Industries are constantly reviewing their business operations in order to enhance efficient food production – the prepared meals industry is no exception. Increasing efficiency can make a huge difference in cutting costs, optimizing operations, and conserving resources. It’s just a matter of finding an answer that can address the various challenges that exist in the prepared meals industry. At Quantum, the solution to these challenges is found in automating your prepared meal assembly lines.
Here, we’ll explore how companies that have incorporated more automation into their production lines are more successful in the frozen foods market. We’ll also describe how easy it is to utilize automated prepared meals equipment to streamline your company’s assembly line. Lastly, we’ll review how automated infeed conveyors are especially helpful in simplifying the food assembly process. Automating your food assembly lines for efficient food production is simple, especially with Quantum Technical Services.
The Key Behind Successful Companies in the Frozen Foods Market
Before we get into the specifics around streamlining assembly lines with automation for efficient food production, it’s important to learn how successful food manufacturers are automating more of their production processes. Automation transforms many facets of the frozen foods market, from meeting demand faster to simplifying R&D and increasing quality and consistency.
Meeting Demand Faster
The prepared meals market grew by more than $2 billion between 2020 and 2021, and this upward trend isn’t going anywhere. Prepared meals offer convenience and a trusted source for a good dinner or snack. It’s no wonder the frozen foods market is expanding! People are returning to in-person work and becoming busier than they have been over the last few years, so demand for prepared meals is high. Meeting this demand is an important priority for companies in the frozen foods market. To meet this demand, companies are automating their production processes. Not only does automation help with assembling food products faster, but it also centralizes business’ workforces and increases workflow efficiency. Your company can potentially produce hundreds of products per hour with Quantum’s automated equipment.
Simplifying R&D
With traditional manual assembly of food products, R&D can cost lots of time and money, especially if new products aren’t successful. However, automating food production lines can cut these R&D costs and potentially make your company eligible for R&D tax credits. R&D requires time spent on developing new recipes and trying new ingredients, and there are no promises for success. A new product failure in the market not only impacts that product, but it can also affect productivity for tried and true recipes. Using automated machinery makes it easier to quickly switch out ingredients and make new products faster, without much time or material cost risk. At Quantum, our machines have ingredient versatility for making new products faster and easier – and switching back to original recipes when needed.
Increasing Quality and Consistency
Producing consistent products is vital in maintaining customer trust and loyalty. Manual food assembly can lead to inconsistent and low-quality products, which can result in negative customer experiences, and tarnishing of a brand. Automation not only streamlines the assembly process but also improves quality and consistency – while also increasing productivity. Efficient food production means increasing productivity without sacrificing quality and consistency, and automation at Quantum Technical Services makes this possible.
A great customer experience is critical because it determines whether a customer purchases your products again. Because automation ensures quality and consistency, increases productivity, and streamlines R&D for your company, it is a single solution for the food industry’s toughest challenges. Next, let’s look at how to streamline assembly lines with automation.
Streamlining Assembly Lines With Automation
At Quantum, our automated prepared meals equipment can automate nearly every facet of the production line. We offer a selection of automated prepared meals equipment, including sauce applicators, meat slicers, cheese/topping applicators, dry/granular ingredient applicators, bulk feeders, water spray conveyors, and infeed conveyors. We offer the equipment necessary for a successful prepared meals business. The more your company automates, the faster you reach your ROI. But how does automation streamline assembly lines?
While automating one aspect of your production line, like sauce application, might speed up that portion of the production process, it could cause a backup on the line. Streamlining with automation works when machines are running in conjunction with each other. That way, your company can assemble thousands of products per day. Automating more of your production line maximizes output. Automation centralizes labor as it streamlines workflow while ensuring quality and consistency.
When beginning to automate your production line, it’s important to use the right equipment. One type of equipment is the infeed conveyor. Next, we’ll take a look at how infeed conveyors set your assembly lines up for success in efficient food production.
Infeed Conveyors and How They Lead to Success
Infeed conveyors are ideal for efficient food production. They align 12” cardboard circles and rectangles for prepared meals, baked goods, and pizza for correct placement on the assembly line. At Quantum Technical Services, our Infeed Orientation Conveyor Model IFOR Series allows you to change conveyor speed and read system diagnostics and production data all on the touchscreen user interface. The success of your production lines often hinge on the beginning stages of the line, especially cardboard circle placement and orientation by the infeed conveyors. These conveyors ensure that your product is in alignment with the ingredient applicators down the line for efficient food production. Automating your production line, especially steps that are early in the production process, sets your production line up for success.
Streamlining Your Prepared Meals Assembly With Quantum
At Quantum Technical Services, we believe that simplifying your prepared meals business starts with simplifying the automated equipment needed for success. We offer a selection of automated equipment ready to transform any prepared meals business. Customer service is our priority. Contact us today so we can recommend automated solutions for your company right away!