Baking & Snack - April 2022 - 72

FOODSERVICE PACKAGING
past when it comes to their equipment. In Baking &
Snack's " Automating Out of the Labor Challenge " study
conducted by Cypress Research, 58% of small to midsize
bakeries said they don't have automated vision systems
for their packaging, compared to just 25% of large bakeries.
What's more, 40% of these smaller bakeries reported
no plans to purchase them, compared to just 14% for
larger bakeries.
One of the best ways these more manual operations
can start automating the packaging process is in
their laning and quality inspection systems, said Josh
Becker, product manager of bakery and confection,
Harpak-Ulma.
" Most of the labor that you're going to find is the
Vision systems can
improve product
consistency and
reduce waste.
KPM Analytics
laning of products prior to a slicer to keep the product
evenly balanced, " Mr. Becker said. " Most of your
labor also is there doing quality inspection, so some
of the best ways to maximize labor savings is vision
systems for your quality inspections, and then automated
laning systems to feed product properly into
WHILE A MORE
AUTOMATED SYSTEM
REQUIRES LESS LABOR, IT
OFTEN REQUIRES A MORE
SKILLED WORKFORCE.
the lanes that your slicers are in so you can release the
right groups to your packaging machine. "
In addition, vision systems are more efficient than
humans. By using vision systems, bakeries can increase
product consistency and reduce waste, explained Erica
Vannini, sales and customer service, KPM Analytics.
" Vision technology is used to consistently and reliably
perform calculations that are virtually impossible with
manual methods, " Ms. Vannini said. " Vision inspection
systems provide measurements for size, shape, volume,
color, item counts, patterns and many other visual parameters.
The systems remove the subjectivity associated
with human inspectors, and virtually any visible or thermal
attribute can be objectively measured and quantified
using a single system. The data collected by the systems
can be used to improve the process and act almost in
real time to solve issues happening on the line. "
While automating foodservice packaging helps bakers
save time and maximize efficiency, it also poses some
difficulties they must consider.
" The challenge in all of this in terms of automating,
especially on the primary packaging side, is just consistency
of the process and the consistency of the packaging,
because making fundamental changes in packaging make
automation difficult, " said Ken Newsome, chief executive
officer of Markel Food Group, during Baking & Snack's
" Automating Out of the Labor Challenge " webinar.
And while a more automated system requires less labor,
it often requires a more skilled workforce.
" Consider what equipment offerings and training options
different packaging equipment suppliers offer that
could help ensure operators have the right skillset to operate
and maintain equipment, " Mr. Becker said.
These higher skilled jobs are often more fulfilling for
workers and can reduce the risk of injury.
" In these days of scarce resource availability, [automating]
allows bakeries to reassign qualified and experienced
workers to higher 'value added' tasks, and this
can also reduce some work-related recurrent injuries
from repetitive motions on manual entry level machines, "
said Alan Lemieux, product group leader, AMF
Bakery Systems.
72 Baking & Snack April 2022 / www.bakingbusiness.com
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Baking & Snack - April 2022

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