< Previous20www.fdiforum.netCI LOGISTICS - AUTOMATED HANDLINGDiageo has recently opened a£10 million cooperage at their 29 acresite at Cambus. The new cooperage,which combines materials handlinginnovation with robotics, has beenconstructed to produce 250,000rejuvenated and rebuilt casks a year priorto refilling with the company’s famouswhisky brands.Alan Hadden, project delivery managerfor Diageo, says, “One of the maindrivers behind the design of the newcooperage was to reduce the manualhandling of casks which we knew wouldsimultaneously improve safety. Toachieve this, automation was requiredthroughout our processes and we neededto partner with a company that couldreally understand our challenges.“We already knew CI Logistics fromanother assignment. They had proved tobe experienced and professional and thatgave us confidence that they coulddeliver on this project. They offered ustheir expertise, developing entirelyinnovative conveying solutions withintegrated robotics. What has evolved isa strong relationship between our twocompanies which has delivered the worldclass facility we have today.”The Cambus cooperage is home to fivedifferent processes – rejuvenating casks,repairing casks, enlarging casks and twocask rebuilding processes using differenttypes of staves. The objective of the CILogistics scheme is to automate caskmovement throughout each process –synchronising, controlling and deliveringthe various parts of the casks from thebeginning to the end of each line. A number of challenges had to beovercome. The specification of the casksvaries greatly in weight from 48kg to128kg and in height from 855mm to1300mm. Each cask is bespoke so has tobe married up with its own hoops andends at the finish of the procedure. Thehazardous cooperage processesthemselves, including steaming, crozingand charring, also pose specific problemsof their own.Alan Hadden says, “CI Logistics tookup all the challenges and providedsolutions. In fact they even came up witha bespoke piece of equipment for aparticular application that wasn’t in theoriginal brief. Once we had theautomated concepts worked out, CILogistics recommended that we invest ina computer simulation software packageto mimic the casks travelling through thefacility. This really justified ourinvestment in the project as we could seethe flow of casks throughout the facility,potential bottlenecks and how caskproduction would be increased by some25% per year.” Tom Duncan, Production Manager ofthe new cooperage, adds, ”With the helpof CI Logistics we have built a newcooperage that demonstrates Diageo is aleading force in the cask making industry.The automated processes have not onlyenabled us to increase production by 25%but also improve the safety of the 80 staffwho work here. We’ve done that byreducing their manual handling of thecasks by 90%, making their work lessstrenuous and removing them from themore hazardous coopering processes,such as putting the casks into fires orsteam chambers. This allows our coopersto focus on the craft skills which remaincentral to the industry.”For more information on CI Logistics, call 0116 276 1691 orvisit www.conveyors.co.uk.CI Logistics solution reducesmanual handling at DiageoRobots manipulate theDiageo casks ready forcharringTemporary lids are fittedto the casks inpreparation for steaming020:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:30 Page 1SOFTWAREwww.fdiforum.net21New software developments in thefood and drink industry are increasinglybecoming driven by the introduction ofnew legislation. For example, theintroduction of the new EU labellinglegislation has brought with it the needto ensure that what’s on the label iscompletely accurate – with the potentialof expensive recalls if this isn’t correct.As Amina West of software companyTrace One points out, “The industryshould be looking at collaborativesolutions, where information on productscan now be kept and validated online.Ten years ago, the market was verydifferent. Retailers and manufacturerswere free to make changes to products,without the need to track these. Now,consumer demand and stricter legislationmeans any alterations need to bevalidated and accurately communicated.To avoid any mistakes from human error,the retail industry should be looking atusing automated systems during theproduct development and packagingstages to make changes to productspecifications in real-time.”Software is no longer a desirable extrain a factory or warehouse but oftenessential, with retailers refusing to workwith suppliers who can’t demonstrate itsapplication. Indeed a survey conductedby Solarsoft of over three hundred SMEsshowed that 77% of them had alreadyimplemented an ERP solution.Manufacturing Execution Systems areless common, however, with Solarsoftestimating only about 10% of SMEs inthe UK are making use of them –meaning that information from theshopfloor is still collected manually.While the ERP system can make adifference, failing to introduce MES aswell can lead to downtime and mistakes.Most obviously in this instance, anychanges can be expressly communicatedto all the relevant parties, and anychanges to recipe formulations can bemade swiftly and effectively. The spirit ofconsolidation in the food and drinkindustry means that many factories anddistribution hubs are now responsible fora much larger range of products thanever before, and so the potential forinformation to be mislaid ormisunderstood is very great – especially ifthe supply chain involves severalcontractors working across several sites.Making use of new software allowseveryone involve to instantly access up todate information and instructions.This has additional advantages whenconsidering variations on existingproducts to appeal to new audiences. Forexample, Stevens Group’s RecipeFormulation and Traceability solutionscan help in compliance with AIB, SQF,EFSIS and BRC guidelines. The Vantagesolution enables management teams totake control of the shop floor operationseither integrated with ERP/MRP andaccounting software, or simply operatingstandalone. Real-time production floordata is then available along withpaperless traceability and touch of abutton mass-balance accountability.The user-friendly nature of much of23 K3AX have recently announced the latest version ofFreshDynamics, the specifically designed ERP system forthe fresh produce industry, providing efficiency boostsand associated operational improvements to simplifypackhouse production processes and operationsKeeping theproductionline onlineWhile the majority of food and drinkcompanies are now making use ofsoftware, the challenge is to ensureit’s being used effectivelySoftware solutions can have a huge effect on a company’s bottom line. Utilising information in Mettler-ToledoGarvens’ Checkweigher Software Compendium, for example, means manufacturers can reduce changeovertime, minimise product giveaway and enhance security, boosting production line efficiency021-025:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:34 Page 1021-025:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:35 Page 2the latest software also ensures that itsintroduction shouldn’t bewilder staff toany great extent. Those that haveintroduced recipe formulation systems canrely on the software to calculate theamounts of individual ingredients neededand download the order to the relevantstation, providing an effortless formulationprocess. The system will then prompt theoperator throughout as the correct amountof each ingredient is added, and won’tallow the operator to continue if theincorrect ingredient is selected or thewrong amount added. Human error istherefore eliminated throughout theprocess. Detailed instructions relating toproduct characteristics are also flagged upto ensure adequate HACCP requirementsare met.As the supply chain becomesincreasingly fast moving, the introductionof CMMS solutions is also ensuringfactories move faster and potentialflashpoints are easily identified andresolved. This is particularly important inbusinesses that are moving to 24/7 production and thereforedon’t have the downtime to spare to maintenance. ShireSystems, for instance, supply a number of maintenancemanagement systems, which can progressively and effortlesslybuild a comprehensive service and breakdown history for eachmaintained item, helping the maintenance team identify andtarget the most problematic pieces of plant.The top software systems, such as those from Shire, aren’tlimited to maintenance either. For example, Stock Control,Purchasing and Financial modules can be integrally linked tothe core Maintenance Management module, meaning stocknumbers can be added to work requests and stock issues logged,while re-ordering can be automated to maintain critical stocklevels. The Financial module can collate day-to-day labour andspares expenditure and help manage budget forecasts, actualspend and the calculation of plant depreciation – saving moneyat every step of the way.In these instances the companies that have embraced theintroduction of software are those who can reap the largestbenefits. Software packages can often be a huge investment for acompany and those who apply them ineffectively or to only asmall part of their operations will receive poor value for money.The best way of getting best value is to use the softwarewherever and whenever possible – which also ensures that allthe information is in one place and vital data hasn’t beenexcluded, of paramount importance when traceability has to beconfirmed.ERP systems are now in place in the majority ofmanufacturers and distributors, large and small. The challengenow is to ensure these are used to create the most valuable effect– saving money and ensuring complete product integrity.SOFTWAREwww.fdiforum.net23Stevens Group’s Vantage solutionsallows customers to achieveabsolute control and consistencythroughout the production line021-025:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:35 Page 324www.fdiforum.netSOFTWAREERPSage ERP X3 -the ERPchoice for food anddrink businessesSage ERP X3 combines advanced manufacturing, distribution,warehousing, customer relationship management and accountingfunctionality with features that address the unique and specialisedneeds of your company.Datel, Sage’s largest UK business partner, specialises in workingwith food and drink companies to provide Sage ERP solutions thathelp you to better react to customer demands for shorter leadtimes and make key decisions quickly with the right informationto hand.Sage ERP X3 has been adopted by a number of food and drinkcompanies including Ruskim Seafoods, the leading importer anddistributor of fish, meat and poultry, as well as Stilton andblended cheese expert Long Clawson Dairy and fresh fruitwholesale-distributor Jupiter Marketing.Andrew Russell, Financial Director at Ruskim Seafoods, says,“Sage ERP X3 contains impressive functionality within a single,up-to-the-minute system that will be easy to deploy and costeffective across our five sites. Datel’s commitment to the food anddrink industry was evident. They understand the industry andhow we can get the most out of an ERP solution.”Datel’s expertise combined with the functionality, low cost ofownership and rapid deployment of Sage ERP X3 provides areturn on your investment. Datel’s award winning support team isalways on hand to make sure the systems run effectively for yourbusiness.For more information about Sage ERP X3for the food and drink industry, visitwww.foodanddrinksoftware.com or callDatel on 0845 521 1875.Mobile SolutionsOpen new sales channelsfor business growthwith Lakeview ERPWhile the foodand drink industryis the largest in theworld, SME foodmanufacturers anddistributors havemuch to contendwith.An importantpart of yourstrategy has to bethe system youuse. Lakeview ERP provides a stable, integrated system based onthe latest technology to help your business...* Improve its competitive position* Meet food safety and recall management standards* Trace ingredients from fork to farm* Increase sales volumes* Respond faster to customer demands * Run promotions - group customers, offer over-riders and so on* Manage shopping lists and sales order processing* Minimise waste* Trade online and access your back office remotely* Identify the real sales picture with business intelligence toolsLakeview has over 25years experience indeveloping software forfood and drinkmanufacturers anddistributors within the UK.This software is designedby industry experts andtailored to suit the exactingrequirements of the foodand drink industry.To find out more, visit www.lakeview.co.uk/food, callLakeview on 0845 388 3329 or emailinfo@lakeview.co.uk. You can also follow Lakeview onTwitter at UKERP.021-025:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:35 Page 4SOFTWAREwww.fdiforum.net25Weighing & Traceability SolutionsStevens Group assistswith complianceStevens Group’s Recipe Formulation and Traceabilitysolutions have been helping businesses comply withAIB, SQF, EFSIS and BRC guidelines for 25 yearsStevens have long beenexperts in food industryprocesses. The Vantagesolution allows customersto achieve absolutecontrol and consistencythroughout theproduction line. It has amodular approach,ensuring the hardwarecan be combined withexisting lines and workalongside existingequipment, and isavailable both asstandalone checkweighersor combined with metaldetectors for a completeproduct inspectionsystem that ensureseffortless compliancewith all legislative demands.The huge advantage of the Vantage system is its simplicity – thetouch screen software is simple to set up and easy to use, producingaccessible and information data. They give the manufacturercontinuous real time information on the amount of material they’reusing, and make it easy to comply with the BRC Standard andretailers’ requirements, with the opportunity to produce historicaldata as and when it is requested.Users of Stevens Group’s systems generally see a return on theirinvestment within twelve months – using their systems to weighproducts filled by hand gives savings of around 2-5%, which willnormally cover the cost of a medium-sized system.Toby Hawkins, Stevens’ Commercial Manager, says, “Our unitsare far more than just weighing scales and offer the ultimate inflexibility, ease of use and reliability for a wide range of recipeformulation, process control and legislative complianceapplications.”For more information on what Stevens Group can offer yourbusiness, call 01254 685200, email sales@stevensgroupltd.comor visit www.stevensgroupltd.com.Weighing & Traceability SolutionsOEEImmediate, quantifiablebottom line savingsMaking every second count with IdhammarOEE SystemsIn the currenteconomic climate,every second ofproduction counts.Moreover, precisionoperation andreliable andaccurate productioninformation isfundamental tosuccess in highpressure food anddrinkmanufacturing.OverallEquipment Effectiveness is a powerful industry standard measurethat multiplies plant availability and performance with outputquality, to identify all aspects of waste in the production process.OEE can be calculated with a spreadsheet, but OEE systemsenable drill down analysis to quantify even the smallestopportunities to help you make every second count, steeroperational improvement agendas and ensure your resources areeffectively deployed.Idhammar OEE is already driving financial benefits to a widerange of leading manufacturers from Premier Foods, ChivasBrothers and Accolade Wines, to Percy Dalton’s Peanuts andAunt Bessie’s. Stuart Drysale, Manufacturing Director at Aunt Bessie’s, says,“The Idhammar OEE system highlights losses, drives ourimprovement agenda, and leads to improved effectiveness, a betterworking environment and big bottom line savings. Our minimumimprovement last year was 14% and our best was 47%, so thesystem paid for itself in a couple of months.”Idhammar will help put together a business case forimplementing an OEE system, identify potential savings andcalculate an accurate ROI. Even a 1% OEE improvement couldmake a major difference to your organisation.To achieve the full potential of your productionprocesses, call Idhammar on +44 (0)117 920 9400or visit www.idhammarsystems.com021-025:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:35 Page 526www.fdiforum.netENGINEERING & COMPONENTSThe lifeblood of the food and drink industry is undoubtedlythe small companies that make up much of the sector – yet manyof them have to cope with increasingly complicated requirementsfrom their customers. The challenge is to create a fast-moving,reliable production line without sacrificing the quality that wasbehind the company’s initial success, and that inevitably meansthe purchase of new hardware. Advanced engineering is making amajor difference, and it’s something that is no longer confined tothe largest companies.The food and drink industry is certainly benefiting from theapplication of advanced engineering, and indeed has often beencited as a sector that has made effective use of new principles.The 300% rise in robotic sales in food manufacturing over thelast two years is testament to the hunger for a new approach andthe successful integration of automation and advancedengineering into the industry.More is likely to follow. Improve’s UK Food Supply Chainreport recommends that food and drink manufacturing will needat least 137,000 new employees over the next six years, mostly inscientific and engineering roles. An industry which was oftendominated by low skilled workers carrying our repetitive work isnow at the forefront of new technology. That’s perhapsunsurprising when you consider the unique challenges facingengineering in the food and drink sector – it has to cope withtough conditions, such as extremely hot and wet environments,while cleanliness and potential contamination take on increasedimportance.The commitment to engineering is being seen at all levels.Driving newinnovationAdvanced engineering is encouraging a diverse and competitive industryPackagingAutomation’s Eclipserange of high speedtray heat sealingmachines are the firstin the UK to operateentirely without usingany compressed air,providing foodmanufacturers withmajor environmentalbenefits026-029:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:35 Page 1ENGINEERING & COMPONENTSwww.fdiforum.net27Scottish Enterprise and Scotland Food & Drink, for example, arefunding the Campden BRI-led Food & Health InnovationService, providing a range of practical support measures to helpScottish companies fully realise their growth potential in theburgeoning market for healthy food and drink products,estimated to be worth £20 billion in the UK and more than £300billion globally. Quotec, the UK based subsidiary of The Councilfor Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa, which thisyear merged with Food Processing Faraday Partnership, is playinga major role in the delivery of this scheme.For small businesses, the advancements in engineering haveensured that they can now introduce new concepts and improvedproduction processes at a relatively lower cost than before. Yetoften there can be a conflict between the demand from retailersand consumers for certain requirements, and the investmentresources available to the producer to meet these needs. As withany capital investment, a significant consideration in theseinstances is the payback time from purchasing new machinery,particularly where production or demand is seasonal or whennew products are being introduced to a range.Happily, many leading engineering companies provide bespokesolutions that can meet their exact needs, without having tocommit to a host of unsuitable and unnecessary additions. Hoseand coupling specialists Dixon Europe, for example, has an in-house hygienic expert and their Engineering Department are ableto meet a company’ bespoke design and fabrication requirements,including custom designed actuated ball and butterfly valves.The importance of avoiding accidents and breaches of healthand safety is often a top priority and companies can benefit froma range of components to assist in this. Hence, Relec Electronicsoffer a wide variety of piezo switches aimed at harshenvironments where applications are exposed to high levels ofdirt and grime – of which food processing and commercialcooking are two obvious examples. They have options for IP69sealing, illumination and wide temperature ranges, and they alsohave additional value in being vandal-proof, ensuring peace ofmind for factory operators.Other companies are also offering new materials that are mostsuited to the food and drink industry. Nylacast’s engineeringcomponents, for example, are produced with the latest inCAD/CAM technology and advanced engineering techniques,coupled with materials technology. Their products are assistingcompanies in meeting their various obligations as the materialsare EU 2002/72/EC and FDA compliant, as well as being stable,corrosion, chemical, wear and abrasion resistant – highly valuablein the industry’s arduous environments.In addition a number of companies offer servicing andmaintenance opportunities to ensure the machinery installed in afactory remains of the highest standards. The potential formalfunctioning equipment to cause problems is very great,especially in the area of freezer cooling when ineffectivetemperature control can lead to potential contamination. Expertsin this field are highly valuable – hence UK company FreezerThe recentAdvancedEngineeringShoeemphasisedinnovation28 026-029:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:35 Page 228www.fdiforum.netENGINEERING & COMPONENTSServices has recently visited South Africa, not just to install aFrigoscandia Spiral Freezer into one of their major customers’food processing plants, but also to carry out service inspectionsand remedial work on spiral freezers at a number of foodprocessing sites in the country.As well as safety, energy efficiency is also a major factor whenintroducing advanced engineering into the production process.Many companies are looking to electric actuation, in operationssuch as bottle and tray sealing machines, rather than the familiarhydraulic machines. As Olsen Engineering point out, one clearbenefit is that electric systems only consume energy when neededand, apart from the 2-3% servo drive losses, doesn’t use anyenergy when stationary – providing obvious cash savings.There are other benefits in electric systems compared tohydraulic systems, especially for small businesses. Most notably,the physical size of an electric system is usually much smaller asno cooling circuit is required, never mind the oil tank and filtersthat are used. Since they use standard automation principles,using digital and analogue signals to accurately control the speed,force and position, they also prove to be much easier to installand control, so downtime is often not so much of an issue.In addition, in sealing operations, the sealing force isconsistent and repeatable since the servo electric motor can applythe same force every time. The electric system is also notsusceptible to air pressure dips on the supply lines when othermachines are working. In this case, it’s also possible to data-logthe sealing cycle so that there is an accurate record of the sealinghistory, how much force was applied and that positional set-points were achieved. As well as allowing the user to review thework carried out, this also has obvious advantages in givingassurance and evidence that the sealing force was applied asdemanded – valuable when customers are requiring traceability atevery stage of the production process.Innovation such as this is part and parcel of why the food anddrink industry has continued to enjoy success. Consumers’ andretailers’ demands for fast-moving but safe production lines havebeen a major driver of engineering solutions in recent years andbusinesses of all shapes and sizes can take advantage.The new Automating Manufacturing Programme, managed by the British Automationand Robot Association, aims to encourage the uptake of automation among UKmanufacturers. Laidler Associates, part of the machinery division of TÜV SÜD ProductService, is lending its support026-029:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:35 Page 3ENGINEERING & COMPONENTSwww.fdiforum.net29New fabricationdivision forFreezer ServicesFreezer Services has opened a new fabrication division to ensurethey can now specialise in all stainless steel fabrication for thefood industryThe introduction of the fabrication division means FreezerServices can now offer a sheet metal and fabrication service to theindustry, as well as the existing industrial spiral freezer servicingand maintenance offerings.The new division means Freezer Services have created a team ofhighly experienced sheet metal workers, including a new FabricationManager in Dave Pascoe. Dave has over 25 years’ experience, and isextremely well-known for his workmanship throughout the country,working at many blue chip companies such as Kelloggs, Rowntrees,Cadburys and Pepsi Co, to name but a few. Dave says, “We aim to produce top quality goods at competitiveprices, delivered on time – without compromising quality. Due toour vast knowledge and experience in the freezing sector, we canalso offer waste reduction solutions to the food industry,combined with our fabrication and welding services”.Freezer Services continues to enjoy impressive feedback. TheManaging Director of a food processing plant in Scunthorpe says,“The turn-around time on quotes and quality of work is excellentand they are always willing to offer advice on new ways ofimproving our designs.” The Managing Director of a fishprocessing factory in Grimsby says, “Quality of work andtransportation of parts has always been consistently high.” The Freezer Services workshop is situated in Grimsby,within close proximity of all major motorway networks.Call them on 01472 352824 to discuss yourrequirements, or visit freezer-services.co.uk.Nylacast at theforefront ofdevelopmentWhen considering engineeringapplications and components, thosewithin the food, drink andpackaging industries often call uponNylacast, including the likes ofWeetabix, Premier Foods, Pepsicoand Rexam.For over four decades,Nylacast have been at theforefront of design andapplication development inengineering components.Utilising the latest in CAD/CAM technology and advancedengineering techniques, coupled with materials technology,Nylacast offer engineering components which are idealreplacements for traditional materials.From light weight, low noise applications through to advancedEU 2002/72/EC and FDA compliant, self lubricating materials,which are stable, corrosion, chemical, wear and abrasion resistant,Nylacast materials and components are recognised as the perfectsolution to arduous environments. As well as the ability toproduce bespoke components, a number of typical applicationsinclude gears, scrapers, sprockets, portioning cones, mouldingdrums and gears.With highly advanced manufacturing and production facilitiesand a team of experienced engineers, all operating to ISO 9001standards, Nylacast pride themselves on being able to offercustomers and clients a complete engineering polymer solution.Furthermore, with a full state of the art Research & Developmentand Testing Laboratory, Nylacast are also able to custom formulatetheir pioneering polymers to suit specific application needs.Benefits of Nylacast components include...*Exceptional resistance to wear and abrasion*Food grade approved material – FDA / EU 2002/72/EC* High impact strength*Corrosion and chemical resistance*Self lubricating – eliminating routine and costly maintenance*Lightweight*High visibility colours*Significant noise reductionFor more information, call Nylacast on0116 276 8558, email engineer@nylacast.comor visit www.nylacast.comIron Starwheel and Nylacast Oilon Starwheel both usedin the same environment for the same amount of time026-029:Layout 1 16/12/11 09:35 Page 4Next >