David Jahn, director at Brillopak, explains: “For the last few years companies have been looking at automation to address issues relating to skill levels and labour shortages, and we have been able to help many to successfully address this issue. But these labour pressures have abated a little, and what we are now seeing is a return to a more traditional focus on return on investment.”

ROI has always been an important pillar of Brillopak’s offering, which, when coupled to the company’s fastidious approach to design, installation and ongoing support, has seen payback periods of less than 36 months. “Costs can be offset and spread in other ways too,” Jahn explains, “as we offer leasing and rental services, which reduce the need for initial capital outlay and can be tax deductible too.”

Two machine solutions from Brillopak’s extensive range have proven to be excellent initial installations for companies looking to take their first steps on their automation journey. A new version of the company’s BR2 PunnetPAKer offers a small-footprint installation with big-machine capabilities, for automated single-pick packing of top-sealed punnets, VFFS and flow wrap products with gentle and accurate packing into crates or lipped boxes at high speed.

The BR2 delivers high-speed and efficiency (50 to 140 packs a minute) dependent on product, accurate control of the product through the packing process, accurate product placement in the crate/box and highly flexible operation in a simple, robust and hygienic design.

Its single-cell UniPAKer is another proven packaging solution offering high speed and efficiency (50 to 150 packs/minute) dependent on the product, precise product placement and multiple-product capabilities, with multiple layer patterns. Simple to operate and maintain, it delivers very fast changeover within a simple, robust and hygienic design.

Both machines have benefited from the company’s ongoing research and development into robot dynamics, motion profiles, end-effector/gripper designs and product-handling physics. These developments have resulted in greater performance and throughput, even though both are comparatively small.

Visitors to the show – especially those from companies planning to integrate new packing lines – were able to learn how Brillopak uses its Automation Architecture approach to de-risk installations, protecting them from sunk costs, line interruptions and disgruntled staff. Jahn and his colleagues showed how Brillopak scopes out projects and creates architectural plans based on the ‘big picture’, before highlighting ways that phased installation of robotics/automation can spread and offset costs. It’s a process that Brillopak has perfected over the last 20 years – with over 200 automation system installs.

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Investment in automation in food packing is no longer a medium-term aspiration, it is now a short-term business imperative. And with an optimum combination of class-leading technology and a partner that understands every facet of the evolutionary process, you can quickly reap the throughput rewards and avoid all the planning, architectural and logistical pitfalls.

This push to automate is being driven by end users; the proliferation of digital supply chains, which thrive on end-to-end operational data; labour market shortages, evolution and migration; and efficiency, agility and speed of response becoming ever-more essential metrics for your customers.

But Brillopak knows that deploying automation is a big step, as it can be very different to manual operations. There is also an element of perceived risk. Indeed, the company has heard from many food processors and packers who are not fully utilising their new automation equipment, often for simple reasons that were overlooked at the planning stage.

These can include simply not asking “why are we automating?”, a failure to create forward-looking requirements plans, engineers and operators being reluctant to use more complex technology, failure to consider future business when planning and failure to involve all stakeholders.

A good analogy is to compare your automation investment to designing a house. When you design a house, you need complete architectural plans, which will include boundaries, utility availability and routing, floorspace, the impact on your neighbours, the pathways to and from the entry points, the fence line, etc. All of these are analogous to factory and machine design. You must think beyond the machine and look at the whole project holistically.

To address these issues, Brillopak highly recommends that you partner with a manufacturer that can act as an expert guide, as you prepare and transition into automation – from planning through design, deployment, evaluation, and enhancement, and onto carefully phased and fully scaled operations. There’s a lot to consider.

By taking this holistic view of your requirements, your facilities, your business plan, your customers’ needs and your plant capabilities, Brillopak can help you create an automation action plan that delivers your desired improvements in operations efficiency and a quick payback.

Brillopak has created a multi-stage agenda that captures all plant, project and business requirements and addresses many of the issues before they can even appear. These steps help users to much better understand our process.

Step one is a full plant audit and requirements capture, where we ask the questions ‘why are you automating?’ and ‘what are your business goals, drivers and needs?’ In step 2 we look at the plant architecture to assess space, utilities, flow and potential. We then look at your packaging, in terms of the product, the package types, the primary materials and the desired throughput. We need to look at this to define the robotic systems.

End-of-line packaging machine design is next, where we examine any unique product/plant/customer factors that could influence design/operation? At this and every stage the devil is always in the detail. We mustn’t forget your people. Here we will look at workforce preparation, especially at skill and staffing levels. Following this we look a little to the future and discuss what you will need in terms of maintenance and service.

Once this has all been finalised, we can examine the installation, test and commissioning of your new automation solutions, where we will minimise downtime and ensure your engineering team is part of the process as early as possible.

The final step is to study your future requirements and how a phased approach can take you onto the next evolutionary steps. We can look at how we can help you to enhance and grow your initial installation. Maybe add a second packer and additional conveyors and then copy this three-machine format and co-locate. At each phase we will examine the lessons learnt to define best practice for the next stage. You can grow and expand at your own pace and set operational and financial stage gates to suit your precise needs.

Brillopak’s award-winning robotic case-loading systems include single-system solutions and everything for end-to-end packing lines, including pack-management conveyor systems, robotic product loaders, crate de-stackers, bale arm closers and palletisers.

Ultimately you don’t know what you don’t know. Brillopak’s systems are designed with the flexibility to handle multiple product types now and into the future, to ensure that your investment today is still generating payback in 10 years’ time.

Visit the Brillopak website for more information

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Plus, food companies planning to integrate new packing lines will learn how Brillopak’s advanced packaging machinery combines with its holistic automation deployment expertise to de-risk installations and protect projects from sunk costs, line interruptions and disgruntled staff.

Visitors to Brillopak stand 204 will learn how automation architecture is the fundamental of any new factory equipment installation. Using a 3D-printed model of an automated packing hall, David Jahn, director at Brillopak, will conduct short workshops with visitors showing how to scope-out and create architectural plans of the ‘big picture’ first and then ways to phase installation of robotics/automation to benefit from proof of concept AND assist with cost of investment.

David comments: “The best way to understand the deployment of packaging machinery and the importance of our Automation Architecture service, is to compare a project to building a house. It would be foolish to even start to build without completing the necessary due diligence, planning and design approval first.”

It’s a process that Brillopak has completed successfully for over 20 years – with hundreds of successful fresh produce, meat and ready-meal automation solutions implemented.

David explains: “We share our knowledge with factories small and large right from the outset of any project, to remove the headaches and get automation right first time.”

For on-the-spot advice, visitors are urged to bring with them sample food packs, SKUs and details of their current factory layouts to receive ‘right first time’ bespoke architectural advice on the implementation of robotics and automation in their food packaging hall.

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Your investment in end-of-line automation in food packing is no longer a medium-term aspiration, it is now a short-term business imperative. And with an optimum combination of class-leading technology and a partner that understands every facet of the evolutionary process, you can quickly reap the throughput rewards and avoid all the planning, architectural and logistical pitfalls.

This push to automate is being driven by your end users; the proliferation of digital supply chains, which thrive on end-to-end operational data; labour market shortages, evolution and migration; and efficiency, agility and speed of response becoming ever-more essential metrics for your customers.

But we know that deploying automation is a big step as it can be very different to manual operations. There is also an element of perceived risk. Indeed, we’ve heard from many food processors and packers who are not fully utilising their new automation equipment, often for simple reasons that were overlooked at the planning stage. These can include simply not asking “why are we automating?”, a failure to create forward-looking requirements plans, engineers and operators being reluctant to use more complex technology, failure to consider future business when planning and failure to involve all stakeholders.

To prevent these issues, we highly recommend you partner with a manufacturer that can act as an expert guide, as you prepare and transition into automation – from planning through design, deployment, evaluation and enhancement, and onto carefully phased and fully scaled operations. There’s a lot to consider.

By taking a holistic view of your requirements, your facilities, your business plan, your customers’ needs and your plant capabilities, Brillopak can help you create an automation action plan that delivers your desired improvements in operations efficiency and a quick payback.

We’ve created a multi-stage agenda that captures all plant, project and business requirements and addresses many of the issues before they can even appear. These steps help users to much better understand our process.

Step one is a full plant audit and requirements capture, where we ask the questions ‘why are you automating?’ and ‘what are your business goals, drivers and needs?’ In step 2 we look at the plant architecture to assess space, utilities, flow and potential. We then look at your packaging, in terms of the product, the package types, the primary materials and the desired throughput. We need to look at this to define the robotic systems.

End-of-line packaging machine design is next, where we examine any unique product/plant/customer factors that could influence design/operation? At this and every stage the devil is always in the detail. We mustn’t forget your people. Here we will look at workforce preparation, especially at skill and staffing levels. Following this we look a little to the future and discuss what you will need in terms of maintenance and service.

Once this has all been finalised we can examine the installation, test and commissioning of your new automation solutions, where we will minimise downtime and ensure your engineering team is part of the process as early as possible.

The final step is to study your future requirements and how a phased approach can take you onto the next evolutionary steps. We can look at how we can help you to enhance and grow your initial installation. Maybe add a second packer and additional conveyors and then copy this three-machine format and co-locate. At each phase we will examine the lessons learnt to define best practice for the next stage. You can grow and expand at your own pace and set operational and financial stage gates to suit your precise needs.

Our award-winning robotic case-loading systems include single-system solutions and everything for end-to-end packing lines, including pack-management conveyor systems, robotic product loaders, crate de-stackers, bale arm closers and palletisers.

Our team has installed over 200 systems, helping transform manual packing halls into semi or fully automated operations.

Ultimately you don’t know what you don’t know. Our systems are designed with the flexibility to handle multiple product types now and into the future, to ensure that your investment today is still generating payback in 10 years’ time.

Visit the Brillopak website for more information

See all stories for Brillopak

The judging panel chose four finalists for each of the eight award categories and then passed the baton over to their readers to pick their winner. Brillopak was crowned champion of Robotics and Automation thanks to their innovative UniPAKer robot, which incorporates a four-arm delta robot, to significantly increase productivity, while improving pack presentation in crates to reduce waste.

The UniPAKer system has been specifically designed to improve pack presentation in retailer crates and handle products carefully to prevent damage. It will consistently load up to 120 packs per minute in VFFS, tray sealed and flow wrapped packs and is ideal for vegetables, fruits, meat and ready meal packs of up to 1kg.

The system was recently installed at three Morrisons fresh produce sites. Rushden site manager Andy Day comments: “Brillopak’s UniPAKer just keeps going. Loading with dexterity, tilting and placing packs individually at speeds that a layer packing robot couldn’t contend with. It’s an extremely clever piece of kit.”

The UniPAKer has met Morrisons’ key business/project objectives. Forming part of a site-wide investment in front and back end manufacturing improvements, the Rushden site has seen improvements in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). Andy attributes these improvements to the increased packing speed, better presentation, less front to back end bottlenecks and fewer staff frustrations.

Brillopak Director David Jahn comments: “I’d like to thank Brillopak’s team of designers and engineers who pride themselves on attention to detail and are dedicated to building simple plug and play systems. I hope the UniPAKer will help more UK produce factories to successfully automate their end of line packing facilities.”

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Adrian Scripps’ unwaning commitment to automation has been key to building and maintaining its market-leading position as Tesco’s largest apple supplier. Few apple packing facilities have adopted robotics, as they haven’t found solutions that enable high speed packing without damage to fruit, so instead they elect to stick with manual methods. However, by putting its trust in Brillopak’s pioneering UniPAKer technology, Adrian Scripps has seen a threefold improvement in productivity per person.

“Apples are not an easy fruit to handle because they bruise very easily. This, combined with the need to execute a range of crate patterns, made this project a challenge that couldn’t be met by a mechanical system. Brillopak rose to the challenge,” says James Simpson, Managing Director of Adrian Scripps.

Adrian Scripps is one of the UK’s premier growers and packers of English fruit. Several varieties of apple – Braeburn, Kanzi, Jazz, Opal, Gala, Red Prince and Bramley – along with Conference pears and blackcurrants, are grown on five farms totalling 750 hectares. The family owned farming business is one of Tesco’s key apple suppliers – a relationship that stretches back more than 30 years and has seen much change in the way that fruit is handled at the company’s centralised packing facility on Moat Farm.

In 2018, Adrian Scripps took the decision to invest in two completely new fully automated packing and palletising lines and upgrade the end-of-line kit on two existing lines, following an investment in new flow wrapping equipment. Its existing mechanical layer crate packing systems were limiting output, as they could not keep pace with the flow wrappers. “Our existing packing system was working flat out at 15 cycles per minute; we soon worked out that we could put apples into the flow wrapper much quicker than this,” recalls James.

The company considered other packing systems, but it was the inherent flexibility of the award-winning UniPAKer robotic crate packing solution that convinced Adrian Scripps to partner Brillopak on this project. “We looked at mechanical systems where the pack is turned to orientate it, but the flexibility of the UniPAKer won us over – it is infinitely programmable and allows you to make very small adjustments to get the pack to the exact target location,” explains James.

Each of the four UniPAKer crate loading cells at Adrian Scripps houses two delta type robots, each performing a single pick. The benefit of a single pick is that it eliminates the need for accumulation. To maximise packing speed, the crate is dynamically loaded as it is moving;  working alongside each other, the robots take it in turn to partially fill the crate, picking individual packs off the infeed conveyor and positioning them deftly and precisely in the crate at the programmed orientation. The robots perform this task with a degree of dexterity and rotation that would not be feasible with a layer-based automated handling system.

Many robotics suppliers shy away from applications involving delicate fruit such as apples, as they bruise very easily. The speeds required to achieve target paybacks cannot be met without unacceptable levels of product damage, rendering some automation projects unfeasible.

Brillopak overcomes these challenges through innovative end-effector design and unrivalled experience of motion control.

“Apples are very delicate products, making them very difficult to pack at high speed. We are the only automation supplier who can successfully pack apples at speeds of 75 ppm, without damaging the product. We have achieved this via innovative end-effector design, combined with our knowledge of motion control and robotics,” explains David Jahn, director at Brillopak.

One of the hotspots for damage is the point at which the pack is released from the end-effector, with some rival robots dropping fruit from heights of 250mm. Brillopak has developed a robot control system that has allowed it to optimise the acceleration/deceleration curve by enabling greater adjustability of parameters.

“When lifting a pack of apples, the robot arm accelerates strongly upwards into a curve, then decelerates down into the crate, so the pack is tightly controlled as it reaches the bottom of the crate.” explains David.

The UniPAKer can run with a variety of end-effectors depending on the product being packed. For apples, a vacuum head ensures gentle handling. Brillopak takes a different approach to vacuum handling than others in the industry, deploying cups with independent vacuum generators for greater control over the picking and placing operation.

A further benefit of the UniPAKer is that it is a standard machine. This means it is proven technology and customers are not paying for the development costs associated with bespoke robotic systems.

The project saw Brillopak install four UniPAKer robotic crate packing systems, four Crate DESTAKers, four vertical accumulation units and three robotic palletisers. Thanks to this investment in automation, Adrian Scripps now has a fully automated crate packing operation that is capable of running at up to 75 ppm, giving the company the capacity uplift it needed.

But the true measure of the success of the project is the threefold increase in per person productivity that Adrian Scripps has experienced.

“Reduction of labour is a consideration, but it is productivity per person that we are really interested in,” says James. “Thanks to our investment in automation, this is considerably higher than it was. In 2013, we were working at 2.5-5 packs per person per minute. Now we are working at 15 packs per person per minute. That is a threefold increase.”

James concluded “You can honestly trust Brillopak. A British company, on our doorstep at the forefront of their field. They’re innovative, proactive and delivered everything we asked. We couldn’t have worked with a better partner on this project.

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Availability of labour has steadily declined since the Brexit vote in 2016 and now, with Covid, staff can no longer work in close contact with each other. Both of these factors have conspired to challenge meat, fish and poultry packers, who rely heavily on overseas workers and do not have the space to accommodate social distancing, whilst maintaining production levels. Automation presents an obvious solution to this situation.

However, as Brillopak director David Jahn explains, it is not as straightforward as replacing two or three people with a robot. “Automating the secondary packaging operation is a logical solution, but it is not as simple as it might seem. Any robotic system has to be extremely compact to fit into very tight spaces and must offer complete flexibility in terms of packing different pack formats and crate sizes. The solution must be able to pick and place consistently and accurately at high speed, without dropping any packs. Hygienic design is a given.”

Brillopak has risen to the challenge, optimising the design of its UniPAKer robot to meet the specific demands of meat, fish & poultry producers and packers. This trail-blazing robot has already revolutionised the packing of bagged fresh produce such as apples, sprouts and potatoes into crates and now looks set to be a game-changer in the meat, fish and poultry industry.

Cost-effective and space efficient

By optimising the cycle speed and developing a new range of end effectors, a single robot with a dual-pick head, Brillopak has shaved 25% off the cost of a typical robotic crate packing system. In this configuration, the robot performs two picks, then places the packs in the crate, two at a time. It becomes a cost-effective and space-efficient machine capable of packing tray sealed meat packs in excess of 70 packs per minute.

A redesign of the vacuum end-effector has been key to pushing the boundaries of performance on meat, fish and poultry packs. The redesign has improved the head’s vacuum capabilities through a combination of more consistent, faster airflow and larger independent vacuum generators. A stronger, more uniform vacuum means the robot holds the packs squarely and tightly so it can be controlled from the conveyor to the crate at a faster speed, in a controlled manner.

Brillopak’s engineers are further developing the UniPAKer concept to pick an entire row at a time on the same compact footprint, which will dramatically bring down the capital cost.  A pioneer in vacuum handling packing system design, Brillopak has devised a flexible solution based on a single, universal vacuum head with independently operating vacuum cups for precision control. Individual valves can be turned on and off to allow different pack combinations to be picked.

“With this solution we are dramatically increasing throughput, while keeping the footprint of the machine really small, which is a very attractive proposition for meat, fish and poultry operators,” says David.

Minute package variations

One of the idiosyncrasies of MAP meat, fish and poultry products is that there can be minute variations in pack height depending on the volume of gas in the pack. These variations, which can be 4-5mm either way, can hinder the robot’s ability to draw a vacuum, causing it to drop the pack (if the pack is lower than usual) or crush the pack (if the pack is higher than usual). This variability can also arise when there is a subtle temperature change that causes the pack contents to expand or contract.

Rather than stop the line and call engineering to adjust the system, Brillopak has come to the rescue with a feature that allows the operator to manually adjust the position at which the vacuum is turned on by the few millimetres necessary.

Accurate feeding into the robot cell is key to an efficient crate packing operation, and in meat, fish and poultry applications, different tray orientations can cause a problem. Whilst some trays will exit the tray sealer narrow-edge leading, others will be long-edge leading, depending on the tooling format. A robot can pick packs in either orientation, but to maximise picking efficiency, all packs should normally be presented in the same orientation. Brillopak has addressed this potential issue with the design of a servo turner that will reposition trays after they leave the tray sealer.

The UniPAKer can be programmed to pack any combination of product into any crate size. Whilst supermarket customers often require half (300 x 400mm) crates for higher value meat SKUs, high volume lines such as minced beef will usually be supplied in full (600 x 400mm) crates. The UniPAKer can switch between both crate size at the touch of a button.

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“Whilst delta robot heads might boast mechanical speeds in excess of 120 picks per mi-nute, such high speeds can only be achieved in real life on very straightforward crate/case packing applications such as packs of biscuits. It is very unlikely that any packaging automation supplier who is handling delicate or awkward products like flow-wrapped apples, bags of carrots or tray-sealed meat would be able to achieve anything close to those kinds of speeds without damaging the product in the process,  it simply isn’t possible,” says Peter Newman, Technical Director at Brillopak.

He continues: “That is precisely the reason why we have developed single, dual and triple robot configurations for our UniPAKer packing system – to help our customers meet their performance and payback objectives without making false promises.”

Working on the premise that most fresh produce packs – whether punnets of soft fruit, bags of sprouts or flow-wrapped packs of peppers – can be packed into crates using a single robot head at speeds of 30-40 packs per minute, the UniPAKer can double or triple those speeds to achieve a customer’s target by adding a second or third robot. Each ro-bot takes it in turn to take a pack off the infeed conveyor and position it precisely in the crate, so the desired crate presentation is achieved twice or three times more quickly than with a single robot. To maintain a compact footprint, simplify operation and minimise capi-tal outlay, the entire system is centrally controlled and the robots share a vision system, infeed and outfeed, regardless of whether it is a dual or triple configuration.

The 70-80 ppm speed capabilities of the dual-head UniPAKer are the perfect match for flow wrapping lines handling fruit and veg such as apples, sprouts, tomatoes, peppers and pears, with or without a supporting tray.

When three heads are better than two

The triple-head system has been conceived with difficult-to-handle or bulky products in mind. Brillopak is currently building its first triple-head UniPAKer cell for a supermarket customer with the goal of packing bags of carrots into plastic retailer crates at speeds of 100 ppm.

Carrots are a difficult product to handle as each bag of the same weight is a different shape and size, therefore the robot has to slow down to perform the pick and position the pack in the crate; too much speed will result in the bag falling out of the gripper or an un-tidy crate presentation. Using a single robot head in conjunction with a flexible finger gripper, the UniPAKer can handle carrots at speeds of 37 ppm per head. A triple-head system can achieve over 100 ppm, which should enable the customer to meet its two-year payback target.

Another potential application for the triple-head UniPAKer is for placing products such as peppers into the pocket of the flow wrapper. Using three robots operating at 60 picks per minute, the UniPAKer would be able to match typical flow wrapper speeds.

Multi-pick speeds up single robot system

However, adding another robot is not always the best approach for increasing packing speeds. In applications where the product is fairly straightforward to pick, a single robot with a multi-pick head might be a more cost-effective and space-efficient option. In this configuration, the robot performs two picks, then places the packs in the crate, two at a time. This design works well for tray-sealed meat packs, which are uniform packs with flat surfaces, but cannot be handled at very high speeds as the film lid may tear. Speeds of 60-70 ppm can comfortably be achieved on this application.

Brillopak’s UniPAKer robotic pick and place cell was originally engineered for packing bags of potatoes and apples into crates. Designed to handle VFFS, tray-sealed or flow-wrapped packs up to 1kg, the UniPAKer has been proven over-and-over again to improve productivity and improve pack presentation on shelf.

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Brillopak’s UniPAKer fresh produce robot has revolutionised the packing of bagged fresh produce such as apples, Brussel sprouts and potatoes into crates. Using a parallel arm delta robot, it significantly increases productivity, while improving pick and pack presentation to reduce waste. The innovative system will consistently load up to 75 packs per minute in VFFS, tray sealed and flow-wrapped packs and is ideal for vegetables, fruits and salad up to 1kg.

The UniPAKer can run with a variety of end-effectors depending on the product being packed. For bags of apples or Brussel sprouts, Brillopak recommends a vacuum head. A pioneer in robot packing system design, Brillopak takes a different approach to vacuum handling than others in the industry, deploying cups with independent vacuum generators for greater control over the picking and placing operation.

No more hit and run

The principal driver for this latest project was to stop the robot head from making contact with the crate sides when placing packs of apples. The first generation head was slightly larger than the footprint of the apple packs (generally 63-78mm in diameter). This meant that when it dipped down into the crate, it was touching the crate sides, sometimes pushing the crate out of position. The problem was that the robot had no way of knowing when the crate had moved, so bags were not always ending up in the correct position within the crate.

To overcome this issue, Brillopak has redesigned the end-effector so that the vacuum generators are located within the head rather than sitting on the outside. Air is drawn into the centre of the head and fed to each of the five generators, all of which are contained within a special internal casing. This clever use of all available internal space eliminates the need for external piping, reducing the overall size of the head.

As well as delivering a reduction in footprint, the redesign has improved the head’s suction capabilities through a combination of more consistent, faster airflow and larger vacuum generators. To counter the higher noise levels that go hand in hand with faster airflow, Brillopak has used the area above the head to build silencing into the design.

Explaining the benefits of stronger, more consistent suction, Brillopak Technical Director Peter Newman says: “When suction is weak or inconsistent, it introduces the risk of product moving around and causing the pack to swing, potentially hitting the side of the crate as it is lowered. A stronger, more uniform vacuum means the robot holds the packs squarely and tightly so it can move down into the crate at a faster speed in a more controlled manner.”

There is also a reduction in ‘dwell time’ – split second periods when the robot is waiting for the suction to either build or relax. Brillopak estimates that the improved suction has reduced this ‘dwell time’ from 0.3 to 0.15 seconds. Dwell time between shutting off the vacuum and the pack being released into the crate has also been reduced by 0.1 seconds (from 0.25 to 0.15 seconds) thanks to the more consistent suction.

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David Jahn, director at automation company Brillopak believes that using terminology interchangeably, particularly robotics, AI and automation, is part of the reason why UK food factories have dodged making big investments, particularly at the end of line packaging and case loading lines. But with the EU labour crisis continuing to plague UK fresh produce houses, David emphasises that now is the time to get back to basics and review the entire productivity picture and how automation, not just robots, will align to and support long-term strategies.

“In the last decade robots, rightly or wrongly, have been positioned as a universal panacea to enhancing productivity,” claims David, believing that this is the root of the divergence. “While there are certain tasks, especially highly repetitive jobs, that robots can and do perform efficiently and economically, putting a robot onto a food packing line isn’t always the best path to higher productivity.”

Sometimes, automation efforts fail to improve productivity and performance. Is that the robot’s fault? No! “The issue rests with people being misinformed about the capabilities of robots in handling multiple variables and also not always appreciating the complexities of their own processes,” notes David.

There are so many different factors that factories and packhouses need to consider when examining their automation options. Cost is undoubtedly high on the agenda. While many OEMs imply that the prices of robots have fallen, for many food SMEs, particularly seasonal operations, the initial outlay can still be hard to justify.

Evolution not revolution

Despite perceptions, driven in part by Internet of Things and Industry 4:0, tomorrow’s food factories don’t just need robots, they need better processes. That’s where lean manufacturing and cost efficiencies can be realised, claims David. “It’s not rocket science. Yet it does require production managers to step back and consider all the details. Just because Germany, the US and China consider robotics to be the universal answer, there are other automation routes that UK fresh produce firms can explore that are equally revolutionary and can be accomplished by taking evolutionary steps.”

Automating large swaths of functions all at once under the banner of efficiency seldom works. “If you go too far too fast, the project can become a beast that’s impossible to control,” says David. “It can be especially challenging to attempt to do too much when integrating with legacy systems, as there are so many different factors that can affect line speed and cause bottlenecks.”

Taking a staggered approach to investment is how many food factories successfully automate, with most Brillopak customers adopting a three to five year plan, highlights David. Just as importantly, there should be an element of candidness, trust and teamwork with OEMs and machine builders when reviewing options. “It’s very rare for a food factory to have a blank canvas. The challenge many face is ensuring all systems on the line integrate smoothly, factor in the true production speeds up and down the line and are ergonomically accessible for maintenance.”

A common mistake that causes automation projects to stall or fail is hacking together ideas from different areas of the business with no clear framework or understanding of the different business needs and implications up and down the line. People from all areas of the operation need to be collectively involved in scoping out requirements.

“Because operatives see the day-to-day production issues they are a great source when it comes to pre-empting common issues,” comments David. “Leveraging this insight, such as all the SKUs, sizes and layer patterns at the outset is important as it factors in all of the glitches that may interrupt production, plus engages with your frontline teams. Rather than being automation adversaries, they become your automation champions.”

Simplicity is a key design principle

Like many things in life, there’s a tendency to overcomplicate automation. But as Brillopak can attest to, sometimes the more simple solutions deliver the most surprising results. The ergonomic C130 Semi-Automated Packstation, showcased for the first time at PPMA 2018 and shortlisted in the PPMA Group Awards for Most Innovative Packaging Machinery, is a perfect example.

Designed specifically to maximise the efficiency of manual packing operations where full automation is not an option, either by way of affordability or practicality, the system is an automated version of the traditional Lazy Susan style product collation/packing station, and makes each case loading line 15% more efficient. Rather than removing humans from the process, it helps manual workers to perform better, making their job less arduous when automation with consistency, due to the packing format or high volumes of product changeovers, is not an option.

Mansfields installed its third semi-automated packstation recently. Lee Port, Head of Operations comments: “What our Brillopak C130 systems have enabled us to accomplish is a gentler, calmer and more manageable end-of-line packing operation, with fewer bottlenecks.”

“Often there’s an element of paralysis by analysis,” notes David. “Instead of agonising over the choices, plant tours can be a powerful way of providing factories with direction and gauging how others have approached automating specific tasks. There’s no substitute for seeing things happening in practice.”  Brillopak often puts people in touch with different packhouse plants and accompanies customers on visits.

As testimony, Mansfields visited Chingford fruit packers to observe the C130 Semi-Automated Packstation in action with the same Redpack flow wrap line they had recently installed. “The efficiency improvements were immediately evident,” reflects Lee.

Conceptualising consistency

Automation is imperative in food manufacturing for consistency in quality, production in high volumes and productivity. The daily quest to optimise productivity and meet tight deadlines means there’s a drive to minimise machine downtime. A well designed robotic case loading system featuring easy restarts and controlled, agile handling may provide the optimal solution for fresh produce factories repeatedly handling similar product and pack types.

“Accurate placement of products into crates using robots depends upon momentum and the control of movement by a robotic arm,” highlights David.

For flow wrap and vertical form fill and seal fresh produce packs, single picking can be the safest and fastest way to control this pick and place process and meet retailer specified case loading patterns. Brillopak’s Unipick P160 robotic case and crate packer also features on this year’s PPMA stand. The system, which averages over 100 packs p/m, applies a combination of robotics, encoders, vision and mechanics that provides enhanced control and make machine restarts less complex.

“Traditionally, to achieve anywhere close to 100 packs p/m in robotic case loading, machines pick layers or rows of product,” David comments. “However, this method tends to use mechanical devices such as belts and turners for collating products. This means more moving parts; more opportunities to damage the fresh produce items, e.g. apples, and more line stops. These frequent line stops have a significant impact on line efficiency and ultimately bottom line profits.”

Pick of the punnets

As processing lines become faster there is an increasing need for the case loading process to match the upstream throughput. This is especially true in the punnet tray-sealing arena, where products feed continuously out of sealing machines at between 65 to 180 packs p/m.

To address this bottleneck, Brillopak is unveiling its BR2 and BR5 Punnet Packer at PPMA, inviting visitors to sign up for a free one-week trial of their new concept.

Responding to market requests for a versatile, speedy, yet affordable top seal punnet packer, the system, which is priced from £87,500, offers SMEs in the fresh produce market with an affordable mechanical style automated system.

Capable of loading up to 180 top seal punnets and top seal trays per minute into full and half-sized crates, as well as lipped boxes, the BR Punnet Packer maximises throughput by collating product into a full layer, lifting and lowering in one seamless motion into the crate or box.

Designed to work with all tray sealing systems on the market today, this standard machine also helps to reduce order, build and installation lead times.

Automation without compromise

Having too much choice can be overwhelming and making a decision about which automated system will serve your food business for years to come should never be a knee jerk reaction.

The idea that robots are the answer to every production inefficiency is a bit overcooked. What’s clear is that there’s room for all types of automation efficiencies, be it a Parallel Spider-type robot, a 4-axis robot, a Cartesian Cobot, or an improved manual packing process that’s more ethical and sustainable for the workforce.

To make the decision making process easier, Brillopak has taken the step to streamline its automation case loading menu with three core compact, reliable and cost efficient products – the Semi-Automated Packstation, Unipick robots and the company’s newest mechanical-style BR Punnet Packer.

David rationalises: “Automation reservations in the past have centred on the prospect of machinery obsolescence.  This has been a psychological barrier for some to fully embrace automation, while past integration failures may have deterred others from looking beyond tweaking their existing packing line. By focusing on what we are strongest at, we hope that more factories will recognise the opportunities that automation has to offer.”

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