OAL News
Food Manufacturing 2030 Conference - APRIL to cook lunch
Get your lunch cooked by a robot and learn what food manufacturing could look like in 2030. Join us and other food industry leaders to ponder what food processing will look like when we're in driverless cars at the Food Manufacturing 2030 Conference at the National Centre for Food Manufacturing, Holbeach, UK on Thursday 13 October 2016.
See the future
The food industry is ripe for change as it faces a perfect storm driven by the living wage, flat line productivity and food deflation. We believe in order to meet these challenges the industry must transform itself with flexible robotics and automation over the next two decades.
Share in our vision of the future and join us on Thursday 13 October 2016; listen to expert speakers and watch demonstrations as we debate food manufacturing in 2030. Designed for senior food professionals, the event is FREE to attend, and we expect strong discussions as we shape the future of our industry.
APRIL will cook your lunch
Our APRIL robotic food processing platform is pushing barriers and attendees will get a taste of the future as she's cooking lunch. Watch the future of ready meal production as APRIL (Automated Processing Robotic Ingredient Loading) effortlessly twirls a pan around the food processing hall combining ingredients, cooking and cleaning with no human intervention.
Expert speakers
We've brought together thought leaders from across the food industry to provide insights into why and how the food industry will change by 2030. Speakers include:
Simon Lushey, Specialist Technical Manager at Marks & Spencer, will be speaking about why innovation is important to retailing.
Ann Savage, Technical Specialist (Former Group Technical Director at Bakkavor), will be speaking about the future of chilled food manufacturing.
Steve Osborn, Food Technology Scout, will be discussing the consumer trends that will shape food manufacturing moving towards 2030.
Andrea Paoli, Senior Lecturer in industrial automation and robotics at the University of Lincoln, will be speaking about robotic technological developments.
More expert speakers are set to be announced.
Who should attend?
The event is designed for senior food processing and industry professionals looking to learn how robotics and automation will transform their food businesses. Expected delegate job titles include:
Managing Director, Operations Director, Technical Director, Innovation Director, General Manager, Technology/Innovation Manager, NPD Manager, Continuous Improvement Manager
Making big data small in food manufacturing
Confused about the impact of big data on food manufacturing? We believe many food manufacturers already have the data and our focus is better directed to the meaningful presentation of figures to deliver operational improvements.
Originally featured as a guest article on www.bakeryandsnacks.com
There’s a lot of excitement about the internet of things (IoT) and big data but realistically many larger food manufacturers already have access to lots of data. When we speak with our customers, often the idea of more data is seen as a distraction. There are bigger opportunities for operational improvements in presenting data in an informative and actionable way. For big data to be a success, data must be more informative, actionable and timely.
OAL big data bakery SCADA screen
Informative big data
What use is all the data about a process if it’s not easily understood by engineers and operators? One of the big switches we’ve made on our control systems is how we present data. For instance, when you compare our traditional SCADA screens to our newly developed screens they look completely different. Designed with user experience at its core, the new visuals seek to present information that is much more relevant to the end user. For a bakery process, traffic light systems easily indicate if there are any issues relating to humidity, temperature etc. If they’re all green no worries at all. Likewise representing the flow of product as blocks as opposed to how the system operates clearly indicates bottlenecks and breaks in production.
Actionable big data
Data, no matter what its size, is useful to management, engineers and decision makers when it’s actionable. We’ve brought vegetable preparation lines into the 21st century by providing individual operators a screen with real time yield, production feedback and all their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Previously multiple operators would be reliant on a single beacon to track weight. Now actionable data can be presented on an individual basis to improve yield and performance. For both management and operators, it’s clear if an individual is giving away too much product and both parties have the information to hand to take action.
Timely big data
Reviewing yesterday’s production reports looking for insights leaves manufacturers in a reactive state. Manufacturing excellence requires proactive responses to data. Timely delivery of data removes distractions and allows operators and engineers to focus on the job at hand until required. Simple things like changing the colour of a screen from blue, when the downtime is planned, to red, when the downtime runs over are easily understandable.
OAL Factory Performance Changeover
Big data has the potential to be extremely powerful but only if it’s presented in a timely, informative, actionable manner to end users - take the first step today!
Time to act: robotics in food and beverage manufacturing
APRIL™ Robot Chef
Food manufacturing is facing a perfect storm driven by the living wage; flat line productivity and food deflation. Advanced technology and robotics can address these issues yet the UK is seriously lagging behind the developed world in its implementation. The Office of National Statistics recently announced that the UK has returned to recession for the 3rd time in 8 years. A dive in productivity further underlines the challenge in the UK manufacturing sector. The UK now has a 30% lower GDP per hour than countries such as the US, France and Germany. It must be time for food and drink, the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, to act.
The impact of robotics
In 2014, global robot sales increased by 29% to 229,261 units with the main growth seen in the automotive industry, representing 40% of all robots sold. The UK food and drink sector has a 10-year average adoption rate of just 63 robots a year!
China has expanded its leading position in the adoption of robotics with 25% of the total supply in 2014. High productivity countries such as Germany, France and US show a strong correlation to the number of robotic installations, with the US and Germany featuring in the five countries accounting for 70% of all robot sales along with China, Japan and Korea. France also increased investment in robotics, while the UK’s commitment has been in decline. The forecast for robotic installations sees China looking to around 150,000 by 2018, double the 2014 levels, compared to the UK whose outlook is relatively flat during the same period. The other industrial nations have shown steady growth during the same period.
With the food and beverage sector at such low levels of commitment and as such an important economic contributor, the use of robotics must become part of the vision for the future food factory, and the move to Food Manufacturing 4.0.
Barclay’s bank (2015) forecasts that an investment of £1.2bn in automation will add £60bn to the UK economy, ultimately safeguarding 106,000 jobs. Barclays note that the food and drink sector would be one of the primary sectors to benefit, with productivity improvements of 25% being achieved by 2025. Early indications are proving that embracing automation has enhanced productivity and lead to job creation.
Global centre of excellence for robotic food manufacturing
Working with the University of Lincoln we have been championing Food Manufacturing 4.0 and have developed the transformative APRIL™ Robot Chef. APRIL is challenging the way food production lines are set out, moving away from ‘traditional’ linear continuous production, where high volume and limited flexibility have been the watchwords. APRIL will deliver a system that introduces a return to flexible batch systems, but with intelligent and integrated scheduling that optimises production, improves efficiency and in doing so enhances productivity – Potentially more traditional than continuous linear systems in reality?
At the successful launch of the APRIL Robot Chef in April, we set out our vision to create a Global Centre of Excellence for Robotic Food Manufacturing at the University of Lincoln to:
Educate the industry.
Partner with visionary early adopters.
Deliver disruptive change in manufacturing.
If you’re interested in transforming your facility and bucking the productivity trend, get in touch with our experts!
Successful APRIL™ Robot Chef launch & slides
We launched APRIL™ the Robot Chef at the National Centre for Food Manufacturing during a conference with the University of Lincoln focused on understanding how robotics and automation will change food processing. Food manufacturing is facing a perfect storm driven by the living wage; flat lining productivity and food deflation. Advanced technology and robotics can address these issues yet the UK is seriously lagging behind the developed world in its implementation. Speakers discussed different aspects of this challenge which culminated in live demonstrations of the APRIL™ Robot Chef system in our state-of-the-art test centre.
Food professionals view Steam Infusion & cryogenic cooling
Moving forward, our vision is to create a Global Centre of Excellence for Robotic Food Manufacturing at the University of Lincoln that will:
Educate the industry
Partner with visionary early adopters
Deliver disruptive change in manufacturing.
The APRIL™ system demonstrates the potential of robotics to deliver competitive advantage for food manufacturers and how they can overcome existing challenges e.g. traceability, flexibility, adaptability, quality etc.
Speakers included:
Andrea Paoli, Senior Robotics Lecturer at the University of Lincoln explaining the basics and future of robotics.
Jeff Nowill, CEO, Kuka Robotics UK on the intersector knowledge transfer opportunities for the adoption of robots.
Ian Beauchamp, OAL's Head of Process Engineering on the challenges robotics can overcome on the shop floor.
Mark Swainson, Principal lecturer on the challenges robotics can overcome on the shop floor.
Harry Norman, OAL's Managing Director describing his vision of robotic food manufacturing.
Here are the slides from the day (they can be downloaded by clicking through to Slideshare for Jake Norman’s slides and Jeff Nowill’s slides)
Biographies of speakers:
Andrea Paoli
Andrea has been a Senior Lecturer in Industrial Automation and Robotics since 2014 at the University of Lincoln where he serves as the Programme Leader for the brand new BEng Automation Engineering programme. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society UK organising committee.
Jeff Nowill
Jeff is a chartered engineer; having completed an apprenticeship at Dunlop Aviation, and a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Coventry University. He joined KUKA in 2009, and is CEO of the UK and Irish operations, and sits on the board of ESPRC’s RAS network. KUKA boast a turnover in excess of €3 billion, as a world-class manufacturer of industrial robots and automation solutions.
Ian Beauchamp
Ian’s background is control engineering and business. He draws on over thirty years’ experience working for companies such as P&G and APV within R&D, design, project management together with leading product, service and engineering activities. Ian facilitated Performance Optimisation projects within the food industry in a global position utilising Six Sigma and Lean Methodologies.
Mark Swainson
Mark’s industrial background is Technical and Operations Management within the high risk chilled and frozen food industry. He is listed on the European Food Safety Authority Food Safety Experts Database, is an experienced Lead Auditor and a member of the Institute of Packaging. Mark conducts industry based research to address specific food industry challenges; Quality, Safety and Hygiene Control Systems, Advanced Process Technologies & Automation, Food Supply Chains, Microbiological Safety and Shelf Life
Harry Norman
Harry was just 28, with only a few years of industry experience and a first class degree in controls and automation when he founded OAL (Olympus Automation Ltd) in 1993. OAL now supply cutting edge food manufacturing systems for leading blue chip clients such as Allied Bakeries and Bakkavor that have increased the efficiency and consistency of their manufacturing operations.
OAL partners with Macmillan Cancer Support for 2016 fundraising
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In 2016 OAL will be running, cycling, baking and more to fund raise for Macmillan Cancer Support. As our official 2016 charity, we hope to assist Macmillan (made up of professionals, volunteers and campaigners) in their journey to offer support and inspiration to those affected by cancer, to take back control of their lives.
There are currently 2.5 million people living with cancer in the UK alone with that number expected to reach four million by 2030, so there is no time like the present. It costs £27 for a Macmillan nurse for an hour, that nurse could provide emotional and practical support as well as essential medical advice to those affected by cancer. Nobody should have to go through cancer alone so if you would like to join us in supporting this fantastic charity.