A drive towards automation in the food industry should not be seen as a threat to workers’ jobs, as it is likely to lead to the creation of a variety of skilled roles, a consultant in the field has claimed.
Furniss Biscuits, the Cornish biscuit manufacturer, which is part of the Proper Cornish Group, has recently installed a new steel band oven at its Redruth bakery.
Manufacturing execution system (MES) software is failing to deliver on what it promises for food and drink manufacturers, according to the head of a software systems supplier, who previously worked on the integration of MES for UK companies in the sector.
Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are widely recognised as being stalwarts of machine automation and control, performing sequences of instructions such as timing, counting, storing memory, relaying logic and arithmetic computation.
Food companies are increasingly turning to the use of advanced traceability systems to ensure they don’t suffer a similar fate to those hit by last year’s horsemeat contamination scandal, according to a leading control systems supplier.
With the growing amount of data being generated for - and on - packaging lines, particularly around printers, readers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), cameras and other peripherals, food and drink companies are realising the value of a direct link...
UK food and drink manufacturers are finally waking up to the merits of automation, judging by the number of exhibits featuring robots at the forthcoming Total Processing & Packaging Exhibition. The event takes place at Birmingham's National Exhibition...
Improving the speed and efficiency of product changeovers on multi-product lines is what Sick UK's new RapCo system, launched at Total 2013, is all about. It is claimed to offer a reliable, automated solution to protect product quality while boosting...
Mitsubishi says its new L Series programmable logic controller (PLC) offers increased functionality, ease of expansion and a user-centric design inspired by the FX micro PLC.
Bakeries and ice cream manufacturers are the first business sectors in the UK to start showing interest in a new technology that allows the printing of highly viscous food coatings on top of moving food substrates.
Novel technology that uses air instead of gallons of water and cleaning agents to clean process pipe work has been commissioned at the new Glenmorangie whisky bottling plant in Livingston.
To keep pace with demand from the food and drinks sector, Alfa Laval has launched the ThinkTop Basic actuator-sensor interface (ASI) valve sensing and control unit.
Pretzel manufacturer Union Snack has installed a Packaging Automation Vision 182 heat sealer to keep up with increased demand for its seasonal lines...
With a typical curry sauce plant now producing up to 1500t of product a week to gourmet standards, control engineering has become a key ingredient.A...
Kanes Foods, based in the Vale of Evesham, has taken delivery of a turnkey process weighing and traceability system from Marco Weighing Systems which...