Tools / Palletizing ROI Calculator
Robotic palletizer ROI calculator.
Estimate payback from your labor, shifts and investment before you talk with our Sales Engineer.
The palletizer ROI calculator from TRF Industrial Automation is a free tool that estimates the payback of a robotic palletizer from the labor of manual palletizing, your shift pattern and the investment you want to test.
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Payback calculator
Robot system value calculator
Discover the potential cost savings of robotic palletizing over a 20-year system life. Enter your line data to see the preview; your work email unlocks the full breakdown.
Results are estimates based on the data you enter and typical reference values. Actual payback depends on your application, configuration and project scope, confirmed by a TRF Sales Engineer.
20-year labor savings
Break-even point
Your hourly labor rate
Robot hourly "labor" rate
This is an initial planning estimate, not a quote and not a guarantee of savings.
It does not include financing, taxes, layout changes or the specific integration of your line. Your complete calculation, with every item for your plant, is done with a TRF Sales Engineer.
Connect With a Sales Engineer20-year cost comparison
- Manual labor breakdown
- Annual labor cost:
- x 20 years =
- Robot system breakdown
- System purchase:
- Maintenance (20 yr):
- Electricity (20 yr):
- Total:
- Your inputs
- Location:
- Hourly labor rate:
- People per shift:
- Hours per shift:
- Shifts per day:
- Days per week:
- Location data
- Average manufacturing wage:
- Fully loaded rate:
- Electric rate:
- System hours per year:
20-year projection
| Year | Manual labor | System purchase | Mainte- nance | Electri- city | Robot total cost | Net savings | Cumulative savings |
|---|
Where the numbers come from
- Manual labor
- System purchase
- Maintenance
- Electricity
- Total system cost
- Break-even
- Robotic system, 20 years
- 20-year labor savings
This calculator compares your current manual labor costs against the total cost of owning and operating a robotic system over its 20-year lifespan, considering the system purchase price, maintenance (5% of the system price per year) and electricity. The break-even point divides the first-year system cost (purchase, one year of maintenance and one year of electricity) by the annual manual labor cost. Labor data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; electric data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (2024 to 2025). Figures are undiscounted and exclude inflation, financing and taxes.
Palletizer ROI calculator key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it estimates | An initial payback estimate for a robotic palletizer |
| Labor reference | Reference production wages by state from public U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, base wage without payroll costs, editable |
| Method | Manual labor cost compared with the cost of owning and operating the robotic system over 20 years, in six steps below; electricity uses public U.S. Energy Information Administration state rates |
| System purchase | The TRF reference list price of the platform, pre-filled and editable, or your own quote |
| Not included | Financing, taxes, layout changes and the specific integration of your line |
| Access | Free; the preview is immediate and a work email shows the full breakdown |
What do you enter in the calculator?
Every input is visible and editable.
| Input | What it means | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | TRFCobot, TRFCompact or TRFSpeed, which pre-fills the system purchase, or Custom, where you enter your own system cost | Your shortlist, quote or budget |
| System purchase and power draw | The system price (pre-filled with the TRF reference list price) and the power draw in kW (reference 20 kW), both editable | Your quote or the platform data sheet |
| Location | The state where the plant operates; fills the electricity rate and a reference hourly labor rate | Plant address |
| Hourly labor rate per person | The average production wage for your location; override it with your actual rate | Payroll |
| People per shift | People currently performing this work on each shift | Shift staffing |
| Hours, shifts and days | Hours per shift, number of shifts and days per week the palletizing area runs | Production schedule |
| Work email | Needed for the full breakdown and to let TRF follow up on your project | Your company email |
TRF reference list prices are EX Works Lenexa, Kansas, with installation not included:
| Platform | Reference list price |
|---|---|
| TRFCobot | US$ 120,000 |
| TRFCompact Dual | US$ 180,000 |
| TRFSpeed 100 | US$ 350,000 |
TRFSubzero and a custom palletizer are quoted per application, so choose Custom and enter your quote or budget.
How does the calculator estimate payback?
The calculator compares the labor cost of manual palletizing with the cost of owning and operating a robotic system over a 20-year period:
- Manual labor per year = people per shift × hours per shift × number of shifts × days per week × 52 weeks × hourly labor rate.
- System purchase = the TRF reference list price of the platform, or the value you enter.
- Maintenance = 5% of the system purchase per year.
- Electricity per year = annual operating hours × your location's electricity rate × the power draw in kW (reference 20 kW).
- Total system cost = system purchase + one year of maintenance + one year of electricity.
- Break-even, in years = total system cost ÷ manual labor per year.
- Robotic system over 20 years = system purchase + 20 years of electricity + 20 years of maintenance.
- 20-year labor savings = manual labor over 20 years minus the robotic system over 20 years.
The full result shows the 20-year cost comparison, the breakdown of each side, your inputs, the location data, the year-by-year projection with net and cumulative savings, and where every number comes from.
The method is simple and undiscounted, so anyone can rebuild it in a spreadsheet and carry the annual figures into a net present value model.
Which inputs move robotic palletizer payback the most?
Test these four inputs one at a time:
- Shifts. The investment is paid once while the labor savings repeat on every shift, so payback falls as shifts increase.
- People per shift. Count only the people who would leave the task. A realistic figure protects the credibility of your request.
- Labor rate. The location reference is an average production wage. Replace it with your actual rate when you know it.
- System cost. Use Custom to test the installed cost from your quote, including integration with your line.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What Is the Typical Payback Period for a Robotic Palletizer?
There is no single typical figure. Payback depends on the labor hours the palletizer replaces, shifts per day, local labor cost and the cost of the system you buy. The calculator applies the method on this page to your inputs, and a TRF Sales Engineer completes the estimate with the installed scope of your project.
Where Does the Reference Labor Rate Come From?
The reference hourly rate for each state is a production wage from public U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, a base wage without payroll costs. It fills in when you select your state, and you can edit it at any time. Use your own loaded rate, including benefits, when you present the estimate to finance.
Is the Calculator Result a Quote?
No. The result is an initial planning estimate built from your inputs and reference data. Your final price and payback come from a quote, which a TRF Sales Engineer prepares after validating the platform, tooling, pallet patterns, conveyors, installation and integration for your line.
Can I Use This Calculator for a Case Packer?
The calculator is built for palletizing, and its platform list covers TRFCobot, TRFCompact and TRFSpeed. The labor logic is similar for case packing: the manual labor removed, compared with the cost of the system. For TRFRapidpack, TRFOnepack or TRFDroppack, talk with a TRF Sales Engineer about your products and rates on the case packing page.
Why Does the Calculator Ask for a Work Email?
The preview appears as you type. The work email unlocks the full breakdown and lets TRF follow up with a Sales Engineer who starts from your numbers instead of a blank page. Personal email domains are not accepted. TRF uses your email and inputs to send the estimate and follow up about your project, as described in the Privacy Policy.
Calculate your payback, then talk to a Sales Engineer
Run the calculator with your own staffing, shifts and state, test two or three investment levels and keep the scenario your finance team would recognize as realistic. Keep the robotic palletizer cost guide open next to the result, and see the tools page for the data checklist.
Next step
Keep your production running.
Tell us about your products, rates and floor space. A TRF Sales Engineer answers with the platform, the layout and the next step for your line.