Food and beverage makers who gathered in Sydney last week for a key industry seminar heard that, as we move further into the new century, new technologies and Industry 4.0 will become increasingly crucial to the success of their businesses.
Food Factories of the Future was held before a full room at the Novotel Darling Harbour in Sydney last Wednesday morning. The event complimented foodpro which was taking place at the same time at the nearby ICC Exhibition Centre.
The two keynote speakers on hand for the seminar were Peter K. Wienzek, Business Development Manager Systems, ifm efector and John Leadbetter Managing Director, VEGA Australia.
Presenting first, Wienzek pointed out that food makers in 2017 have access to data that simply was not available in the past. Today, he said, everything is online and globally accessible. While this represents a challenge for the industry, it also offers huge opportunities.
He said that, provided it is used correctly, data can help the food factories of the future cut costs while maintaining quality. It can deliver benefits in terms of energy savings, production efficiency, process optimization, condition based maintenance, and more.
Peter K Wienzek’s presentation can be viewed here.
Leadbetter devoted his presentation to the important topic of level control. He said that, whether they are dealing with beer, grain, sugar or milk, food manufacturers require level control technology to monitor their tanks, silos, and vessels. Depending on the application, they can choose between Level Transmitters, Level Switches and Pressure Transmitters to perform this task.
Leadbetter outlined latest developments in this area, including radar level transmitters, pressure transmitters and the use of Bluetooth communications. He said that these new technologies, coupled with a continued emphasis on hygiene, will help the factories of the future run efficiently and profitably.
John Leadbetter’s presentation can be viewed here.
Following the presentations, the speakers took part in a Q&A session. A sample of audience questions included: how big a challenge do Industry 4.0 changes represent for individual businesses; who within management structures needs to take ownership of these challenges; and the ins-and-outs of level control and compliance for food makers.
Food Factories of the Future was organised by Prime Creative Media, publisher of Food & Beverage Industry News. We would like to thank our two speakers, as well as all those present.
