January/February 2022 - 24

PMMI THE ASSOCIATION FOR PACKAGING AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES
Addressing labor challenges through
automation, robotics
Almost from the
By Sean Riley
Senior Director,
Media and Industry
Communications,
PMMI
moment robots first
appeared in factories
in the 1960s, the
immediate reaction
a m o n g f a c t o r y
workers was a fear
that automation would
replace humans in
the manufacturing
workforce. More than
half a century later,
not only has this
assumption proved false, but many
facilities in manufacturing cannot even
find enough skilled labor to work its
current automation, including produce
processing.
In September 2021, PMMI, the
Associat ion for Packaging and
Processing Technologies, brought
together high-level packaging and
processing executives from consumerpackaged
goods companies (CPGs) and
original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) for its Top to Top Summit. Labor
was immediately identified as the top
operational priority, as the U.S. currently
faces an unprecedented labor shortage.
The number two operational priority
was automation, particularly making
automation more effortless to use in order
to find labor skilled enough to hire. This
aligns with PMMI's Automation Timeline:
The Drive Toward 4.0 Connectivity in
Packaging and Processing white paper,
which shone a spotlight on the general
lack of skilled labor as the biggest hurdle
to advancing and expanding automation.
Stated another way, the average skill
level amongst potential employees
does not rise to the level required by
automated processes.
Like the labor shortage, automation
is a trend that was growing long before
COVID-19 came along but, also in
lockstep with the labor shortage, the
pandemic gave automation a massive
24 JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2 02 2
boost - causing many companies to
accelerate their automation plans. For
produce processing manufacturers,
these labor struggles translate into
difficulty when seeking to expand
automat ion. Whi le increas ing
automation generally tends to reduce
the number of employees needed at a
given facility, it paradoxically increases
the level of skill required. As a result,
expanding automated features and
processes often creates new labor
needs and requirements, even while
simultaneously eliminating others.
While increasing
automation generally
tends to reduce
the number of
employees needed
at a given facility,
it paradoxically
increases the level of
skill required.
A lack of skilled labor within existing
operations means companies cannot
easily devote internal resources to
carrying out a new automation strategy
without pulling from existing processes.
This creates an either/or decision
scenario for manufacturers, where
they must determine which personnel
to allocate to a given project without
interrupting existing operations.
While OEMs cannot find the skilled
employees needed for the automation,
they are providing for produce
processing, some design strategies
are helping manufacturers with the
labor challenges, such as simplifying
equipment features as much as possible.
Changes should be explored, such
as streamlined machine interfaces
featuring graphic-driven explanations
and prompts that can help employees
make correct selections without
the need for a deep understanding
of programming or digital skills.
Adding these simplifications into the
maintenance of the machine would
benefit operators as well. Simpler
interfaces can direct employees to
perform maintenance or cleaning tasks
with guided, demonstrated steps that
mitigate much of the need for specialized
knowledge or advanced degrees.
More than anything else, produce
processing manufacturers need to
partner with automation suppliers, so
each can provide ongoing education
and guidance. OEMs are a definitive
source of automation knowledge and
expertise, helping to facilitate the
ongoing expansion of automation at
manufacturers through continuous
cooperation and mutual collaboration.
As the produce processing industry
continues to advance, the technologies
and solutions to keep up with these
trends will be on display at PACK EXPO
East (March 21-23, 2022; Pennsylvania
Convention Center). No other East
Coast event will offer such a wide
range of state-of-the-art packaging and
processing solutions as PACK EXPO
East, produced by PMMI. With 400
exhibitors, PACK EXPO East provides a
convenient and rewarding opportunity
for CPG and life sciences professionals
to explore packaging and processing
technology, connect with suppliers and
find the solutions needed to compete in
a changing marketplace conveniently
located just a drive or train-trip away
for most of the east coast.
To register or learn more, visit
packexpoeast.com. For information
about the PACK Ready Health and
Safety plan, visit packexpoeast.com/
packready.
http://www.packexpoeast.com http://www.packexpoeast.com/
January/February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January/February 2022
