This article appears in the August 2021 issue of Potato Grower.
Companies of all sizes and industries have had to adapt their business practices as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 90 percent of U.S. companies have noted that their ability to meet customer demand has been directly impacted, influencing their increased interest in technological solutions.
Even before COVID-19, automation had repeatedly proven its value to fresh produce operations in five key areas of performance—maximizing yield, reducing waste, improving production line reliability, maximizing hygiene and safety, and enabling sophisticated product grading—all directly driving brand growth.
To combat food insecurity in particular, demand for expedited distribution in the fresh produce industry has driven decision-makers to look toward automation solutions that create operational efficiencies. It has also been suggested that as companies work to manage employee health and associated labor shortages, automation will again play a key role.
Ongoing research is leading to the development of technologies that result in more competitive manufacturing. Rapid changes in both internal and external demands frequently necessitate change in different areas of manufacturing, i.e., lower price points and production costs, higher quality, and shorter throughput time. These demands require a high degree of flexibility and more dynamic decision-making later in the production chain.
The food industry as a whole has been slow to implement and integrate automation into their current processes. However, the companies who have recognized the upside have already realized a return on investment through reduced costs, which minimizes price increases over time. This, in turn, prevents buyers from needing to shop around.
While the impact of COVID-19 is expected to have a large influence on businesses, a majority of industries, including food and beverage, are leaning toward the adoption of automated processes to offset their current operational capabilities. High levels of competition and a growing focus on reducing turnaround time have prompted food producers across the world toward automation. In a bid to retain high levels of throughput and efficiency, companies have recognized gaps and are now more willing to invest in packaging and weighing equipment to fill that need.
The automation technology behind Fox Solutions’ Wicketed Bagger and NEWTEC 4000 Series weigher help packers and shippers achieve greater operational performance.
Fox Solutions manufactures a Wicketed Bagger (model FSPB3) that delivers versatile performance. Up to four Wicketed Baggers can be paired with a NEWTEC 4000 Series weigher for operational performance that will meet the production goals packers need to achieve.
In a related trend, flexible packaging has also experienced an uptick in requests for consumer size packaging in 1-, 3-, and 5-pound pack sizes for potatoes, onions and citrus. Identifying a pain point is the first step to innovation. The Fox Combo Ultra Shield bag is among the solutions in this area. It decreases the amount of UV light absorbed by potatoes, specifically russets, from 33 percent in a vented poly bag to just 8 percent in a Fox Combo Ultra Shield bag. This technology utilizes a black-white film that acts as a barrier to UV spectrum lights that can trigger greening in potatoes.
While packing systems are driving the market, the requirement for a higher initial capital investment inhibits smaller organizations from onboarding the necessary solutions. However, automation systems, dependent on the throughput of product, can render a ROI within three years. Companies can focus on gaining a higher cost realization by achieving higher efficiency and cost reduction in their overall operation. With equipment solutions like the automated robotic palletizer, manufactured by INTEC, manufacturers can achieve greater productivity by allowing machines to stack to particular customer pallet specifications.
“For example, Newtec’s Celox-P-UHD offers an accurate selection of high-value products,” says Aaron Fox, President of Fox Solutions. “Its ability to output consistent quality, size and shape simultaneously through one machine makes a positive impact on line efficiency and removes the need for mechanical pre-grading, eliminating the need for additional labor.”
Automation can serve to accelerate and support long-term success for the food industry far beyond the pandemic.
The Fox Combo Ultra Shield bag dramatically reduces the amount of UV light absorbed by potatoes.
For more information about automation equipment from Fox Solutions, email info@solutionsbyfox.com.