How Industrial Manipulators Help Increase the Efficiency and Cleanliness of The Food Industry
What’s the most important characteristic of industrial manipulators? Regardless of industry, their versatility, flexibility and ergonomic features can make a real difference in your facility.
In recent posts, we’ve discussed specifically how manipulators are used in both the packaging industry and in foundries. Industrial manipulators are also often used to streamline facilities in other large sectors, including but not limited to:
• Electromechanics
• Automotive
• Textile
• Pharmaceutical
In this post, we’re taking a look at how manipulators can increase the efficiency and flexibility of a global market that’s set to be worth $247 billion by 2021 – the food and beverage warehousing industry.
A Commitment to Cleanliness
Due to the effects of COVID-19, businesses around the world have adapted their processes to ensure their warehouse, employees and customers won’t be at risk. Few sectors are under more scrutiny than food.
While there is currently no evidence to show that the virus can be spread through food, we are still learning more about how long COVID-19 can last on different materials present in many warehouses. In the latest reports, we’ve learned that the virus can live for up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to three days on plastic – two very common packaging materials.
This means that the less direct contact your warehousing team can have with products as they’re being moved, stored or shipped out, the better. Industrial manipulators make this easy because they do the lifting for you, without your employees ever having to touch boxes, rolls or even large drums. Manipulators help you cut down on contact and keep both your team and your customers safe.
Beyond this, industrial manipulators are often constructed out of stainless steel, which is a food industry standard for hygiene. While there have been reports that the virus can also live on stainless steel for up to three days, this metal is designed with a unique surface that doesn’t allow bacteria to hide in microscopic nooks and crannies, making it the easiest to keep clean. With frequent disinfecting, your stainless steel manipulator is still a much safer option than direct human contact with your products.
Increasing Production Efficiency
Towards the beginning of the pandemic, rumors of lockdowns and quarantine caused grocery store shelves to empty, putting pressure on food manufacturers and warehouses across the country.
Luckily, the sector has been able to quickly recover from this unexpected increase, continuing to adapt and prepare for any future demands.
To do so, many warehouses are analyzing their process and seeing where there is room to improve efficiency and productivity. The best way to begin this is by asking questions like:
• Are there areas of your facility experiencing backups or delays?
• Are there tasks that involve manual lifting of or physical contact with products that could be replaced?
• How effective are your current workflows?
• How accessible are your current storage systems for your employees?
Questions like these allow your warehouse management to begin to look for opportunities to optimize your current process, and that optimization could include industrial manipulators. These machines take over repetitive movements that are more likely to cause injury, while freeing up additional time and energy for your team members to take on additional tasks.
Versatile Solutions
Since the food industry is continuing to change and introduce new products, food warehouses need flexible solutions.
Industrial manipulators can be customized and specified to move and handle a variety of items of different shapes and sizes, including the handling of:
• Large, heavy food products such as cheeses and hams
• Pasta packages
• Bottles and bottle packing
• Carton boxes
• Containers
• Tanks
• Bags and more
By investing in industrial manipulators, the food sector warehouses can benefit from dependable solutions that can be repurposed for different uses. Manipulators come in several styles of machines, including pneumatic or mechanical gripping styles or column-mounted, overhead fixed or floor trolley mounted configurations and can move products up to 900kg.
Or, if your food packaging or manufacturing warehouse needs a specific, unique solution, industrial manipulators can still help. These machines offer ample possibilities when it comes to customization. For example, Dalmec’s manipulators can be created from scratch with your custom requirements to ensure your machine can perform any and all tasks you need.
Regardless of your warehouse setup or requirements, there are versatile and reliable industrial manipulators available that can help adapt your lifting process.
Explore How Industrial Manipulators Can Help
With the growing demands on the food sector not slowing down any time soon, warehouse owners and managers should consider the ways that industrial manipulators can add versatility, improve productivity and ensure cleanliness in their facility.
Dalmec’s customizable and adaptable industrial manipulators are innovative tools your warehouse needs to help your employees stay safe and do their job effectively.
If you have any questions about an industrial manipulator for your business, contact us today to learn more about the options for your warehouse.