Endoline Automation’s end-of-line automated solutions tick all the boxes for FMCG manufacturers
Historically, UK manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods, including the food, beverage pharma and home care products industries, has under-invested in end-of-line automation with a high dependency on manual labour. However, the drop in European workers as a consequence of Brexit, coupled with the increase in the minimum and living wage has resulted in FMCG manufacturers turning to automation as a means to mitigate these rising costs.
This rising demand is long overdue as the UK has notably lagged behind other European countries in the adoption of automation and, in order to compete with foreign productivity, British manufacturers need to continue on this upward trajectory.
First and foremost, it is important to understand that automation enables significant economies of scale by increasing the efficiency of operations and today’s systems can yield a great number of benefits, from increased capacity to greater flexibility.
For UK manufacturers, a lack of understanding on ROI and, quite often, a lack of factory floor space have been deterrents to automate in the past. But, any good end-of-line automation manufacturer will be able to demonstrate the return on investment, and floor space need also not be compromised as many of the systems built today have been constructed to a reduced footprint.
Last year, in response to rising demand from UK manufacturers from FMCG sectors who are increasingly looking to automate their packing lines, to reduce footprint and to move away from manual labour, Endoline Automation launched a high speed, fully automated system, combining case erecting, packing and sealing technology – the Case Packer.
The compact design of the Case Packer makes it the ideal solution for production areas with limited available space as the full system has been constructed within one frame, rather than having three separate machines, therefore drastically reducing footprint and overall investment.
With precise product handling at speeds of 10 cases per minute, the Case Packer receives single products from an infeed conveyor, groups them according to the programmed pattern on a loading platform, before lowering them into a formed case below, the filled case is then automatically closed and sealed on the top and bottom sealed with tape.
Suitable for handling any product packaging and orientation, the Case Packer can be customised to suit specific demands and reprogrammed for the packing of different products and quantities. Industry 4.0 compatible technology, integrated within the Case Packer, can capture and make data readily available for use in “live” decision making scenarios.
Re-engineering systems over the years to directly meet evolving demands for increased speed and flexibility, the Case Packer is Endoline’s first full automated system to incorporate case packing technology – providing customers with a complete end of line solution.
Synonymous with building market leading, innovative, case erecting and case sealing systems, Endoline have a 40-year history of working with manufacturers from FMCG industries on a global platform and a crucial element of this success has undoubtedly been the end of line equipment manufacturer’s ability to create long lasting automated solutions.
Investment has undoubtedly been a drawback for many UK manufacturers purchasing automated machinery for their end of line productions. However, while the industry continues to embrace the advantages these automated systems can undoubtedly yield the need to protect capital investment and ensure that a system won’t be made redundant when a new contract comes through is of paramount importance to manufacturers.
Therefore, it is vital that end of line machinery specialists focuses not only on creating innovative solutions, but on the system’s entire lifespan to safeguard longevity, including a dedicated spares and service plan and the ability to re-engineer and re-programme systems when new contracts come through and production needs change.
With careful planning, Total Cost of Ownership can be kept to a minimum and, if planned strategically, enable a business to continue to increase its productivity and efficiency.
