ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY

Robots have changed manufacturing in almost every industrial sector and have increased efficiency and product consistency. However until recently, food manufacturing has been an exception to this trend. There are many for this, but one of the most often cited is that, unlike most products, food products by this very nature differ significantly in consistency and shape. This presents a considerable challenge to automated processing procedures.

*CURRENT MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Smaller company which constitute over 90% of EUROPEAN FOOD manufacturers, have been much slower to incorporate automation. The reason for this include limited low coast labor and expertise, market volatility for the assembly of soft, variable, fragile, slippery, sticky natural product and the predominance of short term orders which discouraged capital investment in automation.

*AUTOMATION IN FOOD MANUFACTURE

Initially automation in food industry concentrated on end of line work. For products that are high volume long life or a single product, hard or fixed automation solutions are appropriate. These can use either robots or combinations of simpler electromechanical devices.

If products are regular in shapes. However it product localization is poor or product shapes vary considerably. The automation solution will usually be much more complex. But that’s changing .In recent years, a combination of robotics and electronically system has shown they can automate processing of most food products.

The future of food manufacturing procedures will likely remain much the same, but the bias against automation will likely continue for particular markets and products, but th8is will be interspersed with island of appropriate automation.

                                                                                  PRAKHAR MEHROTRA (B.Sc. 3^rd Year)

                                                                                  INSTITUTRE OF FOOD TECH. (B.U JHANSI)