7 benefits of automation in the fruit and vegetable sector

In today’s day and age, companies struggle with labour availability and accessibility during the season, so automation is often presented as the remedy to any labour shortage in many segments. However, the lack of skilled and motivated workers is not the only factor that makes automation worth considering. In this article, we discuss the focal benefits of automation in the fruit and vegetable industry. Need more reasons to convince your boss to invest in automation? Read this article and brace yourself with 7 meaningful arguments.  

Increased productivity 

Automation helps increase production and efficiency. This keeps manual operations to a minimum, making it possible to maintain the same (high) speed throughout the production process. The overall productivity is much higher after implementing automation in the packhouse.

Reducing labour costs 

Many factories are struggling with rising labour costs. Implementing automation in a manufacturing process is often costly, even though it makes economic sense. Automated processes reduce the cost per unit of product.

Securing labour shortages

We see that particularly developed countries are experiencing labour shortages due to negative population growth. This has an indirect effect on economics. Automation can be seen as a substitute for labour in this case, because it solves the problem of labour shortages during the season.

Reduction or elimination of repetitive and exhausting manual operations

The great advantage of automation is that repetitive and exhausting manual operations can be left to machines. This type of activity requires a relatively small part of the human brain, which favours the purely physical input we gain through automation. Due to the highly repetitive nature of activities during such production, it is easy to have them performed by a machine. Automation of such tasks serves to improve the overall level of working conditions.

Increased worker safety 

By automating the manufacturing process, some workers can be moved from line work to a supervisory role, making work much safer. Employee safety and well-being are becoming an increasingly important priority. This provides a significant boost to process automation.

Benefits of automation: increased product quality 

Machines can run continuously at the same speed and settings. Automation contributes to the improvement of production process parameters in terms of repeatability of manufactured elements and their compliance with quality specifications. Reducing the number of defective products is one of the main benefits of automation.

Reduced delivery time – last but not least benefit of automation

Automation helps reduce the time between a customer’s order and product delivery, giving the manufacturer a competitive advantage on future orders. Due to the reduction in production time, the manufacturer also reduces inventory during the production process.

Implementing automation can be a challenge for many manufacturers, but it’s the future for fresh produce companies and other sectors. It enables delivering a quality product to customers while keeping operating costs to a minimum. Introducing automation into your business will significantly improve it, increase your competitiveness and flexibility in rapidly changing markets, and increase your profitability, ensuring that your business is properly prepared for the future.

Real-life benefits of automation – up to 2 tonnes of blueberries per hour

An example of this automation is compact sorting lines, which are an advantage for owners of small and medium-sized farms, as they enable quick and accurate inspection of fruit for softness. This system was chosen by Beata and Kazimierz Wasiak who grow blueberries on a 10-hectare plantation. The line, delivered to them in 2018, includes a feed conveyor to transport the fruit to the Impulse softness sorting machine and an inspection conveyor. This solution allows sorting of up to 2 tonnes of blueberries per hour.