Balancing people and production technology for maximum efficiency

In food manufacturing, optimising human resources is about striking the right balance between people and technology - a synergy where human skills complement production line and product inspection systems, adding unique value that only competent, well-trained and motivated employees can provide.

Let's dive into this shift, understanding the strengths inherent in both humans and machines. Machines excel at automating manual processes, eliminating the risk of human error. Take label inspection, for instance. While human operators may make mistakes, vision inspection systems, when set up correctly and well-maintained, are designed not to fail. This not only reduces the chances of product recalls and associated costs but also enhances manufacturing efficiency and supports compliance with food safety standards. Moreover, it liberates staff to focus on other critical tasks within the production process.

Several other food manufacturing processes showcase the superiority of technology in terms of efficiency and accuracy compared to manual tasks. Consider manually weighing or visually checking product batches for correct weight or fill level - a time-consuming endeavour. Dynamic checkweighing and vision inspection technologies present a more efficient solution, promoting consistent quality control and allowing staff to concentrate on value-added aspects of the business.

Employee turnover challenges

High staff turnover has been a fact of life for many in the food business, leading to a skills shortage amongst the workforce - particularly in current business climates. When it comes to operating production line and product inspection machinery, errors and downtime can prove costly to the food manufacturer. It takes time to learn the skills required to manually set up product inspection systems such as x-ray and metal detection for each job, so the increasing use of pre-programmed and automated changeover procedures helps to relieve the concern brought about by this skills shortage.

Operators can also be supported by the introduction of automatic testing capabilities in product inspection machinery. For example, ATS (Automatic Test System) on vertical metal detectors offers many advantages. For the manufacturer, tests can be carried out more quickly and accurately, with data being automatically collected during the process. For the operator, there is no need to work at height to insert test pieces manually into systems, meaning there is less chance of them suffering accidents.

The experience of Italian manufacturer Pata Snacks has illustrated the benefits of automatic testing of product inspection systems. The company uses ATS from Mettler-Toledo on five of its throat-style vertical metal detectors, allowing it to complete end-to-end tests in under 40 seconds, compared to three minutes for manual testing. As well as enhancing its productivity and efficiency, it has doubled the number of tests it carries out every day on each system, which benefits product quality and safety. This has also translated to a labour saving of 1,600 hours per year in operator time.

Additionally, testing will happen regularly with data being collected and stored automatically. The quality and completeness of this testing data can prove invaluable in meeting compliance audits, further down the line.

Harnessing your most valuable resource

Acknowledging employees as the most valuable resource might sound like a clich, but it holds undeniable truth. To really home in on their potential, businesses need to invest in good recruitment, comprehensive training and a realistic assessment of where employees can contribute the greatest value.

Technology advances have made this evaluation urgent, steering businesses towards a smarter mix of talent and technology. The evolution is not about replacing people with machines but crafting a synergy that boosts productivity, enhances profitability and captures the real magic we're all chasing.