This week at Hannover Messe 2019, Tetra Pak will unveil its “factory of the future”, where digital technology revolutionises the way food manufacturing plants operate.
Machines will be able to communicate with each other as well as with the digital systems of the entire operation, automatically taking on tasks such as diagnosing problems, ordering and delivering parts, and looking for an engineer who is most suitable for the service needed. The technology builds on previous measures to bring the benefits of digitalisation to the food and beverage industry, such as the launch of Tetra Pak Plant Secure and condition monitoring.
Supported by these smart solutions, the workforce will be able to focus on managing the plant, making quick, informed decisions and continuously increasing the speed of production, reducing errors and minimising product waste.
Johan Nilsson, vice-president for industry 4.0 and digitalisation at Tetra Pak, said: “We are in a period where the market is changing at high speed. Consumer demands coupled with regulations require a new way of food manufacturing that is much more efficient and food safety guaranteed.
“At the same time, we believe humans should continue to be at the centre of the management of food manufacturing, with digital solutions as their support.”
Tetra Pak has been working on the digitalisation of food manufacturing with partners including Microsoft, ABB, SAP and the automated logistics solutions provider Elettric80. Combining these cutting-edge technologies with the company’s food expertise, Tetra Pak’s ultimate goal is to lead the digital transformation of food manufacturing and offer greater support to its customers in the digital era.
Johan Nilsson believes humans should remain at the heart of food manufacturing, with robotics as support.
Collaboration with ABB
Tetra Pak has also today announced it is developing an energy assessment programme in collaboration with ABB to help food and beverage producers lower their environmental impact and cut costs. These solutions are being showcased in the Swedish Pavilion at Hannover Messe 2019.
The programme provides an assessment of the entire plant, helping customers minimise their environmental impact and maximise profitability. Based on this analysis, Tetra Pak provides recommendations for food producers on opportunities to reduce energy consumption and help them make informed decisions about how resources are used in their plants.
Based on pilot projects in the Americas, the programme can potentially reduce carbon emissions for food and beverage manufacturing and cut energy cost by between 15% and 25%.
The strategic collaboration will combine the strengths of ABB Ability digital solutions and Tetra Pak’s unique expertise in food manufacturing – and will build on both companies’ global installed base, deep domain and digital transformation expertise.
Nilsson continued: “There is a sense of urgency for all industries to reduce their environmental impact across their operations, and we are developing programmes together with our partners to reduce this impact for our customers and the overall industry. The plant assessment programme is an excellent example of an area where we have found and created opportunities for environmental savings.”
And Visar Krasniqi, group vice-president for digital transformation at ABB, added: “With this strategic collaboration, Tetra Pak and ABB will create and drive a leading manufacturing ecosystem to provide Tetra Pak’s customers with the most advanced digital solutions and services. Additionally, this will enable Tetra Pak’s customers to run ABB’s digital solutions and their operations with improved overall efficiency, flexibility and sustainability.”
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