Use of robotics in food sector to increase within 10 yrs

by Natalia Reel - 04/10/2010

"The use of of robotic technology in the food sector will gradually rise to help processors increase their efficiency gains to the point that demand for the technology could rival that of the automotive industry within 10 years."

At the end of last year, 23,000 robots - 3 per cent of the global total - were operating within the food industry, with the automotive industry driving demand with almost 364,000 units, according to IFR.

In the European food sector last year, Germany installed around 600 systems, Italy over 300, France bought nearly 250, Spain about 200 and the UK fewer than 100.

And although the recent economic crisis ravaged the robotics industry, longer term benefits may be headed toward the food and beverage sectors, said Mike Wilson, president of the British Automation Robotics Association (BARA), reports FoodProductionDaily.

Due to the recession, robotic shipments skid by 45 per cent overall last year. But while orders from the automotive industry plunged by 52 per cent, orders from the food and beverage sector fell by just 10 per cent to 3,300 units, accounting for 5 per cent of total supply.

“The 2009 recession saw the food sector increase its overall market share in the robotics industry and therefore become more important to suppliers,” Wilson noted.

“Robotics suppliers began looking to the food sector because the usual customers were not buying products, and therefore gained a greater understanding of the food industry and its need. This should help them design systems tailored to the sector’s requirement, which should result in greater take up from food and drinks processors,” he explained.

Wilson said robotic technology has been slow to substantially enter the food industry because robotic and automation systems did not routinely include features needed by food processing plants, such as washdown capability and clean design to get rid of dirt traps.

Also, robotic systems work best with uniformly sized and shaped products, and food does not generally abide by this characteristic, which makes the machines more expensive for food manufacturers.

“It is no coincidence that palletising of finished packaged is where take up of robotics has been greatest in the food sector. But the robotics sector is now adapting to the general needs of the food and beverage industries and is developing high speed picking and packing systems for processing lines,” Wilson added.

Food manufacturers’ desire to cut costs and strict food safety standards will also push the move toward robotics.

“The cost of labour is always increasing where as the cost of technology is going down,” he said.

“The increasing importance of food safety is another important issue. If you can get people off the food processing line and reduce human contact with the product, you immediately cut the risk of contamination. Robotic systems offer this opportunity,” he pointed out.

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