Case study
CeMAT Melbourne 2026 Wrap-Up: What ANZ Manufacturers Are Prioritising
Jul
The doors have closed on CeMAT Melbourne 2026, the Asia-Pacific region’s premier exhibition for intralogistics, robotics, and supply chain technology. For the teams at Novotek and our long-term automation partner Elite Robot, the event was an outstanding success and a valuable opportunity to connect face-to-face with manufacturers and logistics leaders from across Australia and New Zealand.
Across the three-day event, one message from attendees came through clearly: businesses are searching for immediate, cost-effective ways to combat rising operational costs and ongoing labour shortages. Our stand showcased the Elite Robots CPL-07 and CS620 cobot platforms in action, alongside live demonstrations of end-of-line handling, packing, and palletising in a working booth environment.
If you missed us at the show, here’s a recap of the core end-of-line automation solutions we highlighted to help ANZ businesses build more resilient, future-ready supply chains.
The Three Pillars of End-of-Line Efficiency
Our booth conversations centred on eliminating the costly bottlenecks that occur at the final stages of the production line. By combining Novotek’s systems integration expertise with Elite Robot’s collaborative robot (cobot) technology, we demonstrated how businesses can automate three critical areas of their operation.
1. Palletising with Precision
Manual palletising is slow, physically demanding, and an ongoing safety risk for warehouse staff. We showcased how automated collaborative palletising systems handle repetitive heavy lifting with consistent precision. These systems optimise floor footprint, maintain steady line speeds, and protect human workers from strain-related injuries — a growing concern for ANZ operations managers as workforce availability tightens.
2. High-Speed Packing
Bottlenecks frequently appear just before product reaches the pallet. Our high-speed packing and case packing automation solutions integrate smoothly into existing conveyor lines. They reduce packaging waste, improve pick accuracy, and ensure products are boxed efficiently and ready for dispatch without disrupting upstream production.
3. Comprehensive End-of-Line Automation
True warehouse efficiency requires an interconnected workflow, not isolated machines. Novotek specialises in turn-key systems that manage everything from the moment a product is finished to when it is wrapped, stacked, and ready for transit. Automating these final steps — a core focus of our warehouse and logistics automation work — allows facilities to unlock continuous, near 24/7 throughput.
Why the ANZ Market Is Turning to Cobots
During our discussions with prospective customers at CeMAT, three operational advantages consistently made our joint Novotek and Elite Robot solutions stand out.
Financial viability: Elite Robot’s cobots offer a low total cost of ownership and rapid ROI, making the transition to automation accessible for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), not just large-scale manufacturers.
Space-saving safety: traditional industrial robots require bulky, expensive safety fencing. Elite Robot cobots use advanced force-sensing safety protocols, allowing them to work safely alongside human operators while saving valuable factory floor space.
Localised engineering support: transitioning to automation requires a dependable partner. Together, Novotek and Elite Robot provide dedicated local technical support, engineering insight, and accessible spare parts across Australia and New Zealand to minimise downtime.
Industries That Stood to Gain the Most
Several FMCG, food and beverage, and cosmetic manufacturing businesses visited the booth specifically to discuss high-speed pick-and-place and low-cost packaging automation lease options, reflecting a broader shift toward flexible, scalable automation investment across these sectors in 2026.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
CeMAT Melbourne may be over, but the future of your facility is just getting started. If you visited our booth to discuss your specific workflow challenges, or were unable to attend but are ready to optimise your factory floor, we’re here to help.
Contact Novotek today to schedule a tailored automation consultation for your business.
Internal Linking Map Used in This Post
Homepage / Industrial Automation Solutions
Palletising Robotics Automation NZ
Packaging Robotics Automation NZ
Warehousing & Logistics Automation
Food & Beverage Packaging Automation
Frequently Asked Questions
End-of-line automation refers to robotic systems that handle the final stages of production — packing, palletising, wrapping, and staging product for dispatch. It typically uses cobots or conveyors to replace manual handling at the point where products leave the production line and enter the warehouse or logistics chain.
Cobot-based automation is generally far more affordable than traditional fixed robotics, with lower upfront costs and faster ROI. Novotek and Elite Robot offer lease and finance options specifically designed to make automation accessible to small-to-medium manufacturers without large capital outlay.
A cobot (collaborative robot) is designed to work safely alongside human operators without fixed safety fencing, using force-sensing technology to detect contact and stop automatically. Traditional industrial robots typically require caged enclosures and are built for high-speed tasks where humans stay outside the work envelope.
In most applications, no. Elite Robot cobots use advanced force-sensing safety protocols that allow them to operate near human workers without bulky physical barriers, which also saves valuable floor space. A site-specific risk assessment still determines the exact safety configuration required.
FMCG, food and beverage, cosmetics, and general warehousing and logistics businesses see the fastest returns from end-of-line automation, particularly where high product volumes and repetitive packing or palletising tasks create labour bottlenecks and injury risk.
Timelines vary by complexity, but a standard cobot palletising cell can typically be specified, built, and commissioned within a few months of project sign-off. Integration with existing conveyors or warehouse management systems can extend this depending on site readiness.
Novotek and Elite Robot provide dedicated local technical support, engineering consultation, and accessible spare parts coverage across both Australia and New Zealand, helping minimise downtime compared with relying on overseas-only suppliers.
Yes. Novotek’s systems are engineered as turn-key integrations that connect with existing conveyors, packaging lines, and warehouse management software, rather than requiring a full line replacement, which keeps implementation cost and disruption lower.