Preventive Maintenance Guide for Piston Filling Machines

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Purchasing any machinery is an investment. When purchasing a piston filler and depositor machine, you’ll want to perform preventive maintenance regularly, that way the equipment you’ve purchased always stays in peak condition. Afterall, ignoring proper upkeep of machinery can mean the financial burden of repairing a damaged machine plus the probable losses that stem from unplanned downtime in your production. Preventive maintenance will keep your investment in optimal condition for as long as possible.

Volumetric Technologies offers the following suggestions for preventive maintenance on piston filling machines and depositors:

  • Apply liberal amounts of grease to dynamic O-rings and seals to ensure all sliding components are well lubricated. Lubrication is important for any components that cycle continuously for many hours at a time.
  • Inspect all mechanical components to the machine on a regular basis. This allows you to catch any problems right away and get them repaired before they cause more issue in the future.
  • Perform a functionality test on all electrical sensors and valves. Electrical components can be the most common failure component due to the amount of cycles and often wet environment. Catching an electrical issue at the source will save many hours of troubleshooting and production downtime.
  • Disassemble only the mechanical components that are meant to be disassembled for cleaning. Use proper cleaning agents to ensure you are cleaning the components appropriately.
  • Keep an eye out for variation in the performance of the machine This could include nozzle drips that were not there previously, large variation in the dispense volumes, or a change in the machine cycle speeds.

filling machine

Choose Quality Filling Machines from Quality Manufacturers

Preventive maintenance preserves any machine’s quality and performance. With proper handling and care, your piston filling and depositing machine can function for the entirety of its expected lifespan, maybe longer.

As a manufacturer and designer of filling machines and entire production lines, Volumetric Technologies is the best source of maintenance tips for all machines, accessories, and peripherals under our brand.

If you purchased our automatic and manual piston fillers and piston depositors, rest assured that our service team will instruct your operators and employees on how to properly maintain your equipment.

Find top-of-the-line equipment and services from Volumetric Technologies. Schedule a consultation today.

Ways the Food and Drink Sector Can Help Fight Global Food Waste

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According to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately 1.3 billion tons of food around the world is lost or wasted every year.

The U.S. Food Waste Reduction Alliance defines food waste as “any liquid or solid food substance which is discarded, or intended or required to be discarded.” To date, the amount of global food waste costs around $2.6 trillion annually, more than enough to feed the 815 million people in the world who are suffering from chronic undernourishment.

Food and beverage manufacturers can help resolve the global issue of food waste by investing in anti-waste equipment. At Volumetric Technologies, we supply dispensing nozzles, piston fillers, and depositors designed for zero drips and spills.

By taking steps to minimize product waste, F&B producers can reduce costs, improve productivity, and promote sustainability at all levels of the supply chain. Here are three ways to reduce food waste in the production line.

1. Select the right packaging

Food spoilage is one of the main causes of food waste. It may occur before products reach retail stores and after consumers purchase them.

There are innovative packaging solutions designed to keep food fresh and protected during transport and sales. For instance, today’s manufacturers are setting silver nanoparticles into plastic storage bottles and using microperforated pouches to prolong the product’s shelf life and prevent damage during production. Individually sealed compartments and resealable packaging also help keep products in excellent condition.

food packaging

2. Invest in state-of-the-art equipment

Spillage and product rejects all contribute to large amounts of food waste. Sloppy filling can also result in contaminated and low-quality products that are likely to be scrapped and discarded.

Investing in reliable filling machines and dispensing nozzles can boost the efficiency and precision of production lines. High-performance equipment not only minimizes product spills and losses, but also helps food processing firms increase yields and profits.

3. Educate consumers

Research shows that 44% of food waste takes place at the consumer level.

There are several ways food manufacturers can help consumers reduce their individual impact. Waste reduction practices and shelf life details should be printed clearly on the packaging. Include easy-to-read freezing, preparation, storage, and defrosting instructions to prevent early spoilage. Other practical tips such as preserving leftovers and ideal storage temperatures should also be indicated.

Using standardized date labels is another way to educate customers. Phrases such as “best before”, “sell by”, “expires on”, and “use by” can cause confusion and result in unnecessary wastage. Standardized date labels, on the other hand, specifies whether the date indicates spoilage or simply that the product has surpassed the period of peak quality.

Your one-stop source for superior filling equipment 

Taking steps to reduce food waste not only makes your business more sustainable, but also boosts revenue and builds shareholders’ and customers’ confidence.

Volumetric Technologies has over 25 years of experience providing cutting-edge filling machines, conveyors, transfer pumps, and more for food and beverage companies. Designed for precision and durability, our machines can be customized according to your unique business needs.

Choose from anti-waste filling machines that are built to last.

Servo Piston Fillers: What Is a Servo Motor Used For?

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What Is a Servo Driven Piston Filler?

A servo driven piston filler is a version of piston filling machine that precisely controls the amount of liquid that flows out of the dispensing nozzle. The machine’s program instructs the servo piston filler how long to stroke the piston and at exact customizable speeds. Together, the technology and hardware ensure that the volume deposited in the passing receptacles below is uniform and the exact amount.

Purpose of Servo Motors in Filling Equipment

The servo motor is the key to the precision and efficiency of the servo-driven piston filling machines at Volumetric Technologies. It is also what makes it possible for liquid filling machines to accommodate specialty applications that require very precise filling characteristics. This could be useful in all industries from bakery to cosmetics.

It is also thanks to the servo motor drive assembly that you get exact amounts of liquids or mixtures for every pump. They reduce the margin of error for volume accuracy to nearly zero. If you were to revert to manually filling bottles or spooning filling into pies, it will take a much longer time to ensure that each container gets the same amount of product every single time.

Reap the Benefits of Servo Piston Fillers through Volumetric Technologies

filling machine

Servo piston fillers offer the following benefits of automation:

  • Speed – Piston fillers can operate up to 80 deposits per minute.
  • Precision – These computer-aided machines perform precisely as programmed, increasing efficiency and reducing production waste.
  • Scalability – If you need to increase your output, you can outfit your machine to have extra depositors (up to 24 single head depositors in one filling system). You can then increase your productivity by up to 80 deposits multiplied by the number of heads in your scaled-up production or packaging line.
  • Durability – Servo motors and Volumetric Technologies’ machines are all built to last. We built our machines to run continuously without faltering in their speed and accuracy. Volumetric Technologies adds another benefit: we provide unparalleled technical support to our customers by producing replacement parts and servicing the machines ourselves. We make sure that your piston filler performs as well and for as long as expected.
  • Flexibility – Any filling machine by Volumetric Technologies has some flexibility in structure and function. You can use the same machine for dispensing different kinds of mixtures. Depending on how different the products and containers are, you may have to replace the nozzles in the filling machine to operate as best possible.

Volumetric Technologies has a wide range of servo piston fillers for you to choose from. Tell us what you need, and we will give you our recommendations on how to set up your liquid filling system using our servo piston filling machines. We can also customize your equipment to better suit your needs.

You can soon achieve your goal of increasing revenue with top of the line filling equipment from Volumetric Technologies. Get in touch today.

Things to Consider when Choosing a Liquid Filling Machine

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Your choice of liquid filling machine makes or breaks the efficiency of your production. If you’re looking for a model that can endure long, continuous hours of production or streamline the production process of your cottage business, there are various qualities to look into to find the equipment worth investing in.

Besides basic and practical considerations like budget, physical dimensions, tech integration and compatibility, scalability, and longevity, these factors will let you determine the most suitable machine for your needs:

Product viscosity

How fluid or viscous is your product? This is the first thing to think about when acquiring in-line filling systems of any scale. Runny liquid needs a different set of nozzles than thick, viscous liquid. There’s also the matter of product content: is it entirely fluid or are there particulates like beads in facial cleansers or bits of food in soup and batter?

The product dictates what kind of machine you need. A high-viscosity liquid filling machine with a piston filler, for example, is ideal for viscous products that need a bit of force to push them out of the dispensing nozzle.

Watery products don’t need a piston machine because the liquid can exit the nozzle merely by gravity. What they do need are leak-proof valves that ensure the correct volume of liquid is dispensed every time.

food production

Container or Receptacle

The container, specifically the shape of the opening, also matters when choosing a small liquid filling machine. Bottles have narrow mouths and can have narrow necks as well. These will need precision-controlled nozzles that fit perfectly into the opening.

In baking, the dispensing machine could deposit fluids into semi-finished food products like pie crusts or doughnuts. Each needs a different kind of filling machine.

For pies, a traditional piston filler with a wide-nozzled dispenser that pumps filling from above is a common choice. For doughnuts, a funnel dispenser with one or more thin, needle-like nozzles positioned vertically or horizontally is commonly used.

Degree of Automation

If your production line is mostly manual, a semi-automatic liquid filling machine will suffice. Take our example above for liquid filling machines for doughnuts. Bakeries that sell a hundred or so a day don’t need a fully-automatic system complete with conveyor belts.

The manual component might even be necessary, such as when you need the flexibility to switch from one product to another as quickly as possible.

Regulation Considerations

Liquid filling machines for the food industry must meet the FDA’s health and consumer protection guidelines. For example, the paths for the filling, soups, batter, syrups, drink, etc. should be non-corrosive, sealed, and designed to prevent moisture buildup. Machine fillers that dispense toxic or potentially explosive products should also adhere to the safety standards of the industry.

Take your time in choosing a liquid filling machine and consider all these factors carefully. (You might even have a few more to add to this list). Every piece of equipment you buy is an investment, and we’d be happy to help you make the most of it.

Fill out our request form to discuss your requirements or explore our filling machines here.

 

Filling and Dispensing Nozzles Are Not One-Type-Fits-All

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The manufacturing process is almost always unique to a product or brand. Companies that manufacture different products could use similar machines, but there will be different factors, like capacities, speeds, and sizes.

Even companies that make the same products are bound to use customized machines. It might even be necessary if they want to differentiate by creating different textures, colors, shapes, scents, ingredients, etc. They can still use the same machines their competitors use, but with a few modifications.

This is the reason dispensing nozzles are available in so many variations. A fluid piston filler, for example, may be able to dispense a wide range of liquids, like perfumes, beverages, and creams. But first, manufacturers must find nozzles or tips that can dispense each of these fluids quickly and evenly.

At Volumetric Technologies, we have dispensing needles and tips that are suitable for liquids of different viscosity levels. Nozzles for slurries, creams, chemicals, and thick food products like sausage meat are all different as well.

Here’s a closer look at some examples of dispensing nozzles for piston filling machines.

Kinds of Filling and Dispensing Nozzles

  1. Food grade dispensing nozzles – You’ll find many options of dispensing nozzles for food alone. There are dispensing tips for thin liquids and thick creams; and between them, there are different sizes and extra features like no-drip, laminar, anti-splash, and clean cutoff. As mentioned above, slurries like stews, sauces, and gravy also need different nozzles, as do ground meat, cheese, and dough.
  2. Liquid dispensing nozzles –We can treat these as a different category from food dispensing nozzles because there’s a wide range of liquid products that are dispensed in bottles, cans, sachets, and the like. Whipped cream, for example, has whip-it dispensing nozzles in their cans. Dispensing nozzles for milk should look different, but they might also be used for water, juices, and rubbing alcohol because these are all watery liquid.
  3. Adhesive dispensing nozzles- These are more commonly used in production and assembly lines where pieces of a whole are glued together. Unlike with the nozzles for food, which can dispense product with an aesthetic design or look (think of icing on a cake), adhesive nozzles are much simpler. The tiny amounts of product they dispense don’t have to look a certain way, so the main focus for fillers that use these nozzles are cleanliness, uniformity, and speed.
  4. Fuel dispensing nozzles– These are mounted on a handheld piston filler that’s connected to the fuel hose. These nozzles can endure the pressurized fuel that’s dispensed from the pump. Since there are plenty of applications in different industries (e.g. aerospace, motorsport, automotive), it’s likely that the manufacturers will also customize the fuel nozzles to match their different needs.

man filling up his car with fuel

These are just some of the different kinds of dispensing nozzles that are available to manufacturing and manufacturing lines. They may be tiny and unassuming as far as machine parts go, but they are one of the most important parts of a piston filler.

Volumetric Technologies can give you more information on the different types of dispensing nozzles and even recommend some. We design and build piston filling machines, so you can rest assured that our recommendations will be based on your needs, existing machines, and production targets.

Explore our website to learn more about our dispensing nozzles and their applications. You can also talk to one of our specialists for a consultation. Contact us to schedule an appointment.

Ways to Reduce Manufacturing Waste and Reduce Costs

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Here’s some food for thought: every stage of the manufacturing process, from production to packaging, has the potential to generate manufacturing waste. It is customary to buy raw materials in excess. It is done as a precaution, in case some batches become unusable for any number of reasons.

Waste can also accumulate during the packaging stage if some of the inventory sustains minor damage due to inefficient packaging equipment. The wrong choice of dispensing nozzles for liquid products, for example, can lead to spills, splashes, and unequal amounts dispensed in the bottles.

It is nearly impossible to completely eliminate manufacturing waste, but you can reduce it with the following practices:

  1. Improve inventory management. As previously mentioned, acquiring extra stock of materials that are crucial to production is a necessary contingency. You can retain this practice but keep a close watch on your inventory and its movement through your production process. For example, apply the “first in, first out” rule when taking materials out of the warehouses and into the production lines. This is a more efficient use of resources instead of keeping the same contingency stock for weeks, even months, and risking that their quality will deteriorate while in storage.
  2. Invest in high-precision equipment for automation. Automation can do so much for manufacturing, but its maximum benefits can only be achieved when there is precision and accuracy. Machines for food assembly and liquid dispensing, for example, must be robust and can execute at high speed with impeccable precision. This way, you can increase the quantity you produce and keep the manufacturing waste, i.e., spills and QA rejects, to a minimum.
  3. Explore a closed-loop version of your production process. Manufacturers whose concern about manufacturing waste goes beyond reducing costs and extends to environment preservation should consider adopting a closed-loop production and supply chain. In a closed-loop system, manufacturers reuse the same materials into producing new batches of the product. Aluminum cans and plastic bottles are perfect examples of this. They can be recycled and reused for bottling the products they used to hold. Beer brewers can even adopt a closed-loop production process. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. or SNBC is an example. The company uses their manufacturing waste for organic composting, which then goes into their gardens for growing the barley and herbs. The produce goes back to the brewery to make beer.
  4. Conduct regular equipment checks and maintenance. Pre-empting damage may not save a machine from eventual retirement, but it will give you time to put contingencies in place so that there will be no interruptions to production. Sudden machine breakdowns might force your production to stall for days or weeks, during which your raw perishable materials will have started to deteriorate. Equipment maintenance is a precaution that can reduce not just waste but also unnecessary costs.

Takeaways

Manufacturers always look for opportunities to reduce costs and maximize resources. The need to keep expenditures within a specific threshold, however, sometimes leads decision-makers into focusing on how to shrink spending. Reducing the volume of raw materials or buying lower-quality products, however, can compromise the quantity and quality of the goods you produce. If there’s still a need to reduce costs, manufacturing waste is the one area you should definitely look into.

Improve the efficiency of automated manufacturing processes to avoid waste. Volumetric Technologies can help you achieve these goals. We manufacture quality filling and packaging equipment for a wide range of industries such as food, beverage, household products, and cosmetics production.

Contact us and inquire today.

The Benefits Auto-Dispensing Machines Bring to Health Care

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Dispensing machines in hospitals and medical facilities typically contain food and beverages. This is by no means the full extent of what dispensing machines can do for the health care industry. These machines can have more important and vital applications, such as the non-manned dispensing of medications and inventory management.

Is now the right time to explore these applications of dispensing machines for health care? The short answer is yes. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that there is plenty of room for automation in hospitals. Data and patient management are the two areas in health care that often get the digital and automation treatment, but we at Volumetric Technologies would like to draw more attention to pharmacy services, specifically the application of automatic dispensing machines for medicines.

Enhance Pharmacy Services with Automatic Dispensing Machines

Let’s go back to how dispensers are utilized for selling snacks and drinks to visitors in hospitals. Automatic dispensing machines for medicines work the same way, except that there’s no need for payment and only the hospital staff would be able to use the machine.

Existing models of medicine dispensers work require pharmacists and other authorized personnel to input an authorization code or scan a key card to use the machine. They will input the dosage they need, as well as other information like the patient’s name, attending physician, and the like. The machine will then dispense the medicines in the quantities indicated by the personnel.

The Benefits of Auto Dispensing Machines

We’ve established that the use of automatic dispensers in obtaining medicines for patients is timely today. Here are more benefits that patients and hospitals can enjoy if hospitals invest in medical/pharmaceutical dispensing technology:

  1. Flexible, scalable, and customizable dispensing capabilities – Hospitals may customize dispensing solutions according to the types of medicines that they want to make accessible through automation. These machines can dispense pills and tablets only, for example, or include syrup bottles and ampules. Hospitals sometimes work with compounding pharmacies, too. An automatic dispensing machine with a fluid dispenser nozzle and a powder scale and dispenser can help make their work easier and faster.
  2. Fast and accurate dispensing of medicines – Speaking of making health care staff’s work easier and faster, automatic dispensers can cut down the time that it takes a pharmacist to go to the backroom and locate medicine that’s not displayed on the front counter. They can also reduce errors like giving the wrong prescription or dosage.
  3. Efficient inventory monitoring and management – There will be no need for pharmacists to manually record medication counts at the end of their shifts if they work with a dispensing machine. Manufacturers can enhance their reporting capabilities, so it’s possible for hospital pharmacies to get daily inventory updates like how many were dispensed, how many in stock are past their expiration dates, and which medicines are in short supply and need restocking.
  4. Monitor patients’ drug use patterns – The reporting features in pharmacy dispenser machines can also help physicians monitor their patients’ drug use patterns. Nurses, doctors, and pharmacists can keep track of how often a patient requested a refill, for example, and ensure that they are within appropriate levels.

hospital room

There’s more that automatic dispensing machines can do for the health care industry. Investing in these solutions can facilitate accurate and efficient monitoring as well as other capabilities for safer, high-quality health care.

Volumetric Technologies has served the pharmaceutical industry for over 25 years. We understand your needs and are best-placed to offer solutions to your medical dispensing problems. Contact us today so we can discuss customization and the features you want to include in your dispensing machines.

Production Efficiency: How to Reduce Product Losses in Food & Beverage Manufacturing to Address Food Wastage

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Food wastage is a massive problem in the U.S., with the country discarding roughly 40 percent of its food. Edible food is wasted throughout every stage of the food production and retail chain: during manufacturing, processing, and distribution, and in restaurants and homes.

Food and beverage manufacturing facilities play a crucial role in solving the country’s food wastage problem. Most waste in food processing plants is generated when paring and scrapping edible portions, such as crusts, peels, and skins from food.

Overproduction, spillage, product losses, product rejects, and defective machinery also contribute to large amounts of food waste. These production inefficiencies not only lead to food wastage, but they also affect the productivity and bottom line of food processing facilities.

Food & Beverage manufacturing facilities need to look at their processing and packaging operations and find opportunities to reduce their waste. Here’s how plant managers can increase food production efficiency and minimize product losses.

During Processing

Inefficient product flows often cause product losses in large-scale Food & Beverage processing facilities. Plant managers can look into their plant design to create a more effective production line.

Some product loss occurs when machines are cleaned. Usable product residue is left in the machines and is washed away during cleaning. One solution is to choose equipment pieces designed to run much longer between cleanings.

Product diversity also contributes to wastage in food processing plants. The larger the product range is, the more opportunities there are for food wastage. Producing various products means using different ingredients and processes, which requires multiple line changes and production cycles. The need for equipment cleaning also doubles.

Production lines should be designed in the most efficient way possible. The production floor should be compact enough to shorten the distance when transferring products from one line to another but wide enough to allow comfortable movement among the workers.

beverage manufacturing

During Packaging

You can significantly reduce product losses during the packaging stage by choosing the right equipment. Piston fillers, custom fluid dispensing nozzles, and other automated packaging machines improve filling accuracy, minimizing or eliminating accidental spillage and product losses.

Plant managers may also consider packaging equipment that fulfills more than one function to reduce the need for transfers between machines. These equipment types reduce the number of machines you have to clean, lowering your water consumption.

Apart from streamlining the packaging process and machinery, food manufacturing plants must design packages that prolong the product’s shelf life. Spoilage contributes to food wastage among consumers. Food containers that preserve the product reduce food wastage further along the food distribution chain.

Food manufacturing plants must consider their processing and packaging methods from a holistic perspective. How does their production process affect the rest of food distribution and consumption? Enacting changes and improvements benefit not only their bottom line and business but the environment as well.

Enabling Agile, Efficient Food Production

At Volumetric Technologies, we understand the need for high-performing equipment in food production. We specialize in accurate, custom filling and packaging machines for the food and beverage industry, among others. These products and solutions help improve your production efficiency, increasing your overall operational performance.

Contact us today for inquiries about our products.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on Food and Beverage Packaging Requirements

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The coronavirus pandemic has caused many drastic changes to consumer behavior. Buyers pay attention to product packaging now more than ever, with concerns for hygiene, disposability, and sustainability.

Before, consumers preferred brands with reusable food packaging as it helps them decrease their carbon footprint. But this trend overturned because of COVID-19. The pandemic drives demand for single-use packaging that’s easy to dispose. Buyers are scared that the packaging might harbor the coronavirus and possibly infect them.

The pandemic has a significant impact on product packaging, especially when it comes to food and beverage packages. Apart from the typical design considerations — cost, durability, and convenience — companies must meet the following packaging requirements:

  • Hygienic Material and Design

The National Institutes of Health confirmed that the coronavirus could stay on surfaces for days, although the duration of its survival depends on the material. The study found that the virus remains longer on non-porous, solid surfaces, such as steel and plastic.

On the other hand, porous materials make it difficult for the virus to survive. Paper and fabrics are therefore ideal for food and beverage packaging.

Design is also a critical factor in hygienic packaging. Consumers prefer easy-open packaging designs that won’t require them to touch the item more than necessary, which reduces the risk of virus transmission.

Single-flap carton boxes are an example of easy-open packaging made of porous material.

  • Agile Production

Production agility is crucial for the food and beverage industry, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Food shortages are imminent amid an economic recession, and the food manufacturing sector is a critical player in abating food insecurity.

Food manufacturing firms are expected to design new packaging solutions quickly without causing production downtime. Some companies have invested in liquid piston fillers, case folding and gluing machines, and other high-speed packaging machinery to boost their production. Others utilize digital printing technologies to generate new product packaging designs faster.

brown paper bag with note

  • Ship-Ready Design

Because of lockdown measures and stay-at-home orders, consumers have turned to online shopping for their necessities. The pandemic caused explosive growth in e-commerce sales, moving tremendous amounts of goods through virtual platforms.

This coronavirus-led e-commerce boom calls for ship-ready packaging solutions, especially for fragile or perishable food and beverage products. Packaging designs should prevent product damage and tampering, and withstand the conditions of long-haul shipments.

  • Sustainability

Even though consumers now prefer single-use packaging, they still favor brands with tangible, sincere sustainability initiatives.  With the prediction that face masks can cause a massive waste problem, consumers want to choose brands that will help them reduce their ecological footprint.

Businesses can balance the demand for sustainability and disposability by using biodegradable and compostable materials for their packaging. These break down after a short period and don’t clog landfills.

Manufacturing firms will have to quickly create packaging solutions fit for the new normal — hygienic, shipping-ready and sustainable — to continue to meet market demand, ensuring long-term business success.

High-Performance Equipment from Volumetric Technologies

At Volumetric Technologies, we understand the importance of high-performing equipment in your production. We specialize in filling and packaging equipment, specifically for the food manufacturing industry. Apart from improving operational performance, our machines help you adapt to changing market demands in the new normal.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about our products.

Automation’s Bigger Role in Post-Pandemic Production

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One of the lessons the global pandemic has taught the world is that automation is becoming crucial in production processes. It offers a cost-effective and time-saving solution for increasing production demands that are becoming higher than what workers can accomplish without the help of machines. The need to produce goods by bulk while maintaining a high level of quality is another excellent reason for investing in automation systems.

Automation Is Proving its Value in this Pandemic

Today, health concerns and compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures join production targets and business goals as motivations for adopting automation systems. COVID-19 has a high transmission rate: it easily spreads when people who have the virus cough or sneeze without any form of face covering. The virus can also latch onto surfaces and survive from two hours to five days, depending on the material it contaminated. While the world waits for viable solutions to be developed and distributed, it is safer for everyone to practice social distancing outside their homes.

Automation helps prevent the spread of the virus inside factories and industrial facilities because it enables companies to execute production processes without having people do the hands-on work. The most that workers in a fully-automated production facility have to do is monitor the machines and make sure these are producing at the quality and rate that the company needs.

The importance of automation is particularly relevant in food production. As an example, using well-maintained piston filling machines to pump cream filling in pastries or puree in glass bottles instead of having workers do them manually. This achieves the following:

  • Compliance with on-site social distancing rules
  • Reduces human-to-human contact as well as human-to-product contact
  • Lowers the risks of transmission, especially from asymptomatic carriers of the virus

Other examples of industries that stand to benefit from automation systems are cosmetics, hair and skin care, fragrance, and packaging manufacturing.

Automation Promotes Upskilling

Much of the resistance against automation in factories is rooted in the fear that machines will replace people, and many will lose their jobs. These worries are legitimate but sticking to manual processes can be a hindrance to growth. For one thing, humans tire and need breaks and days off while machines do not. For another, resistance to automation boxes workers into roles that don’t challenge them to improve their skills or expand their knowledge.

By automating tasks that don’t require a lot of critical thinking, companies can focus on hiring employees with higher-level skills and competencies. Doing so would elevate their employee profiles and encourage creativity and innovation in-house. Alternatively, companies can provide training and certification programs for their current employees. A company that invests in its people, specifically by providing opportunities to upskill, is often rewarded with employee loyalty and commitment to help the organization reach its business goals.

The pandemic has shown that industries are moving towards automation — it’s inevitable. The progress of automation has accelerated in light of the ongoing situation. Industries that can adapt to the changes and automate their production lines early will have a better chance of achieving success.