Supporting automation
in food and beverage
production
By Jarn Gill,
Head of Corporate Sales,
RS Components
T
he manufacturing and
processing industry has
seen massive changes
with increasing integration
of technology and the automation
of industrial processes, and perhaps
no more so than in the area of food
and beverage production. It has gone
from employing little or no automation
to a situation today where an entire
bakery or dairy can be run by a
handful of people operating largely
computer-controlled machinery in the
manufacturing process.
Like any industry, the challenges
are many, such as compliance,
consistency, traceability and the
reliability of measured data in addition
to meeting demanding price pressures
as manufacturers compete in a global
marketplace.
At RS, we understand that the pace
of technological change has increase d
from a low- to a high-tech automation
environment where every single
part of the process is monitored and
controlled and performed at very high
speed. RS has been a leading supply
of automation components, electrical
parts and consumables in this industry
for many decades now, helping
customers to keep their production
lines running. Within RS is a wealth
of experience in maintenance and
repair operations and procurement,
enabling its customers to attain
high efficiency in its management
of maintenance costs. RS has been
at the forefront in working with its
customers to improve their processes,
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PECM ssue 15
bringing new technology to deliver
extra functionality and helping them
to reduce production downtime while
also meeting demands for higher
levels of hygiene, traceability and data
measurement. RS has an enviable
portfolio of leading manufacturers
including brands such as Siemens,
Schneider Electric and Rockwell AllenBradley, and many specialists including
SMC, Sick and Ambersil, which deliver
custom solutions targeting specific
areas of production and packaging.
back-end, starting with the initial
preparation of raw product through
to packaging the product in the final
stages.
Investing in production automation
is key to delivering energy efficient
processes with minimal human
involvement to reduce costs, while
maintaining quality and consistency.
A growing number of companies
are looking to automate their entire
operations from the front- to the
RS has long experience in providing
solutions for hygiene and product
traceability as well as helping
companies with data capture and
energy management challenges.
This is where RS can bring its
experience with access to technologies
and know-how from leading
manufacturer partners offering process
control solutions from intelligent vision
sensors and energy saving pneumatics,
to automated lubrication systems and
food-safe cleaners.
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