Interest in automation is growing, since it allows jobs to be done more quickly and with less human intervention. The food and beverage industries are no different – investing in packaging automation is a great way to increase efficiency and save money. Here, we’ll discuss why it’s time to make the switch from manual labor to packaging automation.
Here are just a few of the benefits that packaging automation can offer compared to traditional manual packaging.
It’s well known that using human staff has limitations in speed, range of motion, and the number of times they can perform repetitive motions without making an error or needing a break. It’s inevitable that this will create more downtime than an automated solution that can repeat tasks continuously 24 hours a day. Automated machines need only a short holiday for maintenance on a periodic basis and are often up and running again after a few hours. Despite the myth that automation will replace humans and leave many out of a job, this is not the case. Instead, automation frees up workers from tedious tasks and allows you to use your staff more effectively for complex, value-added functions. Automating also helps to reduce the concern that human operators may not be able to work due to illness, vacation, or life events.
Automation can offer enhanced safety, both for workers and the end consumer of the products. By eliminating human contact during the packaging process, automation leads to higher product safety with reduced risk of human contamination. Since automation requires fewer worker interactions than manual processes, it also reduces the risk of employee injuries that can occur from a process such as hand-placing products at high speeds or placing heavy cases onto a pallet.
The end goal of any food and beverage manufacturer is to produce as many products as cost-effectively as possible, with the quickest schedule. If you want to be as efficient as possible, it makes the most sense to remove the human bottleneck and automate the process. Packaging automation can typically be much faster than non-automated equipment, providing a higher level of productivity. This all leads to the ultimate goal: higher profit.
Some companies avoid automation because they feel it is too expensive. The truth is, you need to invest in automation to make more money in the long term. When you consider the cost of labor, downtime, workplace injuries, and damaged product caused by manual packaging, automation can provide a high return on investment along with more flexible packaging options. Stay tuned for part two of this series on efficiency, where we’ll discuss evaluating your current packaging equipment, finding inefficiencies, and updating equipment for maximum productivity.
Kraken Automation is an innovator in the packaging automation industry, and well-known for its expertise in developing customized solutions that solve the most complex packaging challenges. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you optimize packaging line efficiency.
