By Rustem Karimov, ixs-pal®.
This year at FachPack 2025, our long-term machinery partner demonstrated how automation and corrugated innovation can reinforce one another in a real production environment.
For three days, their system continuously formed consolidated (mixed-size) transport packages, optimized pallet loading, and then performed the reverse depalletizing cycle. Throughout all these operations, the pallet used in the demonstration was our corrugated pallet — and it completed every cycle without deformation or failure.
For us, this was more than just a successful test.
It became another powerful confirmation of our mission: industrial pallets worldwide must transition to corrugated board.
Integrated Pallet System ixs-pal®: Karimov GmbH, in collaboration with leading European partners, provides an innovative pallet former – the ixs-pal® Pallegator for compact automatic production of ixs-pal® pallets from corrugated board.
A Growing Trend: Equipment Installed Directly at the Customer’s Site
Across the corrugated industry, producers are expanding their business models by placing auxiliary equipment directly at their clients’ facilities.
A classic example is the Box on Demand concept, where the machine remains the property of the corrugated producer while the customer pays only for the material they use.
The same logic works with tray formers installed at agricultural or food-processing sites: the machine stays on location; the client pays for the trays.
Now this model is entering a much larger and strategically important field — industrial pallets.
The Pallegator Model: Corrugated Pallets Produced On-Site
ixs-pal’s Pallegator applies the same franchise-style logic to pallet manufacturing.
You install the machine directly at your customer’s facility:
• logistics hubs,
• postal and parcel distribution centers,
• e-commerce fulfilment operations,
• manufacturing plants — anywhere pallets move every hour.
The customer does not purchase pallets. They simply purchase corrugated material. Pallegator converts that material into ready-to-use pallets directly on their production floor.
This model brings clear benefits:
✔ reduced dependence on wooden and plastic pallets,
✔ predictable and stable material consumption for the corrugator,
✔ no need to store or transport pallets,
✔ full recyclability and improved sustainability performance.
Why Leasing Matters: Pallegator Creates a Permanent Corrugated Consumer
Here is the strategic insight most manufacturers overlook:
Pallegator can be financed through leasing — even with standard payback periods — but the real value is not the machine itself.
The real value is the customer’s continuous, long-term material consumption.
When Pallegator is installed on-site:
• your client becomes a permanent consumer of corrugated board,
• their pallet demand becomes stable and predictable,
• and your revenue shifts from transactional to recurring.
In other words, leasing is simply a financial bridge. The true profit lies in the fact that every pallet produced equals guaranteed board consumption for years ahead.
This is exactly why the pallet segment has enormous growth potential. It is not just a new product — it is an entirely new business model.
Proven in Real Conditions
The corrugated pallet used at FachPack endured three days of non-stop operation: loading, movements, depalletizing, and continuous stress cycles.
Its structure remained stable, and it worked seamlessly with automated systems — exactly what large logistics operators need.
This demonstration confirmed to many visitors what our team already knows: corrugated pallets are ready for full-scale industrial use, including automation.
A New Revenue Channel for Corrugated Plants
With Pallegator, corrugated manufacturers can:
• unlock an entirely new revenue stream,
• strengthen long-term partnerships with major industrial customers,
• replace wooden pallets with a sustainable, recyclable alternative,
• and secure stable board consumption month after month.
For customers, the model is simple: they pay only for material; the Pallegator does the rest.
A practical, profitable, and environmentally responsible path forward — and one of the strongest opportunities for growth in the corrugated industry today.
corruga.expert
