I N D U S T RY TA L K
Addressing the new normal of factory automation Food and beverage companies can now set the course for the time after the COVID-19 pandemic using automation to boost competitiveness and productivity. Manufacturers should focus their resources on four market-driven perspectives: workforce, product quality, flexibility and sustainability.
T
he pandemic posed immense challenges to companies of all sizes across all industries. According to
Deloitte Global, food and beverage (F&B) companies are facing significantly reduced consumption and disrupted supply chains. How can manufacturers adapt their business strategies and production processes, factories and machinery to
“F&B companies that want to prepare for the future should be appraising the opportunities and possibilities that innovative robotics, sensor technology and holistic automation approaches provide”
the new circumstances – both in terms of
outdated procedures and to use automation with the aim to boost productivity, efficiency and quality. F&B companies that want to prepare for the future should be appraising the opportunities and possibilities that innovative robotics, sensor technology and holistic automation approaches provide. This project should consider four key market drivers and perspectives: workforce, product and packaging quality, production flexibility and sustainability. Automation in this context does not only mean robotics or artificial intelligence, but a well-thought-out overall structure of fixed, collaborative and mobile robotics; monitoring and control technology, sensors and vision technology tailored to the respective production requirements. The various stakeholders and market drivers should not be considered in isolation, but as a whole and integrated into the future production strategy. 1. Collaboration and factory harmony are key The first aspect to be considered in this respect are the employees; the workforce perspective of factory automation. Robert Brooks, Omron Europe’s industry manager for Food and Beverage, comments, “At the moment, there are millions of people employed in these sectors. This number has an enormous impact on producers in terms of costs, but also primarily in terms of the health and safety of human resources. The pandemic has led to developments such as social distancing and tighter safety
14
Food Review | October 2020
manufacturers and customers alike. Barcode quality is one example that is a key element in many applications. Regulations from international organisations like ISO or GS1 are widely adopted, but in addition there may be further project-specific specifications driven by suppliers and customers. This leads to a need for reliable systems and tools that ensure a barcode is correct and
the pandemic and in the longer term? The current crisis offers a chance to rethink
are increasingly important for both
readable. Solutions can be adapted so they regulations that companies need to adhere to. Automation can help in overcoming this challenge while also improving security and efficiency in the longer term. An example is a cobot or mobile robot solution that can relieve employees from challenging and repetitive tasks so they can focus on more value-added and fulfilling roles.” Daniela Moles, communication expert at Omron Solution Partner LCS Group, explains it as follows: “We carried out a project where we implemented a fully-automatic system for the handling of heavy rolls of fabric that weigh up to 30kg. These rolls were previously handled by humans. Automating this exhausting task meant that the company could support its employees while also boosting efficiency and productivity. The value of automation is in the mix of humans plus machines, robots and artificial intelligence. Collaboration is key.” While robots show their advantages when it comes to speed and accuracy, human colleagues can take care of business-critical issues, customer communication and daily individual tasks. Regarding the important aspect of return on investment, companies should increasingly focus on releasing the human labour to do value-added tasks, which is absolutely crucial for producers going forward. Collaborative and mobile robots work alongside their human colleagues, assisting in lifting or transporting goods, material and also fulfilling tasks employees
can also check pack design aspects and package integrity and completeness. Alberto Giordani, product and project manager at Omron Solution Partner Alfacod, explains, “Innovative solutions can understand the quality grade and if it’s decreasing before it’s too late. They can therefore plan preventive maintenance actions to avoid potentially costly errors. In the food industry, it is useful to check labels while they are printed by a thermal transfer machine with an integrated barcode verifier on the printer. Customers, especially large distribution companies, want to receive only products with the correct information, labelling and barcodes. If this information is wrong or incomplete, they might return the goods or levy a fine on the supplier.” Information taken from the packaging in the form of codes is also becoming increasingly useful for consumers at the point of purchase. When reading the code at a selfscanning system or the retailer, as seen at larger retail stores, they can get information about allergens or other specific ingredients such as gluten. Consumers are, to ever greater extent, taking an interest in information such as country of origin. Manufacturers want to engage with consumers via information provided on the item. There is a close link between automation and traceability, ultimately protecting the brand reputation of the producer and
can’t do because of distance or safety rules.
reducing costs. Omron’s Brooks adds,
2. Product quality and traceability play an
solution using vision systems or RFID, linked
increasingly important role Product and production quality as well as traceability are further aspects that
“Another simple example is a verification into the production management software, can help to reduce issues connected with false codes or labels.”
