For Packaging and Intralogistics, Festo Is Unifying Automation from Design Through Commissioning
April 21, 2026
At the recent MODEX Show 2026, Festo showcased a palletizer with its configurable multi-axis handling system that outperforms cobots on price.
OEMs and system integrators in the warehouse automation and intralogistics industries are under pressure to design, deploy and commission automation systems faster with less risk and cost.
At the recent MODEX Show 2026, Festo showcased its unique ecosystem that unifies automation systems from design to commissioning, shortening machine build time and reducing commissioning errors. (Festo Booth #B9127 at MODEX 2026, Atlanta, April 13–16.)
“What we are hearing from customers is a need for more integrated automation systems that reduce rework and integration errors,” said Brad Schulz, Manager for End-of-Line Packaging and Intralogistics, Festo. “Festo connects design, sizing, component selection, and commissioning into a unified workflow so OEMs and integrators can move from concept to a running system with less risk and more reliable startup.
Festo brings this work into a single design-to-commissioning environment, a seamless workflow.
OEM designers can configure multi-axis systems, access CAD models, and receive a quote along with a delivery window in minutes, not hours or days. All the components will be correctly sized for the application. No other automation supplier offers the same breadth of products, over 30,000, and software-tools based workflow.
Festo invited CODI Manufacturing, Littleton, Colorado, to feature its new palletizer at Festo’s Modex booth. This gantry-based palletizer outperforms cobots in capacity, cost, setup, operation, and ease of maintenance. Flex Stack Pro handles 44- to 110-lb. boxes at rates of 4-10 per minute without the weight and reach that constrains cobot palletizing cells. Flex Stack Pro’s compact footprint suits it for installation in existing operations where space is limited. Depending on local labor rates, Flex Stack Pro can show a one-year return on investment.
At the core of Flex Stack Pro is Festo’s FPaKit, a pre-engineered multi-axis handling system that reduces the time and risk of building a palletizing cell. OEMs and system integrators configure the complete system – axes, drives, cabling, and accessories – in minutes using Festo’s online tool Handling Guide Online, part of the Festo design to commissioning ecosystem. FPaKits are scalable from simple palletizing and depalletizing units to two-pallet cells, with slip sheets, vision, and Category 3 safety.
That same pressure to move from design to a working system carries into basic motion, where pneumatic cylinders have long been the default despite their energy use. Festo’s Simplified Motion Series replaces pneumatics with integrated electric actuators that combine motor and drive into a single unit.
These actuators are commissioned directly on the device without specialized software, allowing OEMs and integrators to deploy electric motion with minimal setup while maintaining flexibility through digital I/O and IO-Link control.
Secure gripping and vacuum generation are critical to handling boxes and other products reliably in warehouses and distribution centers. Festo addresses this need with a range of suction cups and next-generation vacuum technology, including vacuum generators designed to improve grip reliability while reducing air consumption. At Modex Festo’s gripper display features the HPSX universal adaptive gripper for food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications.
Even using the correct systems, system uptime can be less than optimal because companies do not have enough trained technicians to install, operate, and maintain automated systems. Festo Didactic addresses this challenge with mechatronics training that builds the foundational skills needed to support automated material-handling operations. Learning systems, such as the MecLab, which will be in the booth, provide hands-on experiential training for work on conveyors, sensors, pneumatics, and PLC-controlled automation.
More Information
For more information on Festo’s automation solutions and engineering tools, visit https://www.festo.com
About Festo
Festo, the world’s leading supplier of automation technology and technical education, is deploying its products and services to meet the challenges of digitalization and smart production. Founded in 1925, the family-owned company based in Esslingen, Germany, supports a wide range of needs for advanced solutions in factory and process automation. In Canada, Festo has been supporting Canadian industry for 50 years, continuously elevating the state of manufacturing in this country with innovative products, optimized motion control solutions and unrivalled support.
Globally, some 300,000 customers put their trust in the company’s pneumatic and electric drive products and technology. In addition, Festo Didactic provides state-of-the-art training equipment and educational programs for industrial companies and educational institutions – about 56,000 customers worldwide. The Festo Group registered sales of €3.45 billion in the 2024 financial year and is represented worldwide at 250 locations with over 20,600 employees. About 8.8% of its annual turnover is invested in research and development.
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Festo Didactic Brings Workforce Training Focus to the Recent MODEX Show 2026
As automation accelerates across intralogistics and warehouse operations, many companies face a growing challenge: deploying increasingly advanced systems without enough skilled technicians to install, operate, and maintain them. Festo Didactic addresses the workforce challenge the recent MODEX Show 2026 by featuring training solutions designed to build the automation skills needed to keep material-handling systems running. Experts at the booth has demonstrated training technologies and discuss workforce development strategies with attendees. Festo Booth # B9127 at MODEX 2026, Atlanta, April 13–16.
