The meat processing industry is waking up to the benefits of automated logistics, and in particular automated carton handling technology, says Wiley’s business operation manager Michael Matthewson.
The benefits of automation are astounding, he says, and many processors are currently incorporating Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) into their plants.
“We’ve put them in about five plants now, and once the first is installed, the rest seem to follow, particularly when we can provide a ROI in less than two years,” he says.
“By utilising all the data in a plant, not only are there significant results in logistics handling systems, your accuracy of measurement, and production control systems can be better validated, resulting in better product quality.”
Matthewson says one of the key emerging technology areas allowing the capture of high quality data is ‘Objective Assessment’.
These technologies, which originated from the medical industry and include CT scanning, SEXA (single energy X-ray absorptiometry) and DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) enable accurate sensing and measuring of an animal carcass and its body composition, and we’ll start to see these in the industry in the next three to five years.
“These allow for quick, accurate 3D viewing of the carcass in order to ascertain how it will yield and cut up.
"The data collected, along with the new breed of optical scanners will provide an improved decision making process.”
