35th Anniversary
COVER STORY ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
35 years supporting automation in food and beverage production
Jarn Gill, Head of Corporate Sales, RS Components, explains how the company has worked with customers over the years, delivering new technology to help them improve their manufacturing processes
L
et me begin by congratulating Process & Control on its 35th anniversary issue
of the magazine. Those readers that have been following the magazine since its launch in 1980, albeit under a different name, have been kept abreast of all the key trends and technological developments that have happened in this important area. If we consider what many manufacturing and processing industries looked like back then, we have seen massive changes with increasing integration of technology and the automation of industrial processes, and perhaps no more so than in the area of food and beverage production. Looking at this sector specifically, over the past 35 years production has gone from employing little or no automation to a situation today where an entire bakery or dairy can be run with minimal human involvement, and only a handful of people operating largely computer- controlled machinery in the manufacturing process.
COMPLIANCE AND CONSISTENCY Like any manufacturing industry, the challenges are many in the food and beverage sector, such as compliance, consistency, traceability and the reliability of measured data. These are of course in addition to meeting ever more demanding price pressures as manufacturers find themselves competing in a global marketplace; and certainly the food and drink sector in the UK is no different. While this environment can bring some serious challenges, it also brings opportunities: according to statistics from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) exports of food and non-alcoholic drinks from the UK grew by 2.6% in 2014 with even stronger growth to countries outside of the EU, demonstrating the increasingly global
nature of the industry. At RS, we understand very well that the pace of technological change has increased massively over the past 35 years. Food makers have transitioned from a low- to a high-tech automation environment where every single part of the process is monitored and controlled and performed at very high speed. RS has been a leading supply partner for many of the household names in this industry for many decades now and has been an important supplier of automation components, electrical parts and consumables helping customers to keep their production lines running. Within RS is a wealth of experience in maintenance and repair operations and procurement, enabling its customers to attain high efficiency in its management of maintenance costs. More than this, RS has been at the forefront in working with its customers to improve their processes, bringing new technology to deliver extra functionality and helping them to reduce production downtime while also meeting demands for higher levels of hygiene, traceability and data measurement. RS has an enviable portfolio of leading manufacturers including brands such as Siemens, Schneider Electric and Rockwell
The food and beverage industry brings some serious challenges, but it also brings many opportunities
Allen-Bradley, and many specialists including SMC, Sick and Ambersil, which deliver custom solutions targeting specific areas of food and beverage production and packaging. More and more, the industry has seen
increased consolidation with fewer independent producers. Arguably, the cost of production has been a driving factor behind this trend, and recognising that the cost of raw ingredients is not entirely controllable. Investing in increased levels of production automation is key to delivering highly energy efficient processes with minimal human involvement to reduce costs, while also maintaining quality and consistency. Hence a growing number of companies are looking to automate their entire operations from the front- to the back- end, starting with the initial preparation of raw product through to packaging the product in the final stages.
Jarn Gill says RS understands completely how massive the pace of technological change has been over the past 35 years
Investing in increased levels of production automation is key to delivering energy efficient processes, whilst maintaining quality and consistency
INFORMATION ON PACKAGING One particular ongoing issue, being demanded by both supermarkets and consumers, is the increasing level of information to be provided on packaging such as ingredients and use-/sell-by dates. Certainly, legislation is somewhat dynamic in this area. In addition as different materials become available, such as those that are more environmentally friendly, the result is that manufacturers may need to change their processes or at least introduce more flexible systems and processes. This is where RS can bring its vast experience to bear with its access to technologies and know-how from leading manufacturer partners. Manufacturers that can offer process control solutions from intelligent vision sensors and energy saving pneumatics, to automated lubrication systems and food-safe cleaners. In addition, RS has long experience in providing solutions for hygiene and product traceability as well as helping companies with data capture and energy management challenges. RS was there right at the beginning of the trend to deploy higher levels of automation in the industry and it has the right technologies, products and know- how to play an even greater role over the next 35 years and beyond.
RS Components T: 08457 201201
uk.rs-online.com
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PROCESS & CONTROL | JUNE 2015 7
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