Industrial Automation and Motion Control Blog | The Knotts Company

The food industry has many challenges to address when it comes to packaging and processing:

• Regulations compliance
• Safety considerations
• Speed of operations
• Quality level of packages and processing
• System or production line outages and issues
• Dependable consistent output of quality products
• Human resource availability and skills

Pneumatic motion control systems are a very important part of food industry production practices today.  However the types of pneumatic motion control systems can vary greatly.  Plant managers and engineers need to carefully evaluate these systems to determine what would be best for their food industry operation.  Here are some areas of consideration to review before making your decision:

• What type of linear technology is needed for your production line?
• Are there assembly requirements where the packing stations need to be integrated?
• How controllers, digital drives, or other interfaces would be used in the food production process?
• Does the equipment have a reliable track record with appropriate quality control statistics?
• What type of maintenance, cleaning or repair training is needed?
• Is the hygienic design of the system appropriate for your specific processing needs?
• In the event of failure, how dependable is the control system manufacturer to address the issue?  How quick will the response be?
• What types of data is gathered by the systems?  Can these metrics be used to help to improve your operation?
• How adaptable is the system in the event there are production line changes?
• What cycle times can be expected with the new equipment?
• Are the surface properties compliant with federal, state and local regulations?  What surface treatments are used?

With all of the considerations in evaluating pneumatic motion control systems, the decision process can take a significant amount of time.  Plant managers and engineers should allow adequate time for a thorough review of the options before making any commitments.  Above all, working with a skilled and reliable systems provider is a top priority to insure your decision is well founded and well supported.