For many years the integration of robotics and automation in food packaging and distribution have revolutionized the way food is processed, packaged, and prepared for consumers. The acceleration of digital transformation has only aided in this movement. Operators can now compliment their automation installs with digitized, real-time reporting even of the machine is not networked when using mobile solutions. In many of the facilities we visit they are often using a mix of automation and robotics to achieve a variety of benefits we will touch on.
Increased Efficiency: 24/7 productivity availability, reducing the need for human labor and increasing efficiency that’s the big benefit of automation and robotics. The precise and speedy handling of repetitive tasks reduces the risk of errors, mitigates injuries, and improves the final product’s quality.
Improved Food Safety: Automated systems can follow strict sanitation protocols and be equipped with sensors to detect and remove contaminants, improving overall food safety. If your process does not have such features, you can fill that gap by automating reports and alerts with digital form solutions to ensure the proper protocols and SOPs are being adhered to.
Reduced Labor Costs: Robotics and automation can perform physically demanding and repetitive tasks, freeing up your trusted personnel for more complex and skilled task and reducing your overall costs.
Flexibility: Robotics and automation can handle different packaging and distribution tasks, allowing companies to adapt to changes on demand. Once the machine or robot is setup and has the logic applied for the task at hand, it will perform diligently. This additional flexibility in changeovers helps to not only reduce process and item waste but has an impact on increasing efficiency as well.
Consistency: Robotics and automation perform tasks with consistent precision, ensuring consistent product quality and customer satisfaction. With precise uniformity, predicting production needs becomes easier and the overall process is simplified and improved.
Those are just some of the benefits automation and robotics can bring an organization, obviously there are many more that become tangible once you decide to take such an initiative. Keep an eye out for the intangible benefits as well though because often these solutions can have a much more dramatic impact on an operation that what is known. There are many integrators and solution providers to guide you on your journey and make sure you get the most out of your spend.
