The digitalisation of food manufacturing

Tetra Pak will demonstrate how digital technology can change the way food manufacturing plants operate by unveiling a ‘factory of the future’ at Hannover Messe 2019.

In this factory, machines will be able to communicate with each other as well as with the digital systems of the entire operation, automatically diagnosing problems, ordering and delivering parts, and looking for the most suitable engineer for the job. The technology builds on the Tetra Pak Plant Secure and condition monitoring, the company said.

​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, VP Industry 4.0 and Digitalisation at Tetra Pak, said human and Al collaboration will be at the core of the factory of the future.

​“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,” Nilsson said. “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.”

The company has partnered with Microsoft, ABB, SAP and Elettric80 on the digitalisation of food manufacturing. Nilsson explained: “There is no single firm that has the scale to manage all the complexity of digitalisation alone, so we need to collaborate and form partnerships to help deliver tangible value.” 

With these technologies and its food expertise, Tetra Pak aims to offer greater support to its customers in the digital era.

Hannover Messe will take place 1–5 April in Sweden.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/metamorworks