Dessie Brady, a Senior Food Technologist in CAFRE’s Knowledge Advisory Service, writes about the expanding role of robotics and automation in food production for SMEs
Food technologists at the College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) support industry in a number of ways including technical support in food innovation, minimising food waste, food for health, food regulatory requirements, food packaging alternatives and plastics reduction. I lead advanced manufacturing support in areas such as food processing, robotics and automation, and digitalisation. CAFRE also delivers food education courses and I’m keen to bring current industry themes and challenges into the learning environment to support knowledge transfer.
Our collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) at Queen’s University Belfast helps Northern Ireland’s agri-food small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to optimise their operations for the present and future. This includes learning about demands, identifying constraints, and pinpointing areas for improvement.
We partner with the AMIC on digital simulation models to virtually explore potential solutions that incorporate robotics, automation, and other advanced manufacturing tools. Digital simulation enables businesses to investigate the benefits and potential risks associated with these interventions before they invest in costly equipment or overhaul their production lines.
Several businesses have adopted automation solutions after considering the digital concepts identified through simulations, resulting in increased efficiency and throughput, labour redeployment and enhanced food safety and quality for their operations.
By embracing these advancements, SMEs can unlock significant advantages. While there’s an initial investment, automation can free up staff for higher-skilled roles and potentially reduce overall labour costs in the long run. Another benefit is improved sustainability: smarter factories can optimise resource usage and minimise waste, leading to a more sustainable food production system. CAFRE’s collaboration with the AMIC is pioneering a future where Northern Ireland’s agri-food SMEs can leverage the power of digital simulation to empower them to make informed decisions about their future, unlock efficiency gains, and become more competitive in the global marketplace.
However, integrating these technologies can pose challenges:
- Financial constraints: Robots and automation systems can require significant upfront investment.
- Skills: Operating and maintaining these systems may require additional technical skills or training for existing staff.
- Limited labour availability: For SMEs with a small workforce, there may be concerns that automation could displace existing staff. The focus should be on redeployment, with automation freeing up employees for higher-value tasks.
- Time constraints: Busy SMEs may struggle to dedicate the necessary time to thoroughly research, plan, and implement automation solutions.
- Stock keeping unit (SKU) range: Many SMEs frequently make a wide range of products; this reduces the plant efficiency due to line changeovers often requiring line In addition, many food manufacturing businesses have different allergen and ‘free from’ claims to manage to ensure product authenticity and quality.
- Space limitations: Established businesses may not have space to accommodate robots or automated production Careful space planning and potentially reconfiguring existing layouts might be necessary. This is where digital simulations can help SMEs to visualise potential interventions.
- Return on investment (ROI) uncertainty: Accurately calculating the ROI for automation can be complex for Factors like production volume, labour costs, and product type all influence the ROI equation, making it difficult to predict the true payback period.
- Integration challenges: Existing production lines and equipment may not be readily compatible with new automation systems. Ensuring seamless integration and smooth data flow between old and new technologies can be a challenge.
Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of robotics and automation are significant for SMEs in the agri-food sector. By carefully considering these hurdles and exploring options like collaborative robots (cobots) and scalable automation systems, SMEs can make informed decisions and pave the way for a more efficient, productive, and competitive future.
Benefits of automation
Automation can help to improve food safety throughout production processes. Repetitive tasks like product handling, weighing and cleaning are prone to human error. Automation removes this human element, ensuring consistent and accurate execution. Automated systems offer better precision, minimising the chances of mistakes which reduces the potential of introducing foreign objects or cross contamination.
Automated cleaning systems can thoroughly sanitise equipment and surfaces, promoting a cleaner production environment. These systems implement rigorous cleaning protocols consistently, eliminating the risk of human error or shortcuts. The use of input sensors to monitor water pressure, volume, chemical concentration, time and temperature during the cleaning process can help verify that the cleaning process is adequate. This is key for clean-in-place (CIP) operations but also for general object cleaning. The data that the sensors collect can be analysed and stored digitally for audit purpose.
Maintaining consistent temperatures throughout production is crucial for food safety and automated monitoring and control systems ensure precise temperature regulation across storage, processing, and packaging stages. Sensors on the production line continuously gather data, allowing for real-time adjustments and minimising the risk of bacterial growth or spoilage due to temperature fluctuations.
Automation goes beyond basic tasks: vision systems equipped with advanced cameras and image recognition software can inspect products for blemishes, foreign objects, or imperfections at high speeds and with unmatched accuracy. This significantly reduces the risk of faulty or contaminated products reaching consumers.
Modern automation systems offer real-time tracking and data-logging capabilities through integrated sensors. This data allows for precise identification of ingredients, batches and processing details for each product. In the event of a food safety concern, this detailed traceability, coupled with sensor data, enables swift and targeted product recall, minimising risk to consumers. Additionally, sensor data can be analysed to identify trends or potential problems before they occur, promoting a proactive approach to food safety.
By minimising human error, enhancing cleaning protocols, ensuring temperature control with real-time monitoring, utilising vision systems for reduced non-conformances and improved quality assurance, facilitating traceability with sensor data, and enabling data-driven decision making, automation plays a vital role in safeguarding food safety within the agri-food sector. This not only protects consumers but also bolsters brand reputation and consumer confidence.
Future focused
The use of robotics in food production is rapidly evolving and the future holds exciting possibilities. As part of CAFRE’s future campus redevelopment plans, we are keen to support the demonstration of new robotic capabilities in our new Robotics, Automation and Packaging Innovation Centre (RAPIC) in Loughry, which we hope to construct in the years ahead. The ambition is to establish an innovation space for key equipment suppliers to create bespoke solutions for food manufacturers. This facility will also use Industry 4.0 technologies like digitalisation to de-risk investment and promote technology transfer. The current rate of technological advancement is exponential. Here are some of the key trends I predict:
- Increased collaboration and dexterity Cobots will become even more sophisticated, seamlessly working alongside human employees in tasks requiring dexterity and adaptability. Imagine cobots or humanised robots assisting with delicate food handling, packing, or final product inspection.
- AI-powered automation and smart factories We’ll see an increase in automation systems that will use artificial intelligence to learn, adapt, and optimise production processes in real-time. This could involve robots autonomously adjusting settings based on product variations or dynamically re-routing production lines for maximum efficiency. The concept of ‘smart factories’ where robots, sensors and AI work together will become increasingly prevalent.
- Advanced robotics for unfavourable environments Robots designed for harsh or hazardous environments will play a bigger role. e.g., robots equipped for high-heat sterilisation processes or handling tasks in cold storage facilities, thus minimising human exposure to these conditions.
- Sustainable and hygienic robotics This could involve biodegradable materials in robot construction or robots with self-cleaning capabilities to minimise contamination risks.
- Greater integration Robots will become even more integrated with big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) networks. This will allow for real-time monitoring of food production processes, predictive maintenance for robots, and data-driven optimisation of food quality and safety.
- Ethical considerations and transparency As robotic integration becomes more widespread, discussions around ethical considerations and transparency in the food production chain will gain importance. Consumers will want to know how their food is produced, and the responsible use of robotics will be crucial for maintaining trust.
The future of robotics in the food industry promises greater efficiency, improved food safety, and potentially even more personalised food experiences for consumers.
ABOUT DESSIE BRADY
What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
My first love is Gaelic football. I have been both a player of the sport, and a coach of young football teams. When I finished playing Gaelic, I took up golf and I’m a member of the challenging Warrenpoint Golf Club. My favourite meal is a steak dinner and my quest to create the perfect meal continues, someday I will nail it.
What are you currently watching?
I tried to watch as much of the Paris Olympic Games as possible. I’m always amazed at the dedication and ambition of all the athletes regardless of the sport. I was delighted to see Armagh win the All- Ireland – for the players, the manager and their sponsors.
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