Modern, intuitive machines are taking the load off skilled workers in advanced industries, where there has been a shortage. In less developed countries, they are bringing about a boost in industrialisation. Here, we speak to Beatrix Fraese, Deputy Managing Director Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association within the VDMA.
Beatrix Fraese, Deputy Managing Director Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association within the VDMA. Picture: Uwe Nölke
Do digitisation, automation, and machine operation speak an ‘international language’, or do they come with diverse requirements?
The machine’s international language is predetermined already by its worldwide use: member companies of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association export an average of 84 per cent of their machines to over 100 countries globally. We are not capable of offering different control panels for each country. However, digitalisation and touchscreens have led to the development of colour-coded control elements that function non-verbally, such as green and red signals and symbols like smileys, which are intuitive and universal. These are accompanied by control elements and instructions that can be adapted to the respective national language.
A group of workers on an assembly line in a pork processing factory. Picture: hxdbzxy
The global food and beverage industry is one of the most labour-intensive sectors there is. A large proportion of this labour lies in the packaging process, which in many emerging countries is still done by hand. Is there a particular demand for digitalisation, automation, and intuitive usability in these regions?
This depends on how mature the given industry is. Some food industries, for instance, have a very strong manual component, with many people involved in the processing and packaging process. This has to do with the wage level, among other things: automation processes only begin to pay off when personnel costs are relatively high.
The degree of automation also depends on the product: how sensitive are the products? Are we talking about baby food, dairy products, or meat? How many potential hazards are there and how high is the risk of contamination? Evaluating process data lets us detect anomalies in the production process and identify areas for improvement – this has been made possible by digitalisation.
Food safety, automation, and standardisation for markets all seem to be closely linked.
First and foremost, food safety and automation are closely related – and this depends a lot on the product: What do I want to do with my products? Am I producing food for the local market or for export? If I am exporting, I must meet international standards, especially in the EU.
As companies grow and become more professional, they invest more in automation and complex machinery. This is particularly important if they wish to participate in the global market or require a specific output volume in accordance with uniform standards. To be competitive with multinational corporations in terms of food safety and quality, local suppliers must invest in technology. This is how the technological development of food and beverage production can increase added value and cause the market to evolve.
The use of symbols, pictograms, and colours greatly simplifies machine operation, enabling unskilled workers to be employed. Picture: Pietro Sutera
Is it fair to say that technology helps to compensate for different circumstances?
There are many countries that are rooted in agriculture and rich in raw materials, which export resources and could participate more strongly in the global market through value creation. There is a difference between selling raw cocoa and processed cocoa mass – and what does this mean for the operators of the machines that process the cocoa?
Many unskilled workers operate machines in the food industry. This is why the operation has been greatly simplified, with touchscreens, symbols, pictograms, and colours being used for different hoses, for example. This enables operators to immediately recognise inflow and outflow without having to read lengthy instructions. Before they start work, they are trained either by experienced colleagues or through (digital) training courses offered by the machine manufacturers.
“Simplified operations create jobs for people with little or no training. This provides an opportunity for people to participate in working life.”
What effect can the intuitive operability of machines have on the specific conditions at meat product manufacturers?
The meat industry and large slaughterhouses often work with subcontractors. The workers come, for instance, from Eastern Europe and, in many cases, have no qualifications – they are unskilled workers who are then faced with tools they can use well because the displays resemble mobile phones, with which they are familiar.
This creates job opportunities for people with little or no training. It gives people the opportunity to participate in working life. Ultimately, automation and simplified operation mean working faster, better, more efficiently, more safely, and in a more networked manner. In order to be able to supply people with food on a large scale, safe and efficient industrial production is a must. This is not a bad thing – it is a necessity. Some people just need to let go of the romantic idea that the yoghurt we find in dozens of flavours in the refrigerated section is still stirred by hand.
Intuitive user interfaces guide you safely through the process using clear symbols and visual cues, as well as step-by-step instructions. Picture: dusanpetkovic
In what way does intuitive usability affect the overall issue of qualification?
The key elements of intuitive operation of digital tools are user-friendliness, ease of use, and visual feedback. Clearly designed interfaces, warning messages with recommendations for action, and step-by-step instructions on the display itself facilitate learning. Operators do not necessarily need to have a perfect command of the local language, as they can also communicate with the machine using symbols or pictograms.
In what way is the shortage of skilled workers in Germany related to the greater ease with which machines can be operated?
I see two aspects here. Firstly, in Germany, we have strong key industries that are also strong in exports, such as mechanical engineering and the automotive industry. These industries are experiencing a shortage of engineers and skilled workers. Added to this, we have an academisation trend, and due to demographic change, there are fewer young people anyway. Unfortunately, these young people do not often choose technical courses of study, i.e. STEM subjects. Currently, there is a slight shift in favour of technical training, such as mechatronics, but there are still far too few of these courses. At the VDMA, we believe that technology should be taught in schools, the image of relevant degree programmes should be improved, and concerns about getting started, such as the ‘maths-heaviness’, should be addressed.
As far as easier machine operability is concerned, this alleviates the shortage of skilled workers and labour in the food industry. After all, machines must be operated and maintained. Digital tools and step-by-step instructions can help operators perform these tasks.
Michael Hopp
Author at Foodtech Now! editorial office, who wants to show through his stories that tradition and innovation belong together.
