Automation to the fore solutions in challenging times?

to the fore

Presented with an increasing number of predictable and unpredictable, but combining, set of challenges, the food processing and manufacturing sector should now be embracing automation all the more, argue the sector’s innovators.

Bob Grote

AUTOMATED SOLUTIONS

At the close of 2021, and in looking ahead to 2022, CEO of food slicing and assembly equipment company, Grote Company - Bob Grote - identified supply chain struggles, inflation, labour shortages and associated production issues, automation and shifts in consumer behaviour as being the five main forces now at play, and which need keeping an eye on.

“As manufacturers struggle to find labour, automation is coming to the forefront as a solution to help address this challenge,” says Bob Grote.

“The lack of available labour is going to push automation as a solution. Processors need to follow the dollar, and if automation can enable more output, it should be a priority.

“Of course, there’s been talk of more automation for years – Europe is ahead of the U.S. here – but the perfect storm formed by the labour shortage, inflation and supply chain issues is bringing this to the top of the list for many in the food processing industry.

“Investing in food contact robotics has come of age. While the market recognised the opportunity years ago, the food processing industry wasn’t ready. The past 18 months helped prepare more processors for this change. Now that they can’t find the people to stock their line, automation can be one solution to help. As a result, processors may find the need to buy automation solutions sooner than they’d planned.

“Processors are among the last in the food industry to embrace automation. On both ends, the technology has been adopted. Farmers, for example, have been using it for years. The use of automation satellites enables them to farm 50 times the acreage with fewer labourers. Of course, on the other end, delivery services are leveraging it as much as possible. It’s in the middle – the processors – who have yet to adopt these solutions. My prediction is we’ll see that change.

“Keep in mind, automation doesn’t result in layoffs, as it won’t be replacing anyone. It will simply be there to help fill in the gaps where human labour isn’t available. Using robotics can also mean more sanitary conditions.

“Then there are the jobs people don’t want to do. For example, standing on a sandwich manufacturing line means working in a cold, damp environment. Demand isn’t going away, but workers aren’t as keen to sign up for these jobs any longer. Automation can be the answer. There’s no risk of Covid, and none of the other issues processors face with a human workforce.”

MINIMISING SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION

In minimising supply chain disruption, Domino Printing Sciences – a developer and manufacturer of coding, marking, and printing technologies - feel that automation can help manage worker shortages and variation in demand.

“The Covid 19 pandemic has been hugely disruptive to global business operations over the last 18 months. The lockdowns of 2020 forced many organisations to abandon traditional processes and embrace new technologies in order to remain operational. Fast forward to today and labour shortages, rising transport costs, and ongoing travel restrictions have caused serious disruptions to global supply chains,” says Andy Barrett of Domino Printing Sciences.

“The good news for manufacturers, is that many of the same technologies which lent a hand during the early stages of Covid 19 can also help to mitigate the risk of supply chain disruption. In addition, these technologies are now more costeffective and accessible than ever before allowing more industries to unlock greater operational efficiency, embrace fluctuations in production demand, and mitigate supply chain risks.”

DISRUPTED SUPPLY CHAINS AND DEMAND

Today’s news headlines are dominated by supply chain disruption. There are widespread worker shortages across the supply chain in everything from agricultural roles to production environments, and transport and logistics.

“Worker shortages are in part due to continued self-isolation and sickness, as well as reduced capability to travel across borders leading to demand for local worker reskilling,” explains Andy Barrett.

“In addition, many industries have experienced higher staff turnover rates over the last 18 months, as the disruption caused by the pandemic has

Andy Barrett

The Grote Robotic Sandwich Assembly Line Increases Output and Accuracy

Grote’s robotic solutions for the sandwich industry increase production and improve accuracy by automating high-volume, low-value tasks. The company is bringing the technology to North America this spring after successfully deploying it in the U.K.

The application involves a lidding solution. The technology uses a robot to place a piece of bread (the “lid“) onto the filled sandwich. It can also “flip“ the lid if it contains wet ingredients and turn the sandwich ready for cutting. This technology does the work of two line workers, who can be redeployed to focus on other tasks.

The machine’s hygienic design was developed for high-care food environments. The solution integrates and interfaces with existing equipment and comes in a standalone version or a version designed to affix to Grote’s sandwich cutter line.

Solutions accommodate square sandwiches, subs or wraps. Designed to flexibly handle a variety of actions and sandwich assembly applications, formats and SKUs, the technology can automate: • Alignment • De-lidding and lidding • Pick and place in packaging (skilleting) • Stacking

Each robot performs up to 60 actions per minute. Both single and twin-lane solutions are available.

The robotic solutions feature 3D vision systems which allow them to view the entire form and shape of targets to improve accuracy. A single HMI touch screen controls the entire system. All components are food grade with sanitary design and rated for quick and thorough washdowns.

The end of arm tooling (EOAT), also known as end effectors, can be custom configured for each application to ensure accurate and consistent performance. In addition, end effectors can be easily removed for sanitation and changed out to accommodate multiple sandwich formats and SKUs.

With 50 years of experience in the food production industry, Grote partners with proven industrial robot manufacturers to integrate hygienic, high-performing four and six-axis robots into its high-care lines.

By incorporating robotic solutions into production lines, food production companies can: • Increase food safety: Robotic solutions eliminate touchpoints. The more the food is handled, the higher the risk of food safety issues. • Improve plant safety: Employing technology allows machine operators to maintain more distance on the production floor. This became a more significant issue with the pandemic, as having too many workers in close proximity could lead to unsafe conditions. In addition, custom-configured end effectors are easy to remove and wash down. • Improve quality and yield: Robotic solutions perform with high accuracy and consistency, making them ideal for high-volume, repetitive tasks. • Redistribute labor for maximum value: With robotic solutions that save on handling sandwiches before and after the cutting, labor can be redeployed. By doing the work of several operators per shift, the technology allows workers to focus on higher-value tasks. • Increase hygiene: All components are designed to the same hygienic standards as food processing equipment, making them well-suited for quick and thorough washdowns.

led to workers rethinking career choices – leaving gaps in employment, as well as knowledge and experience.

“Prior to the pandemic, US statistics revealed that 38% of manufacturers had trouble fi nding candidates with the right skills; a number that today sits at 54%, according to the Workforce Institute at UKG. In addition, global labour productivity growth is at a 20-year low of less than -2% – negative growth for the fi rst time since the global recession of 2008.

“We also are facing a global shortage of shipping containers, infl ated shipping and energy costs, and signifi cant fl uctuations in demand across industries – all of which combine to drive demand for local products and increase pressure on local supply chains.”

In March last year, for example, during the height of the pandemic, King Arthur – American’s oldest fl our company – sold approximately 6.1 million bags of all-purpose fl our – a 268% increase from the previous year, the company report. Fast forward to today, and while fl our demand seems to have stabilised, supply and demand variabilities are causing issues in many other sectors.

In the UK, high demand for carbon dioxide is putting pressure on food and beverage supply lines, there is ongoing disruption in industrial sectors with extruded plastic goods facing delays, and shortages of aggregates, cement, and plaster. Equally, on a global level, there is increased demand for microchips (for automotive, home appliances, consoles, and mobile phones), furniture, and high-end luxury goods.

In many industries, fl uctuations in demand, including seasonal demand (for example, toy production in the ramp up to Christmas, and ice cream production for summer months), have traditionally been addressed using short-term, largely unskilled workers to dynamically increase and decrease production. But today, these workers are not necessarily available. So, what is the solution?

EMBRACING AUTOMATION

“The last 18 months have demonstrated the real value of Industry 4.0 with businesses embracing automation to help mitigate disruption caused by Covid 19, and other unprecedented challenges including the blockage in the Suez Canal, and an ever-shifting geo-political climate. Indeed, governments around the world are increasingly recognising that investment in manufacturing infrastructure, including smart systems and automation, is imperative in order to drive innovation, promote growth, improve GDP, and to navigate the many and varied disruptions to supply chains,” Andy Barrett continues.

“When it comes to managing the most recent supply chain disruptions, these same solutions can also lend a hand in helping manufacturers fl ex production up and down, while reducing the reliance on short-term labour. By utilising Industry 4.0 processes, and automating systems to work with limited operator intervention, manufacturers can take care of routine, manual tasks and reduce the number of workers needed on the plant fl oor.

“Printers, for instance, can be networked together to streamline product changeovers and allow for more production runs in a single shift, increasing productivity and allowing for greater adaptability to varying demand, while new vision inspection systems can ensure all product codes are correct, without relying on manual – and error-prone checks. Integrating plant machinery and utilising the cloud can also provide options for remote visibility and operation allowing managers to work away from the line and yet stay on top of all production activity.

“Finally, social distancing’s continued impact on the ability for workers to interact on the production fl oor means that connectivity can be a powerful tool for manufacturers to keep production moving, ensure the continued safety of their staff , and minimise the amount of time existing staff need to spend training temporary workers.”

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Talk of automated solutions, and Industry 4.0 inevitably brings about questions of worker replacement, Domino Printing Sciences acknowledge, but if we look beyond the current crisis, they argue, these systems have a very real role to play in the day to day running of factories, alongside production staff .

“In the current climate, automated systems will help manufacturers cope with volatile demand and worker shortages. At times when demand is ‘normal’, factory workers will have more time to invest in adding value in other areas of the business. This could be in looking for systems and processes which can be improved or upskilling in certain areas of work,” adds Andy Barrett.

“In this way, embracing automation can allow companies to embrace a culture of continuous improvement – the Kaizen philosophy.

“Using the data now available through connected, cloud-based systems also allows for the easy identifi cation of areas where bottlenecks arise. Introducing automated solutions to identify these issues can help to streamline processes, very quickly unlocking additional benefi ts from automation. The key is to start small – implement these processes on a microlevel and the improvements will help to justify introducing additional automation farther down the line.

“In conclusion, in the run-up to the Covid 19 pandemic, the idea of Industry 4.0 was gaining traction as a system of ideas and processes which manufacturers could utilise to remain competitive and make the most out of their manufacturing operations. With coding automation, automated code inspection and better visibility of data, manufacturers can overcome issues of worker shortage and volatile demand associated with the pandemic, and can also place themselves in good stead to handle current and future supply chain disruptions.”

Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0, which refers to the fourth industrial revolution, is the cyber-physical transformation of manufacturing. The name is inspired by Germany’s Industrie 4.0, a government initiative to promote connected manufacturing and a digital convergence between industry, businesses and other processes (source: www.techtarget.com).