SERIES Reducing costs
A modern
A modern approach to data
approach to data management for combating costs
management for combating costs
By Kati Hope, Global Account Manager, Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection D
ata plays a crucial role in shaping the world, fostering societal growth, learning and development. In food
manufacturing, data is the driving force behind optimal processes and results. This holds particularly true for product inspection, where the impact of data ripples through various operational and commercial facets. One company that cheese manufacturer.
production lines. At critical checkpoints, detection systems diligently inspect the hour. The real magic, however, happens in the meticulous optimisation of these product inspection facilities, leading to a remarkable reduction in product giveaway is production line data collected by the combination product inspection system’s data management software. It not only corrects them in real time. The data management software also
provides a holistic view of the inspection equipment’s status, adding a layer of transparency to the production process. This transparency enables timely measures, enhancing the production line’s overall availability. Trend analysis becomes a valuable tool in detecting anomalies, such as weight discrepancies, while metal detection systems undergoing rigorous Test results are continuously
10 April 2024 | Automation
documented in the data management check that inspection systems are working data management software is also allowing the company to quickly and easily prepare reports for submission to auditors, such as the weights and measures authorities and
Data first With a data management system in place, manufacturers can take major steps towards combating operational costs and is recognised as the gateway to digitalised future manufacturing. There are stages that manufacturers can work through achieve this transformation, beginning with moving the business from labour-intensive manual record keeping, to automated collection and storage of records.
Whilst this is a big culture change for some manufacturing plants, it is a key part of the process. Automatically collected, real-time data gives manufacturers true, actionable information, providing insights on which to base manufacturing productivity.
To digitalisation A critical component of data management is the ability to share collected data easily, and this is where connectivity comes in. Today, food manufacturers can invest in product inspection devices that have built- in machine-to-machine communication protocols, for secure transmission of data on an individual machine or device level, up through the production line and site systems to enterprise and cloud-based setups.
In the not-too-distant future, the
entire food supply chain is going to have to embrace digitalised food safety processes to comply with evolving regulatory requirements. The industry is heading towards food safety digital maturity – a point at which systems and processes can automatically capture and record performance and production line data, both for real-time production line improvements and to make that information seamlessly available to the supply chain partners. As technology becomes more sophisticated, companies will need to think beyond data management software to also factor in essential building blocks for the digitalised supply chain, such as cloud storage, Blockchain and system integration. The relationship between investing in such digital infrastructure and the drive towards combating costs might seem slightly more distant than some of the other aspects of data management that we impact lies in the fundamental operational integrity of the entire food manufacturing business, which clearly makes it a cost- saver and a revenue driver.
profound; for example if a product recall needs to be actioned, it can be targeted larger batches that might include perfectly good products. Food manufacturers will enjoy closer and far more positive relationship with their supply chain partners, too, which could bring huge cost savings compared to taking no steps at all toward digitalisation and supply chain transparency.
automationmagazine.co.uk
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