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Project Summary:
Effective use of leading edge Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is seen as important, and possibly critical, to the future competitiveness of UK Industry.

Food manufacture is frequently characterised by high staff turnover, lack of knowledge and training, and a lack of asset management. This has resulted in poor manufacturing efficiency and large amounts of waste. This project has resulted in the transfer of modern maintenance technologies, already successfully implemented in the aerospace and other industry sectors to the food processing sector. This has been achieved through the transfer and implementation of structured maintenance methods and the introduction of monitoring tools for processing equipment. Significant benefits include the ability to predict equipment failure, the development of best practice and compliance with supplier audits.

The implementation of structured maintenance methods has made possible the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) including software and hardware systems suitable for use in food processing environments. The information interchange systems developed in the project allow both users and suppliers to develop and improve engineering and maintenance guidelines, thus enabling the user to improve plant and production efficiency. The outputs of the project were communicated through newsletters, conferences workshops and the National Press.

Project Partners:
Allied Distillers Ltd
APV Invensys Ltd
Assynt
Baxters of Speyside Ltd
BCCCA
Bradman Lake Ltd
Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd
Campbells Grocery Products Ltd
Dawson
Diagnostic Solutions Ltd
Endoline Machinery Ltd
Europack
Food and Drink Federation
Glenmorangie Plc
Harland Machine Systems Ltd
Hazelwood Foods Ltd
Krones UK Ltd
Marden Edwards Ltd
Newman Labelling Systems Ltd
Pals Precision Applicators Ltd
Processing & Packaging Machinery Association
Richard Frozen Confectionery Ltd
S&A Foods Ltd
Sandiacre Packaging Machinery Ltd
Toms Confectionery Ltd
Turpins Packaging Systems (Sleevit)
University of Sunderland of Scholl of Computing & Information Analysis

Need:
Penetration of maintenance engineering “Best Practice” and ICT within the Food Sector are weak and inconsistent and there is little structured communication between plant suppliers and users. In general, UK manufacturing plant suppliers (particularly SMEs) are secretive, do not employ ICT leverage and are unaware of advances in engineering and maintenance methods, pushing them towards foreign machine suppliers who are willing to forge partnerships, supply comprehensive engineering and maintenance information and embrace new methods and technologies to improve their market share.

Solutions:

• Increase awareness of available technologies and their benefits
• Transfer, adapt and simplify technologies to suit food manufacturers and their supply chain partners.
• Provide and test engineering and safety information interchange guidelines (to be available via the Web) - focus on safety issues and inspections, energy, optimal plant availability and operation, and the ability to use electronic 'must do' maintenance tasks by the CMMS system of the final manufacturing plant end user
• Demonstrate and measure the benefits resulting from the implementation of this technology using primary test sites

Benefits:

• Improvements in overall manufacturing efficiency (25%)
• Structured data collection and monitoring systems
• Predictive maintenance capability
• Reduction in spares inventory (30%)
• Reduction in breakdown times (25%)
• Improved training and standards
• Knowledge capture and retention
• Novel maintenance management tools for food processors
• Access to plant information at the site of action