Automation and robot technology are sustaining operational longevity in F&B, in the wake of continued labour shortages
14 July 2022
The growth of the F&B industry has grown exponentially in recent years, gaining on more ‘traditional’ manufacturing sectors. Currently the second largest sector, behind automotive, the UK F&B industry has been under increasing pressure, as manufacturers grapple with challenges delivered as a result of the pandemic, and departure from the EU that have impacted skilled labour pools.
Consumers transitioning to online retail channels during lockdown has had an impact, as has demand for a greater array of products, driven by changing tastes and habits, defined by a growing sense of sustainability and health awareness, convenience, and speed of delivery. Not only is the sector diversifying, it continues to grow.
They say that with growth comes opportunity and as depleting skilled labour pools encourage F&B manufacturers to revaluate existing process flows, the opportunity to embrace automation as a means to future proof operations, is a real consideration for many businesses: manage pressures from both domestic and international competitors, increase product portfolios and reach into new markets, mitigate against future crises and satisfy demand.
The cost of automation is falling, and there now also exist a number of avenues, away from capital expenditure, through which automation can be acquired, with shorter contracts and smaller overheads - automated processes can be established at a similar cost of the staff that can no longer be found.
As the market dynamics change, as do the robot technologies. There has been a steady increase in the number of applications downstream, away from traditional pick-and-place and palletising applications that have been well established within the F&B industry for many years, such as weighing, measuring, or the handling of raw ingredients. Such tasks are now being automated owing to several factors such as: health and safety, hygiene, increasing product iterations and the costs associated with training and retaining reliable, and skilled operators.
The F&B industry has for some time been reliant upon transient labour and has been impacted by this reliance. Low cost labour is now not easy to come by, nor are the skills that might once have defined those labour pools from which the industry was able to source from. As such, operators suited to those roles within the F&B industry are able to cherry pick, often commanding high salaries that align with those skills they are able to bring to the table and moving often to those jobs that offer the greatest rewards. Costs that are therefore aligned with training personnel are impacting operating profits.
The number of robots sold into the UK F&B market has increased around 25% every year for the last four years, as a dichotomy between sector growth and labour challenges drive an awareness of the benefits attributed to process automation. The number of F&B specific robot hardware that are available in today’s marketplace are also having an influence upon these increases.
Robots with food compatible H1 lubricants and HO (hygienic oil) variants that meet the high food standards and requirements of the F&B industry for the hygienic handling of food items with no compromise on safety. Corrosion-resistant surfaces and stainless-steel parts ensure the highest levels of hygiene, that is required in applications requiring a sterile environment. These features coupled with those attributed to robotic processes, such as repeatability, consistency, accuracy and task execution longevity – the ability to undertake repetitive tasks again, and again without breaks – robots don’t suffer fatigue or loss of concentration, and within an industry as regulated as F&B, any lapse of concentration can lead to costly mistakes, such as operational downtime needed to initiate deep cleans, or costly recalls that can also impact future sales and trust. How are business owners aligning external influences, such as demand, with their process flows, allowing for the inclusion of automation? The simple answer is to allocate mundane, repetitive tasks to robots and leave the dexterous and more complex tasks to humans, utilising skills in areas that can deliver the most value. In a sector where throughput is extremely high, and liable to fluctuations, those pick-and-place, A to B applications that require a level of consistency and accuracy should be automated.
Despite automation raising several questions surrounding job role longevity, the reality is that robots are taking responsibility for tasks that humans simply don’t wish to undertake. And for those operators in industries that advocate robotics and automation, not just F&B, the opportunities for role enhancement is great. Operators are being repositioned as robot programmers, or filling roles that can better utilise their key skills and attributes. As product quality increases, as does demand which in turn drives throughput. Increased production creates opportunities upstream, in some cases necessitating the need to invest in workforce growth.
Skilled worker shortages have created opportunities for manufacturers in the F&B industry, in all industries, and in doing so is driving success. In adopting automation, and utilising robotic processes the way that we manufacture is changing. We are re-skilling and up-skilling our long serving staff, driving knowledge retention and embracing disruptive technologies to remain competitive, satisfy demand and manage the depleting skilled labour pools that continue to grow.
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