PET Food Processing - September 2019 - 58

OPERATIONS

Goodbye to manual

Automation is one of the fastest ways to improve overall efficiency. For this reason, an increasing number of
processors are partnering with companies that offer automated solutions. "A multinational pet food processing
company came to APEC ready to transform their existing pet food plant in Mexico from a manual process to
an automated process," Stank says. "By automating the
process that had previously been done manually, the efficiency of the plant improved across the board."
Niranjan Kulkarni, Ph.D., director, operations improvement, CRB, Kansas City, Missouri, agrees on the
importance of automation in a modern plant. "Automation solutions to dispense commonly used raw materials, automated palletizing, and integrating automated
systems to collect downtime data, etc. are gaining
popularity," he says. "These solutions help reduce overall
cycle time, better understand the root cause of downtimes, and improve operator ergonomics and safety."

Reduce unplanned maintenance

Automated controls,
continuous data
reporting and an overarching network connecting processes can
provide deep insight
and reveal opportunities for improvements,
as well as maintain
traceability.
METER GROUP

frequency and total time of routine testing.
Software is playing an increasingly important role
in efficiency. One example of this is lot tracking and
batch validation software that allows for traceability.
"In the animal feed industry, the manufacturing facility is required to present documentation or reports to
show ingredient tracking and traceability," says Don
Goshert, general manager and vice president, Sterling
Systems & Controls, Inc., Sterling, Illinois. "Increasingly,
the data collection and management of ingredients
and batches from the feed processing batching control
system and the integration of this data with enterprise
resource planning software has improved the manufacturer's ability to meet these safety requirements," he
adds. The company engineers and produces batching
and control systems that offer processors fully customizable tracking and traceability. This data can be invaluable for meeting stringent goals and objectives of the
manufacturing process.
Utilizing new weighing technologies is another way
for processors to improve overall efficiency. "Highly
accurate digital load cells are a large contributor to the
increased efficiency in scaling equipment," says Jessica
Stank, marketing, APEC, Lake Odessa, Michigan. "There
are load cells on the market today that are gram accurate. This level of weighing accuracy ensures that there is
little to no waste or overuse of costly ingredients."

Preventive maintenance is essential for reducing downtime and maximizing the efficiency and lifespan of pet
food processing equipment. "When production lines
aren't running due to unplanned maintenance, the product isn't getting out of the door. This can impact an organization from top to bottom, and mostly the bottom
line! Implementing and executing a proper cleaning and
sanitation plan is necessary to ensure efficient and safe
production," says Evan Reyes, director of sales, sanitation
division, Goodway Technologies, Stamford, Connecticut.
Goodway's offerings into the pet food space have focused on cleaning and sanitation solutions that accommodate processors' aversion to moisture.
When it comes to maintenance and cleaning, many
facilities are moving toward a total productive maintenance philosophy. "Routine maintenance tasks are performed by daily operations personnel," explains Drew
Goodall, manager, process, GraySolutions, Lexington,
Kentucky. "These facilities see maintenance and cleaning
as an opportunity rather than a cost."
Errette Dunn, CEO of Rever, San Mateo, California,
emphasizes the importance of planning preventive
maintenance based on feedback from frontline personnel. "Maintenance and cleaning personnel already have
ideas that are born from a need to make their job easier,
and that have an impact on reducing downtime from
scheduled changeovers," he remarks.

Hidden opportunities

Making improvements to old equipment is one area that
is frequently overlooked. "New companies often start with

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PET Food Processing - September 2019

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