Besides transforming assembly lines, product consistency, and product quality, automated advanced frozen food equipment streamlines the supply chain. Yes, even beyond the food manufacturing process, this equipment simplifies supply chain logistics. But if the advanced frozen food equipment is solely responsible for assembling the products, how can it affect the automated supply chain?
In this article, we’ll explore how frozen food equipment streamlines the supply chain and why incorporating such equipment in your assembly lines is worth the investment. We’ll also go through some tips for incorporating automated equipment to prepare your company for the challenges of frozen food logistics. But first, let’s review the importance of frozen foods manufacturers and distributors and their reliance on the supply chain.
Frozen Goods Manufacturers and Distributors and the Supply Chain
It’s no surprise that frozen goods manufacturers and distributors rely on the supply chain to connect their products with their customers. However, they rely on advanced frozen food equipment to prepare their products for successful transportation and delivery to stores nationwide and worldwide. The supply chain is more like a partnership. Rather than the frozen goods manufacturers and distributors simply handing off their food products to supply chain managers to deal with shipping logistics, more and more frozen food companies are doing their part to ensure that their products remain intact. Frozen food labels rely on automated equipment to maintain the consistency of their products needed for successful shipping and making their brands identifiable. In turn, supply chain management can run more smoothly without issues regarding the food products. Any snag in shipping food products has the potential to cause major delays, ultimately affecting the supply chain in general.
While this might seem dramatic, it’s true. Food manufacturing and supply chain logistics are interconnected, which is why it’s so important to incorporate advanced frozen food equipment that will optimize assembly and streamline shipping logistics. Next, we’ll dive even deeper into what the automated supply chain means and why automated food manufacturing equipment is critical to supply chain success.
The Automated Supply Chain
A large portion of the supply chain is automated, especially identifying and sorting products so they get to the right destinations. These processes of the automated supply chain may require that each product is properly packaged so that the machines can log and sort accordingly. Of course, the process differs if your company handles its own shipping versus employing an external shipping vendor. But generally, the more consistently your food products are packaged, the more likely they’ll remain intact and reach stores. The key to saving resources while ensuring properly packaged products is using the right advanced frozen food equipment to assemble your products to pass QC for successful packaging. Proper packaging also safeguards your products while they’re traveling throughout the supply chain.
Frozen goods manufacturers and distributors along with shipping companies all work in tandem to make sure that the frozen products arrive at their destination intact. All three parts of the automated supply chain depend on each other for smooth and streamlined operations. Now, let’s explore frozen food logistics for frozen food manufacturers and which automated equipment simplifies supply chain processes.
Frozen Food Logistics and Automated Equipment
As a food manufacturer, your company can use advanced frozen food equipment to not only improve the consistency and quality of your products for your customers but also for packaging and distribution. At Quantum, we’ve designed this equipment to streamline both the assembly process and frozen food logistics in shipping. Here, we’ll review the types of assembly line equipment that can improve frozen food logistics. They include circle placers, ingredient applicators, and specialized conveyors.
Cardboard Circle Placers
If your products require circle placers, applying the cardboard to the assembly line should be the first step in the process. Cardboard circles, squares, and rectangles have many functions in the production line, including protecting the products during assembly and transportation and keeping the products aligned with the ingredient applicators on the conveyors. At Quantum, we offer automated cardboard circle placers that can handle a range of sizes of circles, squares, and rectangles to meet your brand requirements. These cardboard pieces contribute to packaging and shipping logistics because they protect the product during these processes. Without a strong base, the products could potentially fall apart or get damaged, which can complicate packaging and shipping.
Ingredient Applicators
Next up are automated ingredient applicators. Automated ingredient applicators simplify frozen food logistics because they guarantee a properly assembled product, ready for easy packaging and shipping. Any delay in assembly can roll over to shipping delays, disrupting the supply chain down the line. Whether you employ sauce applicators, cheese/IQF ingredient applicators, meat slicers, and/or dry/granular applicators, these types of advanced frozen food equipment build products consistently according to brand guidelines, so they’re ready for packaging and shipping. Your company can find these types of equipment at Quantum, so you can start relying on high-quality assembly.
Specialized Conveyors
Lastly, specialized conveyors are key components of food manufacturing that also streamline logistics. Water spray conveyors, added as a last step in the manufacturing process, apply a light mist of water over the finished products to protect them during freezing, shipping, and shelf life. Infeed and bulk feed conveyors maintain the alignment of products on the production line to ensure proper assembly. Compression conveying systems compress ingredients to achieve brand guidelines, ideal for uniform products and simplifying packaging. Together with circle placers and ingredient applicators, these specialized conveyors ensure that your company is doing what it can to streamline supply chain operations. At Quantum, our automated food equipment is built to provide this surety.
Streamline Your Frozen Products with Quantum
Keeping up with demand is everything in the frozen food industry. That’s why at Quantum, we’ve developed the industry’s leading equipment that increases food manufacturing productivity without sacrificing efficiency, consistency, and quality. With Quantum equipment, you can connect your frozen food products with customers faster than ever. Contact us today to learn which equipment can improve your assembly line production.