Page 17 - Food&Drink Nov-Dec 2020

COVER STORY
an art. Without proper integration, equipment jams and backlogs can develop. At worst, the line ceases to function. Small stoppages add up over days to hours of lost production.
AND THEN THERE’S DIGITISATION
The march of progress is inevitable – Industry 4.0 creates full transparency across supply chains and is a prerequisite for traceability initiatives. However, most older machines are locked into legacy protocols that make it difficult to connect them to an Internet of Things (IoT) solution to mine their valuable data. An all-new line is an expensive way out.
It is possible to integrate both old and new equipment on a packaging line, but it does require a particular skillset. It’s inadvisable to use a band-aid approach by layering a simple data-mining protocol on top of old equipment to create an IoT solution. Legacy machines were
not designed for the multiple data points required by modern IoT and management systems, and the security risks outweigh the benefits.
Using high-level control architecture and open-source packaging machinery language, it is possible to work through OEM proprietary platforms and network them for access to useful, translatable data.
When choosing an integrator, be aware that not all integrators handle all mechanical, electrical, software and automation aspects of a project. And even fewer specialise in this kind of programming.
USE AN ALL-IN-ONE INTEGRATOR
A good integrator can also help you select the right equipment for your needs. No machine works perfectly for every application, so you want an integrator that will walk you through all the options despite their OEM agreements and partnerships (most have
them). Equipment should be selected based on its ability to meet the application challenge and long-term return on investment. Your integrator should have enough experience to be able to find machines with the features and accessories you do need – minus the ones you don’t.
speed and reliability, dealing with start-up issues as they arise.
AND IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE BUDGET? Machinery-as-a-Service is the new kid on the block. Rather than paying for the equipment outright, you only pay for the
FAR LEFT: Foodmach’s controls team specialises in machine-to-machine communication.
LEFT: Foodmach conveying links third party bottle inspection systems together with fillers and labellers for a reduced-noise factory environment.
ABOVE: Foodmach’s Commission Impossible Team have been integrating and commissioning packaging lines by remote during lockdown.
“ The march of progress is inevitable
– Industry 4.0 creates full transparency across supply chains and is a prerequisite for traceability initiatives.”
Using an integrator that offers project management means that OEM suppliers are negotiated with and deliveries managed; the equipment is installed correctly, integrated with the entire line and an overarching control system if required, and then commissioned. The integration team is on-site and takes full responsibility for the whole line’s
output of the equipment. This is a finance model that has been used extensively for jet engines and medical equipment. Its use for the packaging industry is now made possible by the advent of blockchain technology, but to set it up well requires – you guessed it – an expert in line integration and datacapture. ✷
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | November-December 2020 | Food&Drink business | 17