Page 24 - Packaging News Magazine Jan-Feb 2019

24
AUSPACK 2019
INDUSTRY 4.0 www.packagingnews.com.au
January-February 2019
Automation acceleration
With rising competition
in the food processing industry, especially the snacks sector, traditional manufacturing methods are making way for Industry 4.0 innovations to improve productivity and efficiency. AUSPACK exhibitor Heat and Control’s Robert Marguccio talks to PKN about how manufacturers are embracing automation
in food production and packaging.
THE advent of Industry 4.0 has seen food operators adopting digitalised automation levels at a rapid rate, as they seek ways to streamline their opera- tions and boost output. The PWC Global Building the Digi-
tal Enterprise survey shows that manufacturing companies plan to invest five per cent of annual reve- nue in digital operations solutions over the next five years. This renewed focus on innovation will transform how the food industry operates, as intelligent factories will see optimised processes resulting in leaner production methods.
“Heat and Control has long held the philosophy of continuously improv- ing our machine designs through ongoing R&D investment, to provide our customers with solutions to improve their operations through automation and efficiency,” says Rob- ert Marguccio, Packaging and Inspec- tion manager at Heat and Control.
“Integrated product handling and processing lines for potato chips, corn products, extruded snacks, nuts and seeds are seeing producers bene- fit from custom-made fryers, heat ex-
changers and oil filtration systems, which integrate with FastBack Con- veyors to deliver product at twice the rate of comparable conveyors for high speed production,” Marguccio says.
“We are also automating manual tasks to improve accuracy, working with agency partners who can offer the latest technology in packaging and for- eign object detection to assist our cus- tomers in automating their factories.”
SINGLE SOURCE SUPPLY CHAIN
Food producers have been asking Heat and Control for a one-stop solu- tion to support their Industry 4.0 ambitions of decreasing running costs and increasing productivity. In response, Heat and Control and Ishi- da have formed the global HCI Snacks Solution Alliance to offer snack producers complete integrat-
ABOVE: Industry 4.0 has seen food operators adopting digitalised automation levels at a rapid rate, as they seek ways to streamline their operations and boost output.
ed snacks solutions, from processing through to packaging (see PKN July- August 2018).
“Given the automation benefits of Industry 4.0, engaging with a single source supplier like the HCI Alli- ance can add value through in- creased connectivity levels and digi- tal data exchange, along all stages of the processing and packaging pro- duction line,” says Marguccio.
Having an entire line managed by a single source supplier can allow operators to realise the cost saving benefits of Industry 4.0. An integrat- ed production line can be managed by one supplier like HCI, from the de- sign and engineering stage, through to equipment manufacture, installa- tion and future servicing needs.
“Working with one supplier is a far easier and more cost effective process, as customers only need to speak to one team. We are like a one-stop-shop for snack and other types of food production solutions,” says Marguccio.
EFFICIENT FOOD MANUFACTURING
Innovation in food processing and packaging is seeing certain elements of the production line streamlined or eliminated altogether, achieving both cost and time saving goals.
We are also automating manual tasks to improve accuracy, working with agency partners who can offer the latest technology in packaging and foreign object detection to assist our customers in automating their factories.