Boix jumps into end-of-line at FoodTech with a machine that assembles six cardboard pallets per minute

The corrugated packaging sector has spent years trying to conquer the final link in the logistics chain. Today, October 27, 2026, the opening of the FoodTech trade fair in Herning, Denmark, serves as the stage for a technical move that materializes this ambition. Boix Maquinaria, traditionally known for its box and tray formers, has arrived at the event with a solution that extends the use of cardboard from primary and secondary packaging to the very base of the load: the pallet.

The Spanish company is showcasing the Green OX Pallet Machine (GPM), an automated platform developed after two years of joint work with Green OX Technology. The equipment is designed to automatically assemble and form cardboard pallets, reaching an operational cadence of up to six units per minute.

The strategic leap into the end-of-line

The significance of this presentation is not the mere existence of a cardboard pallet—a concept the industry has explored with mixed results—but the industrialization of its assembly. Historically, the adoption of cellulose-based pallets has been hindered by assembly bottlenecks or a lack of structural strength. By integrating an automatic forming machine directly into the end-of-line, Boix connects three layers that usually operate in silos: corrugated converting, food packaging, and secondary logistics.

For the food industry, gathering today in Denmark among 286 exhibitors, the technical argument focuses on hygiene and traceability. Unlike wood, single-use or controlled-cycle corrugated cardboard eliminates the risks of cross-contamination, pests, or splinters, which are critical factors in highly demanding sanitary environments such as agriculture and food processing.

Automation and operational viability

The GPM allows food manufacturers and logistics operators to produce their own pallets on-site, adapting formats to load requirements. This self-supply capability drastically reduces the storage space required for empty pallets and minimizes empty transport costs.

Operational advantages of the GPM system:

• Industrial cadence: A sustained capacity of up to six pallets per minute, aligning with standard palletizing speeds in food production lines.
• Tare reduction: The lower weight of cardboard compared to wood or injected plastic translates into direct savings in freight costs and a lower carbon footprint in transport.
• Integrated circularity: Being made entirely of recyclable materials, the pallets enter the same recovery flow as the boxes and trays they carry, simplifying waste management at the destination.

With this move, Boix demonstrates that growth in the packaging machinery sector is not just about increasing the forming speed of a Bliss box or an agricultural tray, but about taking control of the entire unit load. The automation of the cardboard pallet is no longer a laboratory prototype; it has become a real logistical alternative, ready to be integrated into the most demanding production lines in Europe.