Robots on the march in food and drink

Britain’s food and drink manufacturers are showing renewed interest in robotics and automation as equipment costs fall, labour costs rise and the benefits of robot flexibility become better understood.

Speaking at the Food Processing Knowledge Transfer Network’s annual conference at the Food and Environmental Research Agency in York last week, ABB industry segment manager for food and beverage robotics, Peter Cuypers, described how the economic landscape was changing in 2009. ABB is currently installing a new robotic installation at an unnamed UK plant bakery.

Cuypers stressed the importance of the food and beverage manufacturing sector to the EU, but regretted its lamentable record of spending in research and development: “If we don’t start to invest in new innovation and products we will go backwards.”

He said ABB claimed a large share of the world’s total spending on industrial robots, with business growing by 20% a year up to last April. Business in the UK was also good, said Cuypers.

“There is a clear change in robotic applications [outside the automotive sector].” While most companies in food and beverage began by installing robots in palletising operations, they were increasingly moving into picking and packing operations, he added. “The typical hurdle with robots is they scare people,” he added.

However, to operate robotic lines successfully, said Cuypers, you require a certain minimum number of qualified engineers. “That is where the challenge comes.”

He also cited other benefits accrued from automating production operations: such as the need to ensure greater uniformity of products to enable robotic handling, which had the additional benefit of reducing giveaway; and the ability to handle delicate products such as croissants and poppadoms.

At the same event, Marks & Spencer technical manager Simon Allison added: “This is the year for automation."