< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netBUSINESS SCENEADPAK30th Anniversary Adpak, the Lancashire-basedpackaging systems and filmspecialist, recently celebrated itsthirtieth year in business at a lavishanniversary event. It also marked theretirements of Managing DirectorJohn Farrow and ProductionDirector Andrew Lupton, thankingtwo key figures in the formation andlongevity of the company andcelebrating their impressiveachievements in business. Food andDrink International were one of theevening’s specially invited guestsand thoroughly enjoyed the event. 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:54 Page 1Food & Drink International 21www.fdiforum.netBUSINESS SCENEPHOTOS COURTESY OF BEN UNWIN PHOTOGRAPHY FDI's own Sam Trott &Vicky Hunt20-21.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:54 Page 222 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING OPTIMISATIONDistribution plays a key role in theefficiency of any company, pushing itsproducts into the hands of customers andmaking them available to the wider market.A poor or inefficient distribution system canhave devastating consequences for the dayto day running of a company, along withtheir ability to complete the terms of acustomer’s contract. With the balancebetween minimising costs and maximisingthroughput, isolating and identifying factorsthat cause delays or problems becomesincreasingly important.The amount of high-quality warehousespace has been declining year-on-year,however. This is due more to a lack ofspeculative developments taking placeduring the recessions of the last few years,and hardly helped by the uncertaintyaround Brexit. This impacted theconstruction industry especially and causedmany developers to hold onto their funds orinvest in the residential markets, which weremuch more stable. Now with the economyrecovering, companies are expanding tonew premises and purchasing warehousespace, without their being enough newbuilds to sustain it. Considering that the food and drinkindustry has more requirements onwarehouses than many other industries, thisis a particular problem for our sector. Somemanufacturers have been forced to take theunenviable decision to build their owndistribution centres which, while it allows ahigh level of control over what a companyneeds, is also an expensive investment tomake. Not all companies will have thecapital laying around, nor the time to build anew warehouse.ThewarehouseproblemWarehousing anddistribution is asimportant as ever,but a decrease inthe availability ofwarehousing spacein the UK mightlead to problemsdown the line.22-24.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:56 Page 1Food & Drink International 23www.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING OPTIMISATIONNew speculative developments maywell be a solution in the coming years,but for now the only options are tofight for an increasingly dwindlingamount of space – with the price ofsuch competed for space growing,naturally – or to make better use of thespace a company already has, whetherthat be through more efficientwarehouse systems or alternativestorage solutions.A leaner kind of warehouse may be asolution for some, especially those whohave inefficient warehouses already.Though not something to boast about,it at least provides the opportunity toimprove and utilise the space moreeffectively. If throughput is handledfaster and stock spends less time in awarehouse, then there will technicallybe more space available. Such is thetheory, anyway.SCM Systems have likely becomesuch a core part of operations thatmany don’t think about it, but this isfalse comfort. Like anything else, theseneed constant monitoring, and alsoconsideration as to whether investing ina newer or more up-to-date system willimprove efficiency. The answer is notalways yes, but it will be eventually, andthose that fail to take notice may suffer.Transport and distribution remainsone of the most costly and complicatedpart of the supply chain for anyindustry sector and is often scene asthe go-to location for cutting costs,improving efficiency, or limitingenvironmental waste. Over the years however the industryhas been squeezed so much, not onlyby companies looking to cut costs –but also ever-increasing costs of fueland tax related to it. While more recentcuts in the cost of oil have had abeneficial effect on the industry,suppliers were quickly expected to passthose savings on to their customers. One of the big questions faced bymany manufacturers in this situation –one of needing to transport fragile andstrictly-regulated goods more often tomeet quotas, is whether they shouldseek to increase their transport fleet –and all the costs associated with it, orwhether they should look to invest inmore facilities closer to the destination,usually in the form of warehouse or24 Á© Shutterstock/Studio Dagdagaz22-24.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:56 Page 224 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING OPTIMISATIONstorage space.The other option is to consider expanding transportfleets to accommodate for the increased demands, withmore goods on the road at any given time. While thiswill certainly avoid the issue of limited warehouse space,the long-term costs of such an arrangement maybecome untenable for many manufacturers. Expandinga fleet not only increases fuel and vehicle related costs –but also recruitment costs for drivers, wages andassociated HR and administration costs. There is alsothe issue of environmental impact and carbon wastecreated by a fleet.Many companies are seeking to combat the issuethrough a combined approach, both of improving theefficiency of their existing transport fleets. The guidingprinciple is to mix multiple forms of freight transport toachieve a net reduction in costs, be it energy or capital. Little has changed in terms of the challenges theindustry faces, but as it always has – the technologycontinues to adapt. Failure to keep in touch with thesechanges and take advantage of opportunities thatpresent themselves may mean disaster for many. © Shutterstock/Don PabloBID Group provide solution toCold Store’s energy lossWhen asked to solvetemperature control issueswith existing dock sheltersat a large cold storedistribution centre, BIDGroup provided the perfectsolution.Technical Manager RogerMcNeal explains: “Theloading dock area issusceptible to energy lossdue to the amount of gaps,and openings that existaround dock doors anddock levellers. If the loadingdock is not sealed properly,energy loss from aconditioned facility can besubstantial. “New dock shelters wererequired to facilitate various sized vehicles whilst offering the ultimatesealing between the gap of the vehicle and building. The answer was to fitInflatable dock shelters which provide perfect sealing by inflatingthemselves around the docked vehicle. Inflatable dock shelters are suitablefor a wide range of vehicle sizes and provide continuous weatherprotection throughout the entire loading and unloading operation.“They are the best choice for chilled storage applications within the foodindustry.”For more information, visit www.bidgroup.co.uk.22-24.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:56 Page 3Food & Drink International 25www.fdiforum.netPROCESS, CONTROL & AUTOMATIONWith food and drink businessesconstantly looking to increaseefficiency, respond to demand andreduce costs, automation has becomeessential for improving numerousaspects of food manufacturing,packaging, and distribution. Accordingto the 2017 Food and Drink IndustryEconomic Contribution and GrowthOpportunities Report, 73% ofmanufacturers are now automating theirsystems, and a market research report,Trends in Food Processing Operations,indicates that half of companies willincrease the level of automation in theirfood processing operation within thenext 3 to 5 years.Automation is having a major impactthe evolution of equipment andemployees across the industry.Automated processes are reducing theneed for human workers and arereplacing them with smoother, faster,more accurate and streamlined systemswhich reduce chance of errors andwhich can produce a more consistentproduct that meets constantly risingpublic expectations. In addition,automated systems can increase uptimeby unlocking a continuous productionline that does not require breaks in thesame way human workers do and doesnot suffer from fatigue. Of courseequipment can and does break downbut by embracing automation furtherwith an automated maintenance planthat takes advantage of tools like faultdetection and automated reporting, onecan avoid setbacks from machineryfailures. For example, wireless sensorscan now constantly track the health ofprocess equipment like conveyors,pumps, and fans, collecting data on theequipment’s performance which canthen be used to predict when it willneed to be replaced or repaired beforeis breaks, and can send alerts for this.TheautomationopportunityAfter a slow start in the food and drink industry, due to its tight regulations,automation has become rife - a central factor shaping the industry’s future. 26 Á© Shutterstock/asharkyu25-29.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:57 Page 1implement automated systems, onemust thus consider the ROI.In food processing and packagingone will now find a plethora ofautomated pieces of equipment such ascutting and dicing machines, ovens,mixers, wrapping equipment,automated guided vehicles (AGVs), andassembly robots taking the place ofhumans. The ability to reduce thenumber of employees required on theTake Control of Your Snacks Surface BrownnessŹ Measure Degree of Bake or Surface BrownnessŹ WƌŽĚƵĐĞŵŽƌĞĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶƚƉƌŽĚƵĐƚǁŝƚŚŝŶƐƉĞĐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶŹ Match the human eye for changes in colourŹAccurately measure moisture ŹControl the cooking process ŹHelp mitigate against acrylamide formationIn-Process Ɣ At-Linewww.ndc.comMaking Light Work26 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netPROCESS, CONTROL & AUTOMATION28 Á© Shutterstock/DedMityayBeing able to predict whenmaintenance is required reducesdowntime for repairs and preventsproductivity loss while also reducing theneed for constant humansupervision. Despite the benefits here,one must not forget the costs thatbuying and running this equipment canincur, as well as the time it takes toassess what equipment you will need,which is a main reason some businessesremain reluctant to take up theautomation opportunity. In deciding toproduction line - so that workers nolonger sit for instance alongside aconveyor and are instead operatorsmonitoring processes being carried outby machines - is a key reason many inthe industry are moving from traditionalmethods to automation, as the numberof available workers for food and drinkfacilities continues to plague theindustry. This is expected to be a majorissue for UK food and drink companies25-29.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:57 Page 2Food & Drink International 27www.fdiforum.netwww.dynascan.co.uk | sales@dynascan.co.uk | 01480 462142Would you like a free test report of your packaging? Dynascan knows that integrity testing can be troublesome...Which is why we are offering you a free seal integrity test report on your food and pharmaceutical packaged products. Dynascan is a specialist in destructive and non-destructive testing and is staffed by highly skilled technologists with over twenty years experience; our off the shelf and bespoke solutions are available to help you. Contact us today to learn more about the free test report of your packaging.The Rotronic UniversalMonitoring System – RMSMonitoring environmental conditions in any industry requires a fully integrated continuous monitoring system. The modular Rotronic Monitoring System – RMS is the perfect solution. It provides installation flexibility and full data availability, anywhere, and on a variety of devices. Rotronic can meet all your requirements, incorporating multiple sensors for parameters on a secure network. We can service the entire system. www.rotronic.co.uk/rmsROTRONIC Instruments (UK) Ltd, Crompton Fields, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9EE T: 01293 571000, instruments@rotronic.co.ukA PST Company (www.processsensing.com)25-29.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:57 Page 3who are facing employee uncertainty becauseof Brexit as the UK industry employs more EUmigrants - 30% - than any other sector, with afifth of EU nationals in the UK employed inthe industry. The rise in National MinimumWage is also set to worsen labour issues forUK food and drink companies. As the labourshortage remains, then, while the need toincrease productivity rises, automation maybe the best way to fill the labour gap andensure a successful operation is maintained.The switch to automation does not meanthat current employees need to be let gohowever, or that there will be limited jobs infood and drink production. Instead,automation is creating different positions infood and drink facilities that current staff canbe trained for, like running machinery, andnew jobs are also becoming available in theindustry for technicians and engineers.Automation also frees up employees for moreproductive tasks, for example if one adoptsAGVs workers no longer need to take part inrepetitive tasks like transferring materials to28 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netRobot wars: Lessons learned fromautomation leaders and robot laggardsWe are constantlyreminded that we arein the age ofautomation. Annualstatistics from theInternationalFederation ofRobotics paints apositive picture for2017, with a 31%increase in annualglobal shipments.However, the UKdoesn’t make the topten countries forinvestment. Anddespite an annual 19% increase, food and drink companies are still the smallest sectorof all those listed globally for robotic investments.David Jahn, Director at automation company Brillopak, believes that usingterminology interchangeably – particularly robotics, AI and automation – is part of thereason why UK food factories have dodged making big investments, particularly atend of line packaging and case loading lines. Sometimes, automation efforts fail to improve productivity and performance. Is thatthe robot’s fault? No! “The issue rests with people being misinformed about thecapabilities of robots in handling multiple variables and also not always appreciatingthe complexities of their own processes,” notes Mr Jahn. For more information, visit www.brillopak.co.uk.Clean, safe conveying flexlink.comFlexLink’s high-performance production flow delivers results. Our solutions for the food and dairy industries are safe and modular with a one-week shorter ramp-up compared to the competition and reduced cleaning time by over 25%. The FoodTech offer, including conveying solutions, handling functions and line control, lowers your total cost of deployment, increasing your overall equipment effectiveness with one percent or more. Call us on 01908 327200 or email us at info.uk@flexlink.com for further information.FlexLink is part of Coesia, a group of innovation-based industrial and packagingsolutions companies operating globally, headquartered in Bologna, Italy.www.coesia.com PROCESS, CONTROL & AUTOMATION25-29.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:58 Page 4production lines, and the use ofautomated machines further meansthat human workers can be taken outof dangerous roles, improving thesafety of workers in the industry.Automation has the additionalbenefit of better quality control.Measurement and mixing errorsfor example can be reducedwith the increased precisionautomated equipment allows,automated food qualitymanagement systems can beadopted, and productcontamination events can beprevented due to less humanhandling and these incidents becontrolled more tightly due to theimproved traceability automated trackingtechnology allows. This is of primeimportance in particular as the number of foodand drink recalls has quadrupled since 2008 inEurope as a result of everything from problematic rawmaterials to contamination caused during the productsjourney through the process chain. Improved traceability with,for instance, Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologymeans that tags on products can be tracked automatically,located easily and batches can be recalled quicker, perhapseven stopped from entering the market, possibly saving acompany’s reputation. Certain automated systems can further preventcontamination issues by detecting defects in ingredients andproducts. Optical sorting systems, as an example, determinefood quality by colour and can detect contaminants fromglass to insects to rotten materials. Items are scanned in anoptical box which assesses the reflectivity of objects todiscover contaminants, rejecting any that do indeed containthem. Despite the reduced chances of contamination fromhuman interaction with products and the number ofautomated contamination detection systems, critics haveraised concerns in regard to how removing human workersfrom a food or drink processing line means that there are lesseyes to monitor the wearing of machinery which couldincrease the potential of metal contaminants. However, thiscan be addressed with a solid metal detection system, and aquality assurance programme. X-ray contaminant detection isanother possible method to prevent metal contaminatedproducts.Automation also allows a food a drink company to keeptheir product production in line with ever-tighteningrequirements from regulators and legislation as well as thefast-paced changes in consumer demand. One can track thesechanges and does not need to retrain staff. Instead one canprogramme new requirements by updating software tocomply. As we move forward, food processing is expected tobecome more automated, and in order to remain competitiveit is time to embrace automation.www.sera-web.comCLEANING IN PLACEChemical CIP systems with hygienic pump heads,for the food, drink & brewery industry.ContactTel.: 01733 396040sales.uk@sera-web.comFood & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netPROCESS, CONTROL & AUTOMATION© Shutterstock/mady7025-29.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 09:58 Page 5Next >