< Previous19-23:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:46 Page 2TRANSPORT & LOGISTICSwww.fdiforum.net21where traffic is notoriously horrendous. Itseems that further adapting deliveryvehicles for the driving situation they arein is entering firms’ minds, as almostsmoothing over the rough edges meanscutting every last disadvantage andwasted carbon expense. This of course can be applied alongwith driver training to further curbwasted fuel expense, as by driving‘intelligently’ massive cost savings can bemade. Increasing use of virtual drivingsimulators is also having an impact.Being able to see hazards and flashing upwarnings when driving methods can beimproved such as breaking early andusing gears to suit the situations bettermeans drivers take these lessons intotheir daily routes. Courses of this natureseem to be springing up more often andthe consensus seems to be that trainingnew as well as existing drivers isessential. Fitting it inSpace is always at a premium when itcomes to the industry. Due to freshnessand demand it seems storage is rarely anissue for too long but more companiesare eschewing moving warehousepremises with building on what theyhave.An ice-cream manufacturer recentlyneeded to expand its warehouse facility,wanting a cost-effective solution to adeep-freeze environment that could storearound 13,000 pallets with significantpallet movements.By combining pallet buffers, thestorage density of a warehouse was22 Left: Ease of picking and transitwithin warehouses can lower costs.Above: Monitoring technology oftenmeans fewer mistakes in largeoperations19-23:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:46 Page 322www.fdiforum.netTRANSPORT & LOGISTICSincreased by up to 90% while reducingannual running costs by a similaramount. This easily provided storage for13,500 pallets. Integrated vertical/horizontaltransporters, conveyors and shuttleswithin a welded rack system, in turncombined with software means completecontrol from a single workstation. Palletthroughput was therefore increased bythe system’s ability to deliver retrievedpallets to the operator in the order theyare required to floor level. All thisreduced the need for material handlingequipment and the associated operatingcosts which is surely a boon for those in asimilar situation.A hub for the industryThe recent Totally Logistics Northevent was another success, with theindustry gathering to showcaseeverything from the latest IT, warehouseand distribution software systems,materials handling equipment, storageand packaging systems. Leading blue chipcompanies such as Asda, B&Q, BMW,IKEA, Next, Norbert DentressangleLogistics and Tesco are located in thenumerous logistics parks located in thesurrounding area and this helped toenhance Doncaster as the ideal venue forthe event. As well as seminars on how to improvebusiness, there was the chance forvisitors to visit the B & Q distributioncentre located at Worksop. A site spreadover several acres, it was a chance to seethe latest picking technology, forkliftsand robotics on display which althoughwere dealing with hardware for a largeDIY firm, could equally be at home in afood and drink capacity. Using robots toutilise the space efficiently, items werestored in caged-off areas where productscould be automatically picked accordingto software which checked stock levelsand delivered the appropriate itemsaccordingly. Although using the storage areas inthis manner for seasonal items, food anddrink companies could well utilise thiskind of technology, coupling it withchilled or frozen technology to storeproducts long term or just moreeffectively. An innovative stock pickingelement was also at play and it was easyto see how these could be applied to the19-23:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:46 Page 4TRANSPORT & LOGISTICSwww.fdiforum.net23food and drink industry directly. A simple change, like wrist-mounted scanning technology, not only offers full traceability,but also monitors what each and every member of staff hascompleted in a shift. This not only provides peace of mind dueto the perishable and fragile nature of food and drink products,but also means performance levels can be managed much morequickly. Scotland examines its own linksRecent developments within the industry could be said to beengendered at a recent event held in Scotland. Although not thebiggest of countries, its food and drink heritage and recentimprovements in exporting goods means it is an area to watch.The logistics industry was recently put under the spotlight at theScottish Supply Chain Conference, held in Glasgow. Professor Alan McKinnon of Kuhne University, Hamburg andHeriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, was commissioned by FTA’sScottish Supply Chain Forum to produce The Scottish LogisticsReport, which looks at the importance of logistics to Scotland’seconomy and examines whether Scotland’s supply chains are fitfor purpose. Chris MacRae, FTA’s Head of Policy for Scotland says, “Thisreport highlights Scotland’s logistical inter-dependence withother parts of the UK, Europe and the world. In the modernworld and in a modern economy, supply chains do not exist inisolation – there is always an international aspect.”The report covers many different aspects of logistics operationsin Scotland and highlights several notable developments,including Scotland’s freight modal split only changing marginallydespite government efforts to promote the use of rail andwaterborne services. This suggests that road is still the preferredmethod of delivering goods, which is unsurprising given theintelligent technology employed by most transport companies,including accurate and bespoke refrigeration, driver behaviourcharting and logistic networks.The report also highlighted a sharp increase in the amount ofcontainerised traffic passing through Scottish ports, partly as aconsequence of the boom in Scotch whisky exports. Thissupports the work being done abroad by Scottish food and drinkambassadors, who have been pushing their presence atinternational exhibitions.Spendrups choosesSystem Logistics forstrategic projectSpendrups, one ofthe leading breweriesin Sweden, tookadvantage of SystemLogistics’ offerings tocombine the storage,order preparationand productdistribution phases attheir plants, ensuringthey could be sharedfor processing both own brand and subcontracted products.The warehouse designed by System Logistics is located inGrängesberg, the largest of Spendrups’ four Swedish plants. Thenew warehouse had to satisfy the various specific requirementspreviously agreed with different customers relating to order andshipment processing, ensure reduced processing and reactiontimeframes of the logistics system, ensure working conditionscomparable to the best Northern European standards and be up andrunning without any effect on the company’s day to day operations.The automatedvertical warehousefrom Systems Logisticsfeatures 45,000 palletslots and is capable ofsimultaneouslyhandling 300 palletsper hour from thefactory productionlinked via the bridge,50 pallets per hourfrom the external production warehouses and 400 pallets per hourto the shipment stations, which include 55% of mixed palletsprepared for picking.The SKUs handled by the system are 800x1200 wood and plasticEuropallets and 800x600 half-size pallets. The storage sectionconsists of a single-depth self-supporting shelving, where twelve 36metre high, bi-pallet, two-column stacker cranes slide along a 130metre long aisle. The shipping system follows “just in time” criteria – all productsare kept in the warehouse and retrieved only when the truck is inposition at the loading platform.For more information, call System Logistics on +39 0536 916111, email info@systemlogistics.comor visit www.systemlogistics.com.PHOTO: LANGDONS19-23:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:46 Page 5Fruit and vegetableprocessing and packing issomewhat more complexthan other commoditiesin food and drink. Withdelicate and perishableproducts, technology isaiding cost savings as wellas ease of delivery.24www.fdiforum.netFRUIT & VEGETABLE PROCESSING & PACKINGPerfectionthroughproduceFruit and vegetableprocessing and packing issomewhat more complexthan other commoditiesin food and drink. Withdelicate and perishableproducts, technology isaiding cost savings as wellas ease of delivery.Perfectionthroughproduce24-28:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:49 Page 1FRUIT & VEGETABLE PROCESSING & PACKINGwww.fdiforum.net25The challenge within the fruitand vegetable processingindustry is always to ensurequality without damaging theproduct, which is often delicate and oncestruck or broken, cannot be repaired.Using light to inspect the internalcomposition of fruit has become thenorm. For certain fruits, halogen bulbsare often enough. The density of liquid-heavy fruits such as lemons or limesmeans seeing any anomalies is easy andmachinery automatically checks it.Building on this, near infra-redtechnology for detecting internal defectsin onions has recently been launched.Much more dense than other vegetables,the use of infra-red signals means evenlarge and particularly hardy onionsamples can be processed. By definition internal defects areimpossible to detect. As a result of usingthe best growers, such defects only occuron a small percentage of crops. However,a reduction in this figure will enablefirms to improve quality and customersatisfaction. Consumer preferences have recentlybeen creating a demand for productswhich are consistent in appearance andquality too. As Stephen Jacobs of Buhler says:“Misshapen and discoloured products willnot be accepted by either retailer orconsumer. This means processors mustfind a way to eliminate these withoutdiscrediting the natural integrity of thefruit or vegetable product. “Producing a consistent product canhelp give processors the edge overcompetitors, therefore ensuring the mostefficient and effective process can be ofextremely high value. Sorting technologycan ensure a high standard of product byidentifying and removing products whichdon’t meet demand requirements. Usingeffective technology here will ensure thebest product without being overt in thelevel of processing that the product hasundergone.”Pushing the productWith particularly delicate items, suchas netted citrus fruits, trays are often usedfor protection, but the machinery thatprocesses the product into these traysneeds to be more gentle than mostmachinery allows. This is why there havebeen increases in use of machinery thatsimply pushes fruit around rather thanscooping or compressing it betweenpickers or mechanical arms.This eliminates product waste andincreases netted fruit packing throughputthanks to a quick, but efficient manner.Automated packers can easily replacethe current labour intensive approach ofloading netted products into crates, traysand cartons by hand via a rotary table.Not only is the rotary table process costlydue to high staffing requirements, bags offruit are often wasted when packersaccidentally drop the products, or theyare bruised when the handler loads theminto a tray resulting in costly penaltiescharged by the retailer. Simple, yet effective, parallel conveyorbelts transport bags of fruit from netpacking machinery to a set of landingplatforms. Once the correct quantity ofnetted product is detected, the product isgently pushed onto a set of loweringplates, which smoothly lower productsinto the waiting tray below – completelyeliminating product damage and waste.This is all completed without humanhandling and uses a combination of touchscreen, PLC and servo systems. This ideaof gently moving the product around onplates, not allowing it to drop, is alsoused in systems where fruit has been cutfor ‘ready to eat’ packages which are nowincreasingly popular for convenienceconsumers.Automated solutions exist where thecutting, slicing and dicing of fruit, often26 Fruit gently slides off the lowering plates into anawaiting tray positioned underneath the machinePHOTO: PACEPACKER24-28:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:49 Page 226www.fdiforum.netFRUIT & VEGETABLE PROCESSING & PACKINGvery small, is combined with the packaging element. Oftenthese machines are fully portable too, allowing them tomove from line to line with no great upheaval to dailyoperations. Providing great amounts of revenue from verylittle product, it is no small wonder that this is becoming anincreasing offering across the retail sector as well as withinthe foodservice industry. Convenience and no preparation time means labour costsare saved too. As a result, however, fruit is often sticky,small in size and awkward to move around. Combining thevarious parts of the process into one means it is seamless,with no product loss and minimal exposure to the air beforebeing wrapped or packaged, essential as oxidation cangreatly affect the freshness of fruits with high water contentlike melon, strawberries, watermelon, kiwi fruit and orange.Fruit for the massesActing as somewhat of a meeting place for the world’sfruit and vegetable industry, Macfrut is an internationalshowcase held in Cesena, Italy. The 2012 show looked atthe whole supply chain and covered a host of meetings,with many companies, authorities and institutionsorganising their own workshops and discussions.An increasing number of foreign exhibitors and visitorsmeant eight French companies hosting their own standcoordinated by the French Embassy-Ubifrance in Italy andseveral companies based at the Salone Ortogroup, forming amini supply chainhub and the Consorzio Eurepackle standbrought together producers of collapsible crates.More than 350 meetings took place between foreign andItalian companies and a focus on product and processinnovation, meant innovative opportunities and ways toincrease consumption or stimulate new consumption trends.Macfrut also launched the Fruit, Sport and Wellbeingproject to promote fruit and vegetables as natural28 Macfrut, held in Italy is a global meeting place for the entire fruit and vegetableprocessing industry.24-28:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:49 Page 3Progress through innovationwww.heatandcontrol.comOver 60 years of Food Processing & Packaging SystemsAfter 60 years in the food industry, Heat and Control has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of food processing and packaging systems. A combination of experience, expertise, a global team of engineers, technicians and consultants and a commitment to innovation and quality, will guarantee world class solutions to any food industry production requirement.Snack FoodsTortilla and Corn ProductsFrench FriesMeat, Poultry & SeafoodPrepared FoodsBakery FoodCandy & ConfectioneriesCereal & PastaCheese & DairyFruit & Vegetables24-28:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:49 Page 428www.fdiforum.netFRUIT & VEGETABLE PROCESSING & PACKINGsupplements for sports activities for both professional athletes andamateurs, which it also intends to take to Brussels.Awarding innovationThe Macfrut Oscars ceremony also tookplace at the exhibition, awarded to the mosthighly innovative products manufactured withinthe fruit and vegetable sector andalready on the market, it showed thewealth of invention at work at themoment.The main prize was awarded to theFalstaff Pear, a new variety of redpear, with a spicy taste and with a vanillaand cinnamon flavour. In the category for machineryand technology for selection andpackaging, the winner was theWD4-125 manufactured by theSorma Group. This is a high-precision weighing systemparticularly suitable for citrus fruits,able to weigh up to a hundred 1 kg packagesin one minute.Machinery that cuts, slices anddices can often be twinned withpackaging equipment to ensureproducts are not damagedPHOTO: PRIMAVessel & Tank WeighingPlatform ScalesWeight Indicators & Control Systems24-28:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:49 Page 5HEALTH & SAFETYwww.fdiforum.net29We all know health and safetybreaches can have devastatingeffects for everyone involved. Asif the potential for injury isn’tenough, no responsible employer wants theguilt of injuries or deaths haunting them.Although it’s often argued that there’s toomuch health and safety regulation andadministration for businesses, in the food anddrink industry in particular, the time andmoney spent on training schemes,refurbishment and replacing old material willbe minimal compared to the potential costs andobvious damage to a company’s reputation.Happily, in the food and drink sector,health and safety has long been a top priorityand new machinery and working practices arebeing introduced with safety very much inmind. The catering sector makes extensive useof HACCP principles when it comes totraining staff and, as we discuss elsewhere inthis issue, improved testing and othermicrobiological methods mean that thestandard of products that reach the shelvesare now higher than ever – which is perhapsremarkable given the increased pressures onmanufacturers to complete tasks faster and ata lower cost than ever before.To ascertain the value of the current healthand safety procedures, however, work has tobe carried out to examine their results, whichexplains why, in the UK, Diary UK, theInstitute of Occupational Safety and Health’sFood and Drink Group and the Food andDrink Federation have joined forces todevelop an annual benchmarking survey. Thefirst results, collated in 2011, show there weretwo deaths, 137 major injuries and 808injuries that required over three days’ absencein the UK. The accident frequency rateshowed that 62% of the total 68,650 workersin the food industry will suffer an over three-day accident during their working lifetime.The aim is that this survey will be heldevery year to build up a fuller picture of thestate of the food and drink industry andcreate a clearer view of ill-health. Theintention is to introduce a bigger sample anda wider overview. One major step forward willbe the introduction of data on hours worked,which food and drink manufacturers typicallyuse to gauge performance but which theHealth and Safety Executive isn’t able tocollect while compiling their data.If more companies can be encouraged toensure best practice is in place, so much thebetter. Indeed as of October, UK companiesare required to take up a more proactiveapproach in their health and safety because30 The completeapproachManaging safe food handling and hygieneis paramount for companies operatingwithin the sector and companies such asArco specialise in producing equipment toassist in this regardCompanies are now taking a wider view of theirhealth and safety requirements – it appears thelarge fines and potential export blocks are drivingthe message home29-30:Layout 1 15/10/12 10:50 Page 1Next >