Posted to News on 29th Mar 2019, 09:08
Whitepaper: automation in food and beverage manufacturing
With a tumultuous time ahead for food and beverage businesses in the United Kingdom, Novotek UK and Ireland has released a free white paper explaining how the industry can use automation to stay competitive. The white paper is available as a free download from the Novotek UK and Ireland website.
The document explores the state of the European food and beverage industry, outlining the issues facing it and the value of the sector to Europe. Novotek then explains how industrial automation can help businesses meet rising demand and tightening regulations, as well as how plant managers can choose the right automation system for their business, based on what they want to achieve.
George Walker, managing director of Novotek UK and Ireland, explains: "In recent years we have seen many figures in the industry express the need for an increased uptake of automation. In fact, a survey conducted just last year found that 55 per cent of respondents thought that automation was the biggest trend in food manufacturing operations. Yet, many food businesses have not made meaningful steps towards adopting modern automation.
"Part of the reason for this reluctance to adopt new technologies may be limited system knowledge, particularly for businesses that are using legacy operations management systems that function very differently to those available today. It is easy to choose a system that works, but it is more difficult to select one that works and achieves a company's goals.
"Managers can use our white paper to identify how and why their business objectives and focus, or automation profile, informs the types of systems that will benefit them the most. Sometimes, the system is the same but the configuration and way of using it is different, which is something many plant managers often do not consider. That is something we want to change."
The food and beverage industry is one of the biggest and most economically important in the European Union (EU). According to a report by FoodDrinkEurope in 2018, the sector's turnover was EUR1109bn, with 4.57million people employed across EU member states.
Despite its size, the industry needs to grow to meet the demands of a rising global population. Businesses in the sector must also be adaptable to changing market conditions and consumer interests in order to remain competitive. Modern automation technologies are making this possible, but Novotek UK and Ireland has observed a slowness in adoption among food and drink companies.
Plant managers and engineers can download Novotek UK and Ireland's 2019 food and beverage automation white paper from the company's website.
