Automation to Play Key Role in Food Businesses

The changes brought about by the pandemic and digitisation have resulted in the expansion of automation in food firms and more companies integrating automation-based programs

FREMONT, CA: Automation has been a significant part of food and beverage manufacturing. However, the pandemic’s impact on labour and operations enabled several top industry players to boost efforts to implement the technology.

The food industries are dynamically looking for opportunities to automate work in their companies. Automated tools make it easy to standardise the food production process. Every product goes through the same procedures from beginning to end. Machines are accurate, maintaining everything to standard in a way that is impossible to obtain from manual work.

In today’s scenario, automation in the food industry is indispensable to food production and distribution. Manufacturers use it in the manufacturing and food packaging processes. Technology has tremendously improved food packaging by prolonging shelf life and improving food safety. In addition, the quality is also improving with the production costs declining.

Companies have focused on automation capabilities used in production facilities to slash costs and increase their margins. They are putting effort into productivity programmes focused on continuous improvement in automation across key manufacturing operations and remaining on track to deliver higher outcomes. Productivity will constantly increase as businesses ramp up investments in ROI projects.

Some companies plan to increase their automation to counter all food processors' ongoing challenges. They include automation in the annual capital planning process, and with labour uncertainty and tight labour supply, companies increase their investments in automation. Many tech companies are unveiling new productivity initiatives aiming to create massive savings using digital technology like AI and predictive analytics in operations, planning, warehousing, logistics, and supply chain, as well as implementing automation and robotics.

Such companies optimise automation and robotics to automate complex and higher-turnover positions. For instance, these firms have substantial opportunities to automate the withdrawal process within poultry harvest facilities using third-party and proprietary technologies. In relation to this, a poultry plant announced a 48 million expansion project, including the automated processes and the site’s product packing margins.

Furthermore, the protein product manufacturers also intend to make significant investments in the near future to elevate their operation capacity in response to a forecasted escalation in demand over the next ten years. Companies anticipate an investment of 2 billion USD in the fiscal year, with a disproportionate share focused on new capabilities and automation goals.

The bigger picture depicts rising labour costs, worker shortages, and high consumer demand, prompting some of the industry’s most prominent firms to amalgamate millions into automation projects. As the labour crisis affects food and beverage manufacturers, the industry expects more companies to launch similar initiatives in the coming months.