Doubling Production with Food Packaging and Production Automation
INDUSTRY:
Food Industry
TYPE OF WORK:
Conceptual design, design validation, analysis, and design for manufacture (DFM)
Enginuity transformed our complex, fragmented facility into a streamlined, automated operation. They addressed our building’s unique challenges, integrating automation to move cans efficiently over large distances. We couldn’t have achieved this without their expertise in production and packaging automation.
Phil Leblanc
Owner, IMO Foods Ltd
About the Client
IMO Food Ltd.
IMO Foods is a renowned fish cannery based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, boasting over 50 years of excellence in producing high-quality, locally-sourced canned fish. Specializing in canned herring, sardines, and mackerel, IMO Foods uses freshly caught fish from the Bay of Fundy and the North Atlantic.
While they produce for numerous brands worldwide, their own KERSEN brand is prominently available in retailers throughout Nova Scotia. Committed to sustainability, IMO Foods takes pride in their naturally smoked kippers, free from chemicals and additives, ensuring their products are rich in Omega-3.
Understanding the Problem
The Challenge
The company has been looking into increasing automation for their food manufacturing facility because they needed to stay competitive in the food industry and meet market demands from grocery leaders, all while struggling with an ongoing labor shortage in rural Nova Scotia. Furthermore, with a constrained supply chain in the food and beverage industry due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for their product increased further.
Like many food processing plants that have operated for many years, inefficiencies existed in their process, particularly in packaging automation to meet specific client orders. The incumbent process had several separate, manual steps that had the potential to cause bottlenecks, reducing production output.
Site Layout Inspection & Planning
We started with initial site inspection and planning to find scopes of production optimization consideration of building envelope limitations.
Production Facility
Palletizing robot in action.
Prototype Site Tour
Owner Phil Leblanc giving Enginuity Team and other industry leaders tour of the new packaging line.
Creating SCADA solution
We built in a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) solution that offers insight and added functionality into the entire process, offering a visual snapshot of the production system.
Fish Can at Costco
Herring and Sardines fish can at Costco. The Robotic palletizing allows for customized stacking patterns for each product
Solving the Challenge
The Solution
Following an Automation Study, IMO Foods engaged Enginuity for a process walk-through. Using our Automation Control Process team, we developed a Preliminary Design and conducted a Test Install of conveyors and a packaging robot at our Halifax facility before implementing it in Yarmouth, ensuring no production downtime.
Enginuity eliminated most manual packing, reducing double handling and ensuring a systematic, automated process that increased food safety. The custom system addressed the physical limitations of the facility and marked the first step in fully automating the food packaging process. Cans are delivered via a 20′ spiral conveyor for final inspection, then packaged and picked up by a 6-axis Yaskawa robot for pallet stacking.
As part of the implementation, we integrated a SCADA solution offering insights and added functionality. The system, accessible from anywhere, also enables remote control and diagnostics, reducing operational costs. The SCADA system we implemented resulted in:
- Production forecasting
- Quality control analysis
- Machine health and maintenance requirements
- Batch, lot, and work order reporting
The Food industry automation solution we implemented ensured consistent quality control and faster response times to market demands. The comprehensive Food automation process control provided real-time insights and management capabilities, enhancing overall productivity.
Summarizing the Outcome
The Conclusion
Because of this solution, IMO Foods will only about half as many people would be needed to run this part of the process, which reduces costs significantly. Then, it is estimated that ROI would be about 2 years. There is also a 10%-20% increase in overall factory efficiency, a compounded increase on top of the reduced costs due to decreased manual labor.
Key Takeaways
Optimized Production Process
Identified bottlenecks and provided immediate and long-term recommendations for higher productivity.
Significant Production Increase
The recommendations help double production within six months and quadruple in a year.
Positive Client Experience
IMO Foods saw high ROI potential and praised Enginuity for effective cost analysis and practical solutions.
Applying Know-Hows to Food Production & Packaging Automation Industry
The IMO Foods project demonstrates our ability to enhance production efficiency, increase yield, and drive productivity in the food industry. By identifying bottlenecks and recommending tailored improvements, we provided scalable solutions that doubled production capacity within six months.
The strategies implemented can be adapted to improve:
- Bakery: Optimize baking processes, enhance production efficiency, and improve resource management.
- Beverage and Brewery: Increase production yield, streamline bottling processes, and ensure quality control.
- Dairy: Enhance milk processing, improve production workflows, and utilize resources effectively.
- Prepared Foods: Scale up production lines, improve packaging processes, and minimize labor-intensive tasks.
- Protein Processing: Improve meat processing efficiency, enhance asset utilization, and ensure safety compliance.
Additionally, our comprehensive range of services, including mechanical design, electronics design, industrial design, industrial automation, safety engineering, and manufacturing support, ensures that every aspect of your production process is optimized for efficiency and quality. These services allow us to provide holistic solutions tailored to your specific needs, ensuring seamless integration and maximum performance.
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