxlog. “It was essential to automate this operation so operators could focus on tasks with higher added value.”
The operational workspace presented clear physical hurdles. Located inside a workshop featuring a low ceiling and restricted floor space, the automation project required the machinery to build stable palettes reaching heights of up to 1.85 meters without encroaching on adjacent production zones. Furthermore, the robotic setup needed flexibility to handle diverse packaging formats, ranging from standard bottle cartons to larger magnum boxes.
Deployment of the Robotiq PE20 System
The newly installed setup features a collaborative robot equipped with a 3 kg Robotiq vacuum gripper capable of managing heavy cartons. Today, the cobot processes several hundred cartons on a daily basis. The technology builds on the collaborative robot foundation developed by Universal Robots, pairing the hardware with Robotiq’s specialized gripping technology to streamline packaging lines in tight spaces.
| Operational Parameter | Metric / Detail |
|---|---|
| Company Location | Épernay, Marne, France |
| Founding Year | 1584 |
| Technology Deployed | Robotiq PE20 (Universal Robots cobot base) |
| Integration Partner | Sysaxes |
| Maximum Carton Weight | 11.5 kg |
| Maximum Palette Height | 1.85 m |
Next Steps in Production Integration
With the robotic palletization cell fully operational, Champagne Gosset’s production team has shifted focus toward optimizing human oversight. Operators freed from repetitive lifting tasks are reassigned to higher-value responsibilities across the facility, fulfilling the production management’s goal of modernizing the historic site’s internal workflow while maintaining the handling capacity required for standard and magnum champagne formats.
