Electricity and Control November 2020

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

The new normal: automation in food manufacturing Looking beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, food and beverage manufacturers can use automation to boost their competitiveness and productivity. Johannesburg-based Omron Industrial Automation suggests that manufacturers focus their resources on four market-driven perspectives: workforce, product quality, flexibility and sustainability.

T he coronavirus pandemic has presented immense challenges to companies of all sizes across all in- dustries. It is reported that food and beverage (F&B) companies, like many others, are facing significantly re- duced consumption and disrupted supply chains. How can manufacturers adapt their business strategies and production processes, factories and machinery to the new circumstances – with regard to health and safety pro- tocols relating to the pandemic and for the longer term? The current crisis offers companies a chance to rethink outdat- ed procedures and to use automation to boost productivity, efficiency and product quality. F&B companies looking to prepare for the future should assess the opportunities and possibilities that innovative robotics, sensor technology and holistic approaches to automation offer. In this context four key market-driven factors may be considered: work- force, product and packaging quality, production flexibility and sustainability. Automation may incorporate robotics and artificial intelli- gence, but overall, a well thought out structure

as social distancing and tighter safety regulations that companies need to adhere to. Automation can help in overcoming this challenge while also improving security and efficiency in the longer term.” For example, a cobot or mobile robot solution can relieve employees from challenging and repetitive tasks so they can focus on more value-added and fulfilling roles. Daniela Moles, communications expert at Omron Solution Partner LCS Group, says, “In one project in the textiles sector we implemented a fully automatic system to handle heavy rolls of fabric that weigh up to 30 kilograms. This was previously done by people. Automating this exhausting task meant the company could support its employees and boost efficiency and productivity.” The value of automation is in the mix of people plus ma- chines, robots and artificial intelligence. Collaboration is key. While robots show their advantages when it comes to speed and accuracy, people can take care of business-critical is- sues, customer communication and daily individual tasks. “Regarding the critical aspect of return on investment, companies should increasingly focus on releasing human labour to do value-added tasks. This is important for pro- ducers going forward. Collaborative and mobile robots working alongside people as colleagues can assist in lifting or transporting goods or materials and in fulfilling tasks em- ployees cannot do because of distancing or safety rules,” says Brooks. Product quality and traceability Product and production quality and traceability are further aspects that are increasingly important for manufacturers and customers. Barcode quality is one example of identity tagging that is a key element in many applications. Regulations from international organisations such ISO or GS1 are widely adopted, and there may be further project- specific requirements driven by suppliers and customers. This leads to the need for reliable systems and tools that ensure bar codes are correct and readable. Solutions can be adapted so they can also check pack design aspects and packaging integrity and completeness. Alberto Giordani, Product and Project Manager at Omron Solution Partner Alfacod, highlights that innovative solutions

of fixed, collaborative and mobile robot- ics, monitoring and control technology, sensors and vision technology tailored to the respective production require- ments is needed. The various stake- holders and market drivers should be considered as a whole and in- tegrated into the future production strategy. Collaboration 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 present, there are millions of people employed in

Automation may incorporate robotics and artificial intelligence, but a well thought out approach should be tailored to production requirements.

these sectors. This number has an enormous impact on producers in terms of costs and, primarily, in terms of the health and safety of human resources. The pandemic has led to developments such

4 Electricity + Control NOVEMBER 2020