Baking & Snack - October 2021 - 106

BASKETS & TRAYS
maintain some control over the supply chain, " observed
Martin Riis, business development manager, Apex Motion
Control. " With what's happening around the world right
now, the pace at which these direct-store deliveries must
keep up is staggering. Demands are always high during the
best of times, but throw in a severely depleted workforce
and labor shortages - it's been a tough go, to say the least. "
Glenn Rindfleisch, vice president, sales and marketing,
SPF Groups, pointed out that the baking industry has taken
significant steps to automate basket and tray handling.
" As a result, efficiency gains depend on repeatability, and
tray, basket and dolly designs are front and center, " he said.
" Bakers are demanding that market tray solutions are 100%
interchangeable. Handle positions, rib structure and stack
heights are essential considerations as bakers look for ways
to eliminate touch points via automation for warehousing
and retail distribution. Dollies used in retail distribution are
also effective DSD delivery tools. "
When automating post-packaging operations, bakeries
must ensure a system's performance matches project goals.
" Many solutions are available from basic manual tray
loading, stacking and transport to fully automated redundant
systems, including conveying and palletizing, " said
Alain Lemieux, product group leader for packaging, AMF
Robotics, automated guided vehicles and their laser-guided
counterparts will be an integral part of the bakery of the future.
Middleby
BAKERS REFOCUS THEIR EFFORTS TO TACKLE TRAY THEFT
Tray loss is still costing the baking
industry millions of dollars annually,
and the American Bakers
Association (ABA) is looking to
further combat the issue by working
to pass additional legislation
in several other states across the
nation.
" Combatting tray theft at the
local level remains a priority for
the ABA State Affairs Working
Group, " said Kelly Knowles, ABA's
vice president, political and state
affairs. " While much of the working
group's focus shifted to the
COVID-19 response and California's
Prop 65 initiative over the last 18
months, looking ahead to 2022 will
hopefully bring better opportunities
to advance the model industry
106 Baking & Snack October 2021 / www.bakingbusiness.com
tray theft bill that was passed in
Maryland and Texas. "
ABA's Logistics Professionals
Group created www.traytheft.org as
a resource to fight tray loss and illegal
recycling. The website content
offers best practices that include
education, awareness, technology,
legislation and law enforcement as
part of a total systemic approach.
The goal is for all industries to
reduce loss or replacement rates
for any type of reusable asset.
Fundamentally, Ms. Knowles said,
the Logistics Professionals Group
found that state legislation is the
key component to any effective
loss prevention program.
Glenn Rindfleisch, vice president,
sales and marketing, SPF Groups,
has worked with ABA to combat
tray loss. He said more bakers are
adopting RFID or barcode options
that essentially serve as a license
plate for each tray.
" Unfortunately, illegal recyclers
and organized crime do
not always differentiate between
virgin and regrind material in the
recycling stream, " Mr. Rindfleisch
said. " Additives that help identify
specific material can be cost-prohibitive
and ineffective if material
is processed before recovery. Other
material additives contaminate
the recycling stream and have not
been adopted. The best solution to
reduce loss rates is to establish a
robust track-and-trace program that
fully educates your employees. "
http://www.traytheft.org http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - October 2021

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