Manufacturing Global - January 2016

J a nu a r y 2 016

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Robots FOR ALL How manufacturers must respond to the Connected Era Servitisation of manufacturing SPECIAL REPORT

Seeds for the future

IN THIS ISSUE

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Time for change W E L C O M E T O T H E J A N U A R Y 2016 issue

of Manufacturing Global. This month, we’re taking a look at how robotics are changing, so they are no longer the preserve of large manufacturing organisations. Both robotics and increased automation should be seen as a tech enabler, not just as a nice-to-have tool, which could empower small manufacturers to do more with fewer resources, be more creative and flexible and operate more productively. We also have a feature on why manufacturers need to be designing and creating products for the connected generation, thinking about how they can benefit from the increased blurring between the physical and digital worlds. And servitisation is discussed in the magazine – looking at how manufacturers can integrate services with products and create bundles that are of greater value than products alone.

Our selection of interviews in this issue includes Halwani Brothers, a market-leading food manufacturer and distributor based in Saudi Arabia, looking forward to celebrating its 60th anniversary soon.

We do hope you enjoy the issue – send us your feedback @ManufacturingGL

Lucy Dixon Managing Editor EMEA lucy.dixon@wdmgroup.com 3

CONTENTS

Features

TECHNOLOGY - Era of connection PEOPLE SKILLS Package deals

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LEADERSHIP Robots for all

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January 2016

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Company Profiles MIDDLE EAST

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Halwani Brothers

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GEA Refrigeration

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LEADERSHIP

ROBOTS

Robotics are no longer the preserve of large ma W r i t t e n b y: M O S T A F A E LS AY E D, C o - f o u n d e r o f A u t o m a t a

FOR ALL

anufacturers, as Manufacturing Global reports 7

LEADERSHIP INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS SOLUTIONS have been integral to large-scale manufacturers for some time, and are only getting more popular; with the industrial robotics market set to be worth almost $45 billion by 2020. Offering increased automation and productivity as well as improved production output capabilities, they’ve proved a boon for manufacturers looking to augment their human workforces. The UK SME market too, is starting to see robotic arms in particular as an increasingly important mechanism to compete in the global manufacturing marketplace.

The solutions themselves however, have traditionally been seen as too expensive and complex to deploy for these smaller players.

But robotics and increased automation should be seen as a tech enabler, not just as a nice-to-have tool. They could empower small manufacturers

to do more with fewer resources, be more creative and flexible and operate more productively. What therefore are the key challenges to address before robotics can be effectively democratised and what innovative solutions are being introduced in response?

Overcoming obstacles Firstly, cost. Today, robotic arms cost in the region of $50,000 to $60,000, putting them out of reach for many small manufacturers. The cost is so steep because the robots themselves are often made out of various offthe-shelf parts, which all have associated set market price points.

On top of the cost of the actual robot, manufacturers also have to deal with the cost of integration; typically having to hire a robotics integrator to deploy the solution rather than tackling this process themselves. This can often be as expensive as the robotic arm itself.

‘On top of the cost of the actual robot, manufacturers also have to deal with the cost of integration; typically having to hire a robotics integrator to deploy the solution rather than tackling this process themselves’ 8 January 2016

ROROBOTS FOR ALL

Secondly, complexity. To operate a robotic arm, workers have to have specific skill sets; and more often than not, manufacturers will rely on the expertise of the third party integrators rather than employ their own robotics engineers. This means that there are actually very few individuals in the UK with the skills required to operate the arms. Universities too, struggle to teach practical robotics skills. Due to the health and safety concerns surrounding robotics, many universities don’t have their own access to a robot and their students will follow a conceptual rather than hands-on educational programme as a result.

Finally, space. Robots are typically very heavy and often require manufacturers to reconfigure their workshop floor space in order to accommodate the machines. This can put off smaller companies looking to keep their production line costs to a minimum.

Bringing robotics to new markets We’re seeing robotics as important to manufacturing as 3D printing has been, and are therefore 9

LEADERSHIP totally committed to making the solutions more affordable and easy to use for the masses.

We’re aiming to address the challenges outlined above with Eva, our first product which is a plastic six-axis robotic arm. Eva is made up of 75 separate 3D printed parts, and was brought to life with tools such as Autodesk Fusion 360, Meshmixer for design optimisation and Maya for rendering and animation.

Weighing 2.5 kilograms – roughly the same as a laptop – and costing between $2,500 and $3,000, Eva is considerably less expensive and more lightweight than many robotics

10 January 2016

solutions available today. 3D printing has been integral to helping us tackle these issues, enabling us to produce far lighter parts that we don’t have to purchase off-the-shelf.

Looking to address the skills gap in robotics, developing an intuitive operating system was as important to us as producing a low cost hardware platform. We therefore came up with ‘choreoGraph’ a software platform that’s been designed to be as easy to use as any smartphone app; reducing the need to train up staff to handle Eva. The robotic arm can be programmed by moving it through repetitive tasks, which it can learn and

ROBOTS FOR ALL

‘Robots are typically very heavy and often require manufacturers to reconfigure their workshop floor space in order to accommodate the machines. This can put off smaller companies looking to keep their production line costs to a minimum’

repeat. Eva also has ‘plug ‘n’ play’ attachments such as grippers, mounts and handles to hold and move parts around. She can pick up 750 grams when fully outstretched and about a kilogram in a more recessed position.

Using robotic solutions such as Eva, human workforces’ time will be freed up to focus on the higher level tasks; in turn increasing efficiency and speed on the production line.

The future of robotics As robotics continue to develop at a rapid pace, we’re heading towards a truly exciting world; where robots are becoming more integral to everyday design life. Today, every studio has a 3D printer; but by bringing affordable and easyto-use solutions to the market, we could soon reach a point where every design studio, big and small, has a robotic arm to get products to market faster and cheaper.

In turn, this will ensure that UK manufacturing capabilities can be brought back onshore. This is integral if the UK is to continue to be seen as a leader in manufacturing innovation – and fend off ever growing competition from the East.

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TECHNOLOGY

ERA OF connection How can manufacturers ensure they are designing for the connected generation?

Writ ten by: ASIF MOGHAL, Manufacturing Industry Manager at Autodesk

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TECHNOLOGY EVERY DAY, MORE and more connected devices are coming to market, from phones and home appliances, to cars and buildings.

Indeed, Cisco predicts that by 2020, there will be 50 billion connected devices in use around the world, and according to British Airways Highlife Magazine, one in four of us will be wearing connected clothing by 2025!

These products have the potential to make consumers’ everyday lives more efficient, convenient, and easier — but they also present new challenges to the designers, engineers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs who are building them.

With its rich heritage of creating powerful design solutions, the technology industry is well positioned to share the experience and knowledge that will help today’s makers tackle those challenges, and shift the way we think about designing consumer devices for the new connected future.

So what are some of the trends at work in the ‘Era of Connection’?

First and foremost, the lines between hardware and software — and between the physical and digital worlds— continue to blur as the 14

January 2016

devices that make up the Internet of Things (IoT) become more common.

The Nest thermostat might have been the first IoT device to capture the public imagination, but more and more devices will combine a functional purpose with the ability to gather data, analyse it, and act upon it.

Businesses across every industry are starting to take advantage of the Connected Era – from public transport right through to agriculture.

Floatility, for instance, has designed a connected electric scooter for use in urban areas. Floatility’s scooters can be tracked by GPS so users can see where their nearest available ones are. Elsewhere, Agrilution has developed a connected ‘growing’ device to encourage consumers to grow food in their own homes. The device provides users with vital stats on its temperature via an app to help them assess whether their crops are progressing in optimal conditions.

An internet-connected device can do more than feed data to the cloud and other devices, of course: it can also receive software updates from the manufacturer. The result? Products can actually improve over time rather than becoming increasingly obsolete.

Agrilution: Vertical Farming - Thought For Food Challenge 2013 Pitch For example, a manufacturer can push out an update over Wi-Fi that makes an older dishwasher run as efficiently as the latest model.

The consumer expectation that products will improve over time means that products will increasingly become a way to deliver services. Think about when a consumer buys a piece of hardware like a smartphone. That initial purchase is only the beginning of the relationship — the consumer immediately starts customising and personalising the phone by

downloading and purchasing apps and other software utilities.

Designing for the connected era Given the trends above, how do designers build devices that exist both in the physical and digital world and as part of a larger ecosystem? How do they create innovative products that can adapt, while still providing users with a simple, elegant, and meaningful interaction? How do they make products that — in addition to talking and working with each 15

TECHNOLOGY other — are constantly learning from the user, and evolving with new features and functionality?

Getting these elements right will be key to transforming products like smart locks, smart thermostats, and other connected devices from hype and novelty to essential devices that bring time savings, cost savings, and other benefits to consumers.

Admittedly, there is no single tool or solution to solve the problem.

But much like designers now use tools to generate things we could never have predicted 20 or 30 years ago, it will be important to empower Amar Hanspal on The future of AEC, takes a look at the challenges and opportunities

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January 2016

designers with software optimised for the design of connected devices.

Supporting a connected future.

Already, startups, enterprises, students, and individuals around the world are using innovative tools to design and make the connected devices of today and tomorrow, whether it’s designing a consumer product in cloud-based mechanical engineering software, prototyping circuit boards with a free online app, or confronting the challenges of bringing a new product to market by tapping into next-generation

ERA OF

product lifecycle management tools.

As the connected future continues to take shape, there are a few key areas to focus on: • Education: The next generation of product development professionals must now consider how to build devices for a dynamic environment. They will require the know-how and insight to manage this complexity, and make their products more resilient and valuable. Communitybased learning and knowledge centres that promote sharing of ideas are also important.

• Ecosystem: Industry leaders should be encouraged to not only bring new talent into their organisations but also partner with complementary technology businesses. This will help them to produce genuinely disruptive solutions for the connected future and develop a robust ecosystem at which they can sit at the centre. Combining expertise from multiple sources will accelerate innovation and strengthen the industry as a whole.

CONNECTION

• Access to Technology: Putting design capabilities into anyone’s hands through programmes that offer free access for educational institutions and startups is enabling larger organisations to democratise the creation of tomorrow’s connected devices. In addition, introducing subscriptionbased licensing models gives these same organisations access to design solutions at a lower cost of entry. Helping students and entrepreneurs capture, analyse and utilise data from their products is a necessary step for fuelling the development of tech that will bring our connected future to life.

The future awaits Connectivity is redefining product design, and the proliferation of connected consumer products will touch many more parts of our lives than it does now — probably in areas we haven’t even thought of yet.

It will be exciting to see how compelling software tools help usher in this new era. The connected future awaits.

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Package deals Why we should all be selling outcomes instead of products W r i t t e n b y: M A R K H O M E R , V i c e P r e s i d e n t G l o b a l Cu s t o m e r Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n f o r S e r v i c e M a x

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January 2016

PEOPLE & SKILLS

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PEOPLE & SKILLS HERE’S A BIG wake-up call for you: competing on price is no longer viable. (Globalisation commoditisation, shrinking product margins and diminishing returns from a product-centric approach took care of that argument). As we enter the era of the Internet of Things, a new and alternative services sector is evolving, called servitisation – also known as outcome-based services.

It’s based on the premise that by integrating services with products, you can create bundles that are of greater value than products alone.

As manufacturers move from being purely product providers to becoming service providers as well, it adds value to their products and generates additional revenue. In other words, servicebased outcomes take you out of competing on price alone.

From a consumer perspective, the arrival of IoT means life gets easier and more convenient. From a manufacturing perspective, life will never be the same again. It’s disrupting business as usual for product manufacturers globally.

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January 2016

HP is a good example. When my HP printer at home is running low on ink, the printer itself communicates with HP and automatically sends me more cartridges, delivered to my home so I have ink before I need it. In return, I pay a small monthly subscription, ink automatically

PA C K A G E D E A L S

“In this new world of service, if a machine connected to an IoT platform expereinces a problem, the platform will analyse the data and determine if it needs servicing”

– Mark Homer, VP Global Customer Transformation

arrives just in time, and I never run out. This is just one example of a product that is pre-empting our service needs, and will eventually predict its own maintenance and service requirements.

As products become connected, servicing our machines, devices and appliances will move from reactive product insight to providing predictive alerts, triggering service technicians with the right skills to be deployed to the right place before a fault takes place with preventative maintenance, or in the event that something occurs.

For instance, your washing machine may alert the manufacturer that its bearings are wearing thin and in need of replacement.

In this new world of service, if a machine connected to an IoT platform experiences a problem – let’s say an MRI machine - the platform will analyse the data and determine if the MRI machine needs servicing. Field service management systems would create a work order and automatically assign the most qualified technician in the vicinity to the machine via their mobile phone or tablet. Once onsite, the technician can view all the diagnostic and performance information downloaded from the cloud about the MRI machine, and access advanced 3D modellingbased repair instructions if required so he or she can quickly restore the machine to its full performance.

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PEOPLE & SKILLS

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January 2016

PA C K A G E D E A L S

According to the Advanced Institute of Management, one third of large manufacturing firms are now ‘servitised’. In the US, that figure is nearly twice as high at sixty per cent.

And here in the UK, where ninety nine per cent of business is generated

by SMEs, around forty per cent of manufacturing companies are now thought to be servitized.

Profitable choice The reason for such wide spread adoption? It’s profitable. According to an Aston University study, servitisation delivers sustained annual growth of five to ten percent,

“Servitisation delivers sustained annual growth of five to ten percent, and reduces costs by up to 25 to 30 percent” – Mark Homer, VP Global Customer Transformation

and reduces costs by up to 25 to 30 percent. Adopting a service outcome approach is a game changer. It not only brings businesses closer to their customers, but also helps to effectively lock out competitors because companies have an ongoing service relationship with their suppliers rather than a single transaction.

Major companies such as GE, Xerox, Coca Cola, Rolls Royce and Philips are well documented in their commitment to transforming their service strategies to an outcomebased approach, and in the next two to five years, I think it will become the de-facto business model for almost every business, regardless of size.

IoT and servitisation lets many kinds of companies shift from selling products to selling services based on those products. Your decision then, as a business or as a manufacturer is not whether to adopt this model, as I believe it will become inevitable. Focus instead on how you can transform (or in some cases establish) your services department, empower your field service technicians with the right skills and field service management platform, and align your organisation.

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Seeds for the future Written by Lucy Dixon Produced by Mark Atkinson

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H A LWA N I B R O T H E R S

Starting off 60 years ago creating sesame seed products, Halwani Bros has grown into a market leading food producer, which has just invested in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility

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January 2016

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hen Saleh Hefni joined Halwani Bros in 2007, he had three strategic objectives as CEO of the Saudi Arabian food producer. “First was to take the company into the stock market and we were able to do so in 2008.

The second objective was to build a state-of-theart manufacturing facility, which we started in 2009 and we’re wrapping up right now to move to the new site. The third objective was to increase revenue to two billion Saudi riyal by 2013, with a mixture of organic growth and acquisition.”

And although Hefni has achieved much of what he set out to do, he recognises that there is much more in store for Halwani Bros, a company that started as a family business almost 60 years ago.

“Objectives and goals are always changing, the minute you achieve one you look at something

MIDDLE EAST

else. Now we are looking at what will be next – the new generation of Halwani, the new products that can attract the new generation,” he says.

As the name suggests, Halwani Bros was started as a business by four brothers and has evolved so that it is now a publically listed company – 30 percent owned by the public and 70 percent divided between the Halwani family (15 percent) and Aseer Co. (55 percent) partially owned by the Dallah Group. It is market leader for a huge range of nearly 350 products among six categories – meats, pastries (maamoul), jam, tahini, halawa (a sweet product made out of sesame seeds) and the final category is olives, olive oil, sauces. It also offers cheese, juices and ice cream. Hefni says: “Currently 80 percent of our business is in the local market and 20 percent

2,700 Number of employees at Halwani Brothers

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H A LWA N I B R O T H E R S

CEO, Eng Saleh Hefni 28

January 2016

is exported. Yemen, GCC and Egypt are our largest export markets. We export the maamoul, the halawa and the tahini, but the meat products we basically sell only in the local market.”

Hefni explains that with the addition of the new manufacturing facilities, Halwani Bros will be able to significantly increase these exports.

He says: “One of the nice problems we had in the past six or seven years is that we were running at the maximum capacities in our

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manufacturing facilities and we did not really have a way to increase so we could export more into the international market.� These constraints will be history on the opening of the new factories. “We have been building nine state-of-the-art factories and the final two will be operating soon. This will give us extra capacity to open up more international markets such as the US, Europe, Canada and the Far East. By having that extra capacity we will be

VP, Fawaz Halwani w w w. h a l w a n i . c o m

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H A LWA N I B R O T H E R S

CFO, Ayman Sayed

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January 2016

able to penetrate strongly into the international market and increase our sales,” Hefni says.

The company has invested 350 million Saudi riyal (over 100 million USD) in the new facilities, ensuring they are leaders in their field. “It’s an industrial complex, not just one factory. There is a state-of-the-art firefighting system. New technology in terms of equipment processes and machineries, storage facilities, utilities and support of the utilities. The whole site has been run into a very high international standard and has been designed by an Irish company specialised in food manufacturing design, with excellent project management experience.” To find the right

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partner for this project Halwani Bros thoroughly researched potential companies. Hefni adds: “We scanned the market and looked at companies that had previous experience in designing and building food manufacturing facilities around the world. We hand-picked the best contractors to do the work.”

Halwani Bros has two manufacturing locations – one in Saudi Arabia that consists of nine factories and one in Egypt with five factories, with a combined total of around 2,700 staff. And sourcing the right staff can be challenging, Hefni says. “Finding talent these days is becoming difficult in our region and it’s not because of salaries. What we are doing right now is, of course, looking at the market, the wages, the

“We scanned the market and looked at companies that had previous experience in designing and building food manufacturing facilities” – Saleh Hefni, CEO

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H A LWA N I B R O T H E R S

Export Manager, Ghassan Habhab

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benefits and the work environment we provide.

We look at the training and development, the horizontal integration and the vertical promotions of staff, and we put it all in together to try to give the best market package. We give them a future plan to grow within in the company within the next five to ten years. This approach opens up opportunities for us to find talent.�

A consistently high quality of product is guaranteed by the Halwani Bros’ name and this is partly achieved by its supply chain, which includes many long-standing relationships that have been built up over the years. “Our supply of main raw materials is very important. We import our meat from Brazil and Argentina and some of our dairy and cheese products come from

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New Zealand. Sesame is a major part of our raw material that we import from Sudan.” In the past few years, says Hefni, the market has seen new, inferior products arrive on the scene. “Halwani Bros always maintains high quality, regardless of the drop of the margin. Regardless of a cost increase in raw materials, we always maintain the high quality of our products in the market.”

He believes the secret to maintaining this high quality is a combination of the company’s culture, choosing the best raw materials and its manufacturing process. “We have our own processes and technical know-how that we have built over the years. We utilise this to make sure we continue introducing the best quality products.” To highlight this, w w w. h a l w a n i . c o m

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H A LWA N I B R O T H E R S

Maamoul forming

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Halwani Bros has both ISO 9001 and HACCP accreditation, which is vital for exports.

To make sure it stays on top of the game, Halwani Bros attends several global exhibitions every year, including Gulfood, London’s International Food and Drink Event and Anuga.

“Trade conferenes are extremely important for us. We look at new products, new technologies and new equipments that are available in the market. We try to benchmark ourselves against other companies to see how far we are from getting there or to see if we are on top of certain issues. It is very important that we meet our suppliers at these events and we look at diversity in our suppliers as well,” says Hefni, adding that connecting with clients is also key. “We always meet with them and try

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to understand their needs and wants. And trying to understand the business cycles because whatever is affecting their business will always affect our business and vice versa.”

So, as Halwani Bros approaches its 60th birthday, Hefni is confident a period of growth lies ahead. “We see that the company can grow heavily in the next five years due to our investment in increasing capacity. If you look at the history for the past five years, we were able to increase our sales from 350 million Saudi riyal into nearly 1.2 billion Saudi riyal, which has been done by increasing sales and widening our portfolio. We believe this process can continue. We will also look at companies in the market that we can acquire that can increase our portfolio and increase our sales.”

“We were able to increase our sales from 350 million Saudi riyal into nearly 1.2 billion Saudi riyal, by increasing sales and widening our portfolio” – Saleh Hefni, CEO

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Freezing solutions for specialized needs President/CEO Sascha Poteralla discusses customization, specialization and the future of freezing technology Written by: Sasha Orman Produced by: Jason Wright

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G E A R E F R I G E R AT I O N C A N A D A I N C .

Panel fabrication area of GEA Refrigeration’s production floor

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EA supplies the food industry with reliable, hygienic and flexible solutions for freezing and chilling needs -- spiral freezers designed for easy cleaning and access, tunnel freezers with various belt designs for many different products, and dishwasher-type CIP systems for most of its freezers and chillers.

Consumers buy frozen products from thousands of brands every day—and when they get those products home, the quality of the brand’s freezing process comes to light. Nobody wants frozen french fries or fish sticks that come stuck 38

January 2016

together in a single block of ice, or frozen strawberries and raspberries that have been reduced to mush by a harsh freezing process.

For high quality and performance results, food production processors turn to GEA. With more than 35 years of experience in the food freezing industry, GEA has refined the art of specialized and customized refrigeration and freezing for a wide variety of products and processes.

Serving a wide range of products GEA understands that food

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The sheet metal area of GEA Refrigeration’s production floor

producers and manufacturers have varied and often diversified needs. Because of this, GEA offers technical expertise and experience in various applications such as: • Meat • Poultry • Dairy • Seafood • Fruit and vegetables • Ready meals and convenience food • Bakery From whole chickens to prepared or marinated chicken tenders, from raw sliced fish to par-fried fish sticks, and from processed microwavable convenience foods to freshly harvested and flash frozen berries, GEA is able to design, engineer,

“We have identified more opportunities, and we are planning to further roll out Lean principles into the execution of our products, to serve our customers more quickly without losing our quality” – Sascha Poteralla, President/CEO w w w. g e a . c o m

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Overlanders Manufacturing LP is a leading edge, precision sheet metal manufacturer.

We strive to establish long term business relationships by providing a manufacturing service that excels in quality and delivers on time at a competitive price.

30320 Fraser Hwy, Abbotsford, BC Phone: 604.856.6815 Inquiries: rfq@overlanders.com

A subsidiary of Exchange Income Corporation www.exchangeincomecorp.ca

www.overlanders.com

Overlanders Management and staff are proud to be a key supplier to GEA Refrigeration Canada Inc.

G E A R E F R I G E R AT I O N C A N A D A I N C .

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manufacture and install custom freezing and chilling solutions for practically any demand.

significant contribution in some of our sub-procedures, where the output was doubled without any capital investments,” said Enrique Efficiency through Lean Rivera, Director Manufacturing “We operations were significantly able to reduce When a manufacturing operation is our working capital in the last year, run consciously and efficiently, that which we will now maintain as a long translates to a better quality product term target. We have identified more and cost savings for the end user. opportunities, and we are planning In an effort to reduce lead times to roll out more Lean principles into while maintaining the quality of its the execution of our products, to output, GEA has adopted a Lean serve our customers more quickly manufacturing strategy, which is without losing our quality.” being implemented throughout the entire GEA plant in Richmond B.C..

Prioritizing food safety “So far we have seen quite a At any food manufacturing facility,

A sheet metal operator works on the shop floor of GEA Refrigeration w w w. g e a . c o m

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An assembly operator works on the shop floor of GEA Refrigeration

G E A R E F R I G E R AT I O N C A N A D A I N C .

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food safety is a top priority. From processed foods to raw fruits and vegetables, there is always a concern for foodborne pathogens and bacteria making their way from the farm or facility to a consumer’s plate. Through innovation and technology, GEA works to provide machines that offer the ultimate in food safety and protection to ensure that its clients’ frozen products stay safe for consumers.

One of our core technologies is the hygienic design of our products,” said Sascha Poteralla, President/ CEO. “Moisture is a fantastic ground for bacteria to grow, so we avoid bolted structures inside our freezers and fully weld our structures and enclosures for that reason. As moisture has a chance to grow bacteria in any tiny corners finding its way onto the frozen the product, we are using open profiles and open structures in our designs” he said.

up to today, we have more than 1,000 chillers and freezers installed worldwide and more than 35 years’ experience in food freezing and chilling,” said Poteralla. “There is a huge amount of experience behind us, and we have a huge database available on products we have handled successfully in the past.”

Though past experience cannot always prepare a business for customer needs in the future, GEA is always ready for new challenges— and new challenges come along often. “Even in the food industry, we always get new products on the market,” explained Sascha Poteralla.

A state-of-the-art test lab allows our customers and engineers to use a combination of past experience and new tests to determine the best way to process new products.

“We have a test center here in Richmond, so customers come to see us quite a lot,” he said. “They may bring their product prototypes A custom fit and custom testing and we carry out tests together A large part of GEA expertise comes with them to measure freezing and from its years of experience in retention times. Further design serving and innovating food freezing criteria in terms of airflows and solutions for customers. temperatures which determines how “With its foundations back in 1979 big the machine needs to be, we can w w w. g e a . c o m

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G E A R E F R I G E R AT I O N C A N A D A I N C .

An assembly operator works on the shop floor of GEA Refrigeration

figure that all out from those tests in our freezer lab and test center.”

This kind of field testing is especially vital for producers of fresh fruits and vegetables, where it is imperative that products are frozen quickly, perfectly, and reliably. “We can simulate how the system behaves in the field, which is very important for the 44

January 2016

majority of products which are not only produced but harvested— customers are very interested to find a reliable solution,” added Sascha Poteralla. “Once the peas or raspberries are harvested, you need to get them frozen or processed, otherwise you can just throw them away.”

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Planning for the future GEA sees more innovation in store for the future.

“We are working on continuously developing our machines and our technologies,” said Sascha Poteralla, noting that the company is working with select customers to test new development prototypes before they go to market.

“In addition to that, we are capturing the demand of the market and of our core key customers,” said Poteralla. “We are keen to understand what their plans are in regards to new products they want to launch. The further we understand that, the better we can make sure we have the technology available in our portfolio to meet their demands.”

The company is also looking to continue improving its processes, pushing its Lean principles even further to provide its consumers with additional benefits. “We are constantly looking to optimize and reduce the total cost of ownership of our machines,” said Enrique Rivera. “That means we expect to have longer maintenance cycles, and we are working on studies to let our machines operate longer between a servicing stop. We are looking to constantly optimize on low cost solutions with high quality standards. On one side we are trying to add features, and on the other side want to make sure we are capable of supplying a solution quickly to the market, specifically when it comes to serve customers demand and maintaining their seasonal business.”

Company Information INDUSTRY

Manufacturing HEADQUARTERS

2551 Viking Way Richmond British Columbia Canada V6V 1N4 FOUNDED

1979 EMPLOYEES

153 REVENUE

50,000,000 CAD$ PRODUCTS/ SERVICES

Industrial freezers and refrigeration

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