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.

Of all industries, the food industry calls for the most caution. Because of the direct impact on health, food products ;are highly scrutinized by shoppers, and when a major inconsistency or problem occurs, they will not hesitate to leave for another brand. To make matters worse, consumers are more likely to remember the negative publicity given to food companies compared to other products. Their well-being, after all, is at stake.

This is why product consistency is crucial in sustaining a customer base. McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm, says product consistency (grouped under customer journey consistency) is one of the three factors of customer satisfaction. All it takes is one blunder to totally ruin any customer loyalty your company has worked so hard to build.

Even if you are using accurate liquid filling machines, there may still be small inaccuracies that lead to visible inconsistencies. Don’t wait for your customers or distributors to notice them — prevent inconsistencies and issues before your product heads out for shipping.

Valve and Piston Wear Causes Volume Inaccuracies

The advantage of a piston filling machine is that it fills packages to an accurate volume. It is highly accurate for high and low-viscosity liquids. However, even if they are built to last, liquid filling and depositing machines are not immune to wear and tear.

After thousands to millions of cycles, the valving and piston deteriorates, leading to leakage and less accuracy. Small volume differences may not be noticed by the average shopper, but it is best not to take chances. There are meticulous consumers and even more meticulous distributors who are wary of discrepancies. This is even more crucial if you have an expensive product where less accuracy leads to more product giveaway and therefore less profit.

Regular maintenance checks ensure that a piston filling machine is in good shape. If your equipment’s volume accuracy is reduced, your team can review the valving and pistons for wear and tear.

Broken Seals Cause Leaking, Dripping, and Inaccuracies

Leaking and dripping are signs that the seals in a liquid filling machine may be worn out. Even if dripping and leaking do not hurt product integrity, it will compromise the accuracy of product volume; something customers could notice. Moreover, it leads to product wastage, which over time amounts to profit loss.

In some cases, the inconsistency needs a simple solution — new seals. All Volumetric Technologies pistons fillers have easily replaceable seals. These are the most common, least expensive, and most overlooked wear component on piston filling equipment.

Product inconsistencies, even if they seem imperceptible, can drive a wedge between you and loyal customers and distributors. Maintenance should be performed with care and caution in order to keep producing consistently excellent products.

When you need to replace your liquid filling machines with more accurate models, browse our selection today.

Food manufacturing facilities transform raw agricultural materials into products fit for intermediate or final consumption by the public. In the U.S., there are over 30,000 food and beverage manufacturing plants, according to the Department of Agriculture. Among these, many are focused on producing beverage, meat, dairy, and bakery products.

The vast number of manufacturing plants indicate that the industry is enormous and ever-growing. However, this also means that the market has become competitive and saturated. For your food manufacturing business to grow and succeed, efficiency must be priority in your operations.

To do this successfully, we gathered a few efficiency-boosting techniques below.

1. Conduct preventive maintenance

The pieces of equipment and machinery in your manufacturing plant are instrumental in your business’s efficiency. It would not matter if you are using top-of-the-line fillers and conveyors, as they are likely to malfunction or underperform if not maintained. Without preventive maintenance, it might lead to downtime and a decrease to your plant’s productivity.

This is why preventive maintenance is essential to keep your plant efficient. Instead of waiting until pieces of equipment stop working, it is better to keep them maintained in optimal operating condition. Doing so takes less time and can be done in a way that does not result in workflow interruption.

2. Increase the use of automation

Automation means your employees do not have to perform repetitive tasks and that there will be less chance for human error. Pieces of equipment like filling machines, cup machines, and conveyors also increase productivity and decrease the operational costs of a food manufacturing plant by allowing for ongoing processing as well as being more precise with product filling. Automated filling, sealing, and transferring of your food products then make the overall production process faster and less labor-intensive.

3. Tighten quality control policies

There have been cases in the food manufacturing industry in which consumers found foreign objects in their food. And sometimes, it only takes one person posting a complaint about finding an insect, a strand of hair, or some form of debris not meant to be in their food to ruin your brand’s reputation. Incidents like this may result in product recall, which means interruption to your workflow—not to mention the negative press.

Tight quality control practices must be in place. Metal detectors, x-ray systems, and temperature control systems are some of the essential quality-control measures in food production. These will help scan your products and determine if there are potential contaminants in them. What’s more, employees must wear protective uniforms for sanitation purposes.

4. Maintain a clean work environment

In the food and beverage manufacturing industry, drips and spills are inevitable. But sometimes, these spills result in product contamination or workplace accidents. This is why food manufacturing plants must ensure they are clean and organized at all times. When employees are not hampered by dirt and clutter, they can better perform their tasks.

Helping Make Food Production More Efficient

With these techniques, boost your business’s revenue and meet your customers’ satisfaction standards. If you want to further increase your plant’s efficiency, turn to Volumetric Technologies’ reliable filling machines. From piston fillers to conveyors, we provide top-of-the-line equipment for the filling & depositing needs of various industries.

Give us a call to learn more.

The increasing demand for healthier bread will increase the demand for technologically advanced baking equipment over the next six years.

The increasing demand for healthier bread will increase the demand for technologically advanced baking equipment over the next six years.

According to data released by the Data Bridge Market Research, the Bakery Processing Equipment Market will grow to USD 11.2 billion by 2026, from USD 7.6 billion in 2018, marking a 4.9 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). This demand for better equipment is seen as a driver for market growth. 

The research suggested that the production of healthier bread, like those which contain multi-grains, whole-grains and nuts, would require higher advanced baking equipment. 

The shifting preference towards multi-grain bread

Bread consumption patterns are changing, with more consumers gearing away from white bread. The Global Bread Market report found that more consumers now prefer multigrain, wholegrain, ethnic and seeded bread kinds. This changing pattern is driven by consumers’ desire for more nutritious products. 

Cholesterol reduction, weight management, higher protein intake and sugar control are key players in modern consumer trends in the bread industry. New varieties of low-carb, high-fiber bread that appeal to the health-conscious, triggered market growth. 

Lesser-known grains, such as millet and ragi, have gained popularity in the bakery industry. In addition, natural ingredients such as natural preservatives, enzymes and anti-oxidants are on the rise. Companies are now targeting to replace shortenings and fat with Omega-9 and Omega-3. 

Increased demand for better baking equipment

The increased demand for multi-grain bread, in turn, increases the demand for better baking equipment. The Global Bakery Processing Equipment Market is forecast to rise rapidly in the coming years. 

The market is segmented into five segments: type, application, end-user, mode of operation and function. Some of the most notable findings include:

On the basis of type, the market share for Mixers (this category comprises of continuous mixers, double planetary mixers, specialty mixers and spiral mixers) is projected to reach USD 5.95 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 6.2 percent starting 2019.

Again, on the basis of type, the market share for Ovens and Proofers (this category comprises of electric ovens, gas ovens and special ovens) is projected to have a CAGR of 6.0 percent starting 2019.

On the basis of application, the Cookies & Biscuits market is growing, with a CAGR of 6.2 starting 2019 going to 2026. This sector comprises proofers & retarders, slicers & dividers, sheeters, molders, pan greasers & depositors, freezers & coolers, handling systems, dough feeding systems and piston filling injectors (like single head piston fillers). 

On the basis of mode of operation, the Automatic segment is growing with the highest CAGR of 6.2 percent in the forecast period of 2019 to 2026.

Healthier bread by the numbers

According to a survey conducted by London-based consultancy New Nutrition Business, they found out that 61 percent of respondents believe whole grain products are good for their digestive health. Meanwhile, the Grain Foods Foundation in Washington said that white bread contains 2 grams of fiber per 100 grams, while whole wheat bread contains 6.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams. Fiber helps with digestion and helps prevent constipation.

Europe holds the largest share in the global bread market. Now, there is a rising consumer preference for value-added, ethnic, fresh and artisanal bread in the continent.

The increasing demand for healthier bread options has promoted a boost in demand for better baking equipment. If your bakery needs upgrading, reach out to us at Volumetric Technologies. We have helped customers increase their productivity and decrease their costs by providing reliable filling equipment that drive up the efficiency and accuracy of their production lines.

Bakeries rely on the quality of their manufacturing equipment as much as they rely on the skill of their bakers. Without a great oven to cook their pastries in or mixers to whip their batter, even the most talented confectioner will have difficulty turning a profit.

However, a bakery isn’t just about ovens and mixers. A good bakery also needs top-notch filling / depositing equipment to inject sweet fillings into their baked goods or apply icing to their pies and cakes.

Without decent filling machinery, bakers must accomplish these things by hand, an inefficient substitute. This is truer for large-scale bakeries rather than mom-and-pop operations. Well-designed and engineered machinery is a necessity.

But when choosing their filling equipment, bakery owners should consider these three signs of an excellent piece of machinery.

Efficiency

When your business needs to deliver dozens upon dozens of pies and thousands of cream-filled goodies, you’re going to need all the help you can get. Find a machine that can perform your filling steps quickly and efficiently to ensure that not a second of your day is wasted. Ask the manufacturer what their machines’ filling volume is, how many cycles does it complete every minute, and what size particulate can the machine’s nozzles accommodate. See if their answers align with the type of baked goods you’re expecting the machine to handle.

You also want a machine that can accomplish its task accurately. No matter how fast a filling machine operates, drips and overfilled product results in unacceptable losses. By eliminating product waste, a good filling machine saves money based on how accurately it can dispense product repeatably.

Versatility

A good filling machine helps you meet your bakery’s production target by the end of the day. But a great one also offers you versatility.

Multiple dispensing nozzles and modular assembly features allow you to get more out of your filling machine. Bakeries with multiple products that require filling can use the same machine for different functions. Instead of purchasing two machines, great filling equipment can be reconfigured after each batch is completed to assist in the production of another product.

A bakery that produces pies, eclairs, and iced cupcakes can produce all three desserts with ease from the same machine.

Cleanliness

Even if a machine is versatile enough to help produce multiple kinds of desserts and pastries, it must also be easy to clean. With too many parts to clean or poor design that inhibits efforts to sanitize it thoroughly, a filling machine is equally likely to contaminate food as much as it pumps pastries full of sweet cream.

An ideal filling machine can easily be disassembled for regular cleaning without requiring tools, and is made of materials that are durable and easy to clean. A machine that helps speed up cleaning processes is also a boost to production, as it reduces downtime between batches.

When a bakery owner finds a filling machine with all three of these features, they’ve not only found a machine that can boost their profits, they’ve found a tool they can rely on.

A Brand Synonymous with Quality and Dependability

Volumetric Technologies’ line of American-made, stainless steel filling / depositing machines have all the above capabilities and more, providing bakers and other manufacturers the equipment they need to really help their businesses thrive.

View our product line today, and see what Volumetric Technologies has to offer.