Automation to Minimize Human Handling
Whether struggling with the uncertainty of a COVID-19 world, or simply striving to increase accuracy and efficiency, automation’s role in the food processing industry is rapidly evolving.
Humans are innovative creatures by nature. We collectively gravitate toward things that make life easier, whether that be through a need to survive or a desire to thrive. The evolution of agriculture is a good example of survival innovation. The need to grow and store food to survive led us to come together to establish basic farming practices. Our present-day circumstances have presented us with an entirely new set of problems to solve. These circumstances are expanding the need for innovation in the automation of our processes greatly.
What do we do when the need for physical distancing while processing our food cannot be met with our current operations? What do we do when too many team members are out sick or otherwise are unavailable to run our processing lines efficiently or safely? How do we improve product quality and worker safety with minimal interventions? These questions have been slowly picked away at over the years. They have been pushed front and center over the last year and suddenly have a much more pressing need for solutions. We are realizing more than ever- the future is automated.
Advancements in Automation
Advancements in automation over the last decade have been quite impressive. Developments in machine automation have made it possible to connect process equipment to a more complete system. This allows them to be monitored and controlled in relation to production speeds, maintenance alerts, and other equipment. With wireless sensors and remote access, we can now monitor our systems through our desktops, tablets, and phones. The ability to use a single operator interface to start, stop, and configure operations has greatly increased production efficiencies and quality control. We are now able to easily find out the location of bottlenecks. We can improve sections of a system to facilitate efficiency and cost reduction, all with automation.
With these advancements we also find that we are afforded more freedom when it comes to safety considerations for team members and the product we are producing. Automation creates an environment where team members can be placed fewer and farther apart to practice safe distancing measures. This also reduces exposure of product to external factors, allowing for higher product quality. Another significant factor that facilitates this is the use of robotics. Cobots (Collaborative Robots) are beginning to be used in more production facilities. They allow for increased efficiency, team safety, and product quality. Innotech engineers can program them to operate among production workers, with other automated equipment, or both.
Automation Solutions
Our team of engineers at Innotech have developed many automation solutions to fit the needs of a wide variety of process lines. One such creation is the Innotech Crab Line. This design features 16 separate weigh stations, each with their own touchscreens. Each station communicates with a remote central management control interface. Through automation, Innotech was able to greatly reduce the physical footprint of this production line. Automation also increased accuracy and quality, while decreasing the toll of physical labor for team members working on the line. All of this substantially benefited overall efficiency.
We also specialize in small vegetable and berry processing. Automation allows production equipment to be used from the beginning to the end of processing with minimal requirements of physical labor. An example is a tote dumper leading to a conveyor. The conveyor brings the production item through a variety of possible equipment for cleaning and sorting. The item then continues all the way through to packaging. Once the product reaches its final destination, the automated Innotech Lug Washer can help reduce labor and ensure cleanliness and safety by cleaning and sanitizing trays. They are then ready for team members to use again. Add in the ability to control this process from one central interface and the possibilities are seemingly endless.
Automation is the Future
Due to its versatility, automation allows for many different uses and plays a lot of roles in the processing industry. Advancements are continuously being made. It is apparent that automation will guide innovation in the food processing industry and pave the way for settings where worker safety, product quality and consistency, and heightened efficiency can be enhanced and refined. In an ever growing and changing world, Innotech is resolved to continue designing state of the art equipment and automation to meet the demands of the present, and the future.
