Factory automation - Exquisite automation
The food and drinks industry finds essential support in automation systems, in order to
flexibly diversify production and improve the management of processes. This is to the full benefit of competitiveness and safety of operators, equipment and products says Carlo Marchisio, of Rockwell Automation, Italy
The role of automation in driving the worldwide growth of the food and drinks industry has been recognised by a number of major studies. According to Rexam Consumer Packaging Research (2005) more than 70% of the market for automated packaging systems is down to the food and beverage sector making the production processes of the companies operating in this sector more efficient. This is achieved through integrated systems such as Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), ERP and IT integrations combined with innovative equipment and machinery equipped with devices such as PLC, drives and Scada.
Production flexibility
But what are the most important dynamics which affect the food and beverage business? Essentially there are four important points to be examined closely:
s Customer demand and satisfaction
s Competition in the international market
s Supply chain integration
s The safety of operators, equipment and products
Customer demand and satisfaction
In order to meet new customer requirements and obtain full satisfaction, production flexibility and agility are essential. Automation and information systems facilitate the production of new products and reduce time-to-market through integrated architecture, connectivity and scalability. Furthermore, these systems develop ongoing processes, facilitate the management of raw materials, and allow visibility of operations, thereby allowing a higher quality standard to be achieved and reducing rejects and waste materials.
Increasing competitiveness
The implementation of MES automation systems provide significant support for the supervision and analysis of production processes in order to identify the activities necessary to reduce production costs. This involves data collection of process parameters, monitoring of the efficiency of machines (OEE calculation), traceability of materials for the reduction of waste and the analysis of energy parameters to control consumption. As a result, this helps decrease machine downtime, extending the knowledge of the equipment for maintenance personnel - thanks to specific training on applied automation systems; improving the performance of the users and reducing spare parts as well as the MRO cost.
A well integrated supply chain
Integrated information-based automation systems, currently adopted on a vast scale, allow the monitoring of production orders, the management of the flow of raw materials and the connection of the plant to ERP systems. Thanks to these tools, it is possible to visualise in real time the status of production orders and schedule production based on the availability of material resources and equipment. The entire production system - machines, equipment and warehouse - is directly linked on an operational level to business systems, and therefore the plant manager can examine the status of the production process and help improve or modify the flow in accordance with product requirements.
Safety and functionality
The increasingly complex regulatory framework which imposes essential international safety requirements for the factory environment underlines the importance of sophisticated automation systems which provide the safety of operators and the prevention accidents. Some software functions safeguard applications and connection networks from possible failures, damage and intrusions which could halt production. The food and drinks industry must conform to food safety and regulatory compliance and thanks to the implementation of software systems and procedures that track operations and collect data, it is possible to fulfil the requirements of regulatory agencies and respect HACCP system regulations, in particular those concerning traceability against bioterrorism activities and EU 1:8/2002.
Summing up...
Companies operating in the food and beverage sector must be capable of rapidly adapting their processes in order to produce whatever is necessary to respond to consumer demands and introduce new products onto the market. In this regard automation systems can be programmed to react immediately to production variables providing reactivity and flexibility, while at the same time providing an increase in sales and market share. The capacity to reduce the variability of processes, and guarantee the uniform quality, reduces production costs - with favourable effects on profits. The speed with which automation companies respond to user demands makes them the ideal and established providers for food and drinks manufacturers, since they have, and are constantly increasing, the know-how necessary to fully understand the sectors problems and implement truly effective solutions.
Carlo Marchisio is industry sales manager, Consumer Goods, Rockwell Automation, Italy
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