Bake Smarter, Not Harder: Robots Are Here to Stay
The bakery industry, like many sectors, is experiencing rapid advancements through automation and robotics. These technologies are not just improving production efficiency, but are also addressing key industry challenges such as labor shortages, quality control, and waste reduction.
By incorporating automation from the very start of designing production processes, bakeries can enhance productivity while minimizing costs and downtime. Below, we explore the key considerations for bakery manufacturers looking to integrate automation and how these systems are transforming the sector.
The Importance of Early Integration
When planning a new production line or upgrading existing facilities, automation must be considered from the outset. According to Oliver Selby, Head of Sales at FANUC UK, “incorporating automation into the design of the product is essential.” This means ensuring that both the product and the production process are optimized for automation—whether it’s enabling robotic pick-up, using materials that facilitate automated processes, or allowing access for robotic tools. By embracing automation early, bakeries can ensure seamless integration, minimizing downtime and boosting productivity.
Moreover, focusing on how parts are handled in the automation process can significantly impact the cost and efficiency of a bakery’s operations. Selby notes that poorly organized components can add 20-30% to the cost of an automation project. Keeping parts ordered and easily accessible, such as through conveyor belts or pre-arranged stacks, simplifies the automation process and reduces unnecessary manual intervention.
Cost Considerations Beyond Initial Investment
A major error that many manufacturers make is focusing solely on the payback period of automation rather than its long-term value. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model is a more comprehensive approach to evaluating the benefits of automation. TCO includes factors like maintenance, energy consumption, and repairs, which make up the majority of the costs over a machine’s lifetime. As Selby explains, “measuring TCO rather than ROI ensures long-term value.” For bakeries, this means investing in the right automation solution, one that will deliver sustainable benefits over many years rather than just meeting short-term financial targets.
Customization and Flexibility in Automation
One of the standout advantages of modern automation technology is its ability to handle customization and flexibility. Sweet Candy Company in Salt Lake City is a prime example of a bakery leveraging robotic systems to meet increasing customer demand. Known for their variety of chocolate sticks with jelly fillings, Sweet Candy needed to scale up production without compromising quality. They turned to Schubert, a robotics specialist, to automate their packaging process.
Previously, Sweet Candy’s semi-automated equipment required significant manual labor, with only 50% of the upstream product being packed by machines. With the new robotics-based system, the company was able to increase throughput and reduce the need for human intervention. Their Schubert Pickerline now packages 1,920 chocolate sticks from a cooling tunnel into pre-erected trays. Vision-guided robots manage the entire process, from placing a wax paper between product layers to adjusting the product count dynamically based on weight. This not only improves production efficiency but also enhances product flexibility, allowing Sweet Candy to meet fluctuating demand.