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ABB's FLexBuffer Is Scaling up its Customer Experience
Food and Beverages Tech Review | Monday, January 17, 2022
FlexBuffer’s flexible storage management software adds to the system’s versatility by optimizing it for buffering, storing, and sequencing tasks.
FREMONT, CA: With the debut of its FlexBuffer, application cell, ABB is responding to the growing consumer demand for variety and quick delivery. FlexBuffer offers a highly adjustable multi-functional solution for handling several activities such as sequencing, buffering, storage, and order aggregation for logistics, healthcare, food and beverage, consumer packaged products, restaurants, and retailers.
Labor shortages and the requirement to provide flexible, fast direct-to-consumer (D2C) delivery services are among the issues that operators in various industries are encountering in satisfying consumer expectations for faster delivery of an expanding range of items. The key to addressing these issues is automated products handling, but most systems on the market today are huge, expensive to install, and lack the flexibility to provide the buffering and order sequencing capabilities that businesses require. These issues are addressed with FlexBuffer.
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FlexBuffer is a versatile and cost-effective multi-functional system for efficiently processing a wide variety of customer orders. It consists of an ABB robot, a suite of grippers, a software package, storage racking, and infeed and outfeed conveyors that feed and dispatch goods and software that connects with WMS, ERP, and AMS systems manages incoming orders. The software regulates the storage and retrieval of mixed items, preventing accidents and maximizing storage capacity. The robot uses information from the software to place things in the correct rack places based on the order in which they must be delivered.
When items need to be collected, the robot may pick them up in the proper order and set them on the outward conveyor, ready for delivery. By ordering goods in pre-defined sequences, companies can meet delivery deadlines and fulfill customized orders with the correct item weights, temperatures, and other order-related variables.
The FlexBuffer can also assist businesses in forming an Order Consolidation Buffer (OCB), which allows goods to be temporarily stored before being processed. Both single and mixed item variants of the FlexBuffer are available. The single-item version is designed to handle ordinary shipping boxes. In contrast, the mixed item version adds flexibility with an adjustable gripper that can handle objects such as parcels, trays, and crates.
FlexBuffer can carry up to 50kg in the total payload. The solution has a storage capacity of 600 totes and can sequence at a rate of 500 cycles per hour. FlexBuffer’s flexible storage management software adds to the system’s versatility by optimizing it for buffering, storing, and sequencing tasks. The software ensures that operations can quickly be scaled up to meet changing demands because it can operate single or many FlexBuffer cells. This scalability is especially beneficial for smaller facilities that require more adaptable and flexible storage and retrieval solution, such as retail outlets, pharmacies, hospitals, and fulfillment centers.
Customers may track the progress of their order at any time using the program, which helps to fulfill the increased demand for live order tracking. ABB offers a wide variety of value-added services aimed to improve the performance, uptime, and durability of FlexBuffer and its modular cell portfolio to ensure customers can reach maximum productivity.
Fully Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are now available from ABB, allowing logistics operations to be much more flexible. ABB is a firm that can offer a complete portfolio for the next generation of flexible automation, thanks to its recent acquisition of ASTI Mobile Robotics Group (ASTI), a prominent global manufacturer of AMRs.
FlexBuffer’s advantages have already been demonstrated in a variety of applications around the world. A pharmaceuticals storage and bin-picking application at China’s Shanghai 7th Hospital, an automatic retail store for Chinese mobile communications firm Huawei that allows customers to pick up their mobile phone orders via an automated booth, and an order picking system for British retailer John Lewis & Partners are among the pilot installations.
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The field of food technology is constantly developing to find more sustainable and effective ways to produce, distribute, and consume food. The following are some encouraging developments in this area:
Protein Agriculture
Animal protein production significantly impacts greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. As a result, companies creating substitutes, primarily plant-based and, more recently, via cellular and molecular agriculture, are now competing. Cellular agriculture uses cultivated cells to produce animal tissues, proteins, and lipids. Conversely, molecular farming uses plant molecules as "mini dairy farms" to grow and duplicate animal proteins through photosynthesis.
Protein Fermentation
Protein fermentation is an inventive technique for obtaining animal proteins. There are two varieties of this process: biomass fermentation and precision fermentation. Precision fermentation uses genetically engineered organisms to produce dairy proteins, enzymes, lipids, and vitamins. In contrast, biomass fermentation uses fungus, yeast, or bacteria to create foods high in protein from organic material quickly. The manufacture of chymosin for parmesan cheese is one example.
Food as Medicine
Using food's therapeutic and nutritional qualities to support and restore health is a long-standing custom. But thanks to technological advancements, the idea of food as medicine has changed and taken on a more profound significance. Functional foods offer health advantages beyond their nutritional content, and nutraceuticals—which are made from food ingredients—may be able to treat illnesses. For instance, probiotic yogurt, cod liver oil, and milk with vitamin D added are examples.
3D-Printed Food
3D-printed food is a potential development that would allow users to create customized meals with particular forms, colors, realistic textures, and mouthfeel sensations. This technology would benefit the plant-based market and populations like those with autism, ARFID, or the elderly who might have sensory sensitivity issues, dysphagia, or other food-related disorders.
Designer Crops
Traditional agriculture is under stress from the growing global population, climate change, and unsustainable farming methods, which results in food shortages, spoiling, malnutrition, and insecurity. Designer crops provide increased resistance, yields, and nutrition through sophisticated breeding and gene editing. Pest-resistant bananas, reduced-cyanide cassava, and vitamin-enriched rice are more robust and nutrient-dense food sources.
Digital Supply Chain
Issues with accessibility, emissions, waste, and contamination plague today's food supply chain. Technologies like IoT, AI, blockchain, and automation make food tracking from farm to table, conditions monitoring during transportation, and data analytics for optimization possible. This digital revolution will result in a more intelligent, transparent, sustainable, and efficient food supply system.
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Food waste is a global challenge with severe economic, environmental, and social repercussions. Simultaneously, demand for sustainable, eco-friendly packaging is escalating. Smart temperature-sensitive packaging emerges as a powerful solution, marrying these two critical needs by significantly enhancing food freshness, extending shelf life, and becoming an integral part of modern waste reduction strategies.
Intelligent Packaging: A Temperature-Responsive Solution
Smart temperature-sensitive packaging, often classified under Intelligent Packaging, integrates active components that visually or electronically indicate a product’s temperature history. This innovation marks a paradigm shift from traditional time-based “use-by” dates to condition-based “best-before” indicators that better reflect food quality. Among the leading technologies driving this transformation are Time-Temperature Indicators (TTIs), RFID tags with temperature sensors, and temperature-sensitive inks or polymers. TTIs use labels or inks that irreversibly change color or shape upon exposure to specific temperature thresholds, offering consumers clear visual cues of temperature abuse and providing a more reliable reflection of product freshness. RFID tags, on the other hand, embed chips within packaging to continuously log and transmit temperature data throughout the supply chain, enabling manufacturers to trace and isolate compromised batches, thereby enhancing quality control and cold chain integrity. Temperature-sensitive polymers or inks act as built-in quality checkpoints, activating only when a temperature violation occurs, ensuring that products meet storage standards at every stage of distribution.
Bridging Freshness and Sustainability
The integration of intelligent packaging systems brings significant value to both food preservation and sustainability goals. By monitoring the thermal history of products, technologies such as TTIs and sensors allow for more accurate shelf-life assessment, effectively extending the safe consumption period for perishable goods like meat, dairy, and produce. This monitoring reduces premature disposal and helps consumers make informed decisions about product freshness.
Intelligent packaging also supports targeted waste-reduction strategies—allowing businesses to triage and reprice items with mild temperature deviations rather than discarding entire batches —while sensor data enables data-driven improvements in logistics and cold chain management. Significantly, the industry’s commitment to sustainability extends to the materials themselves. Ongoing research focuses on developing biodegradable and compostable TTIs, as well as printed electronic sensors on paper or bioplastic substrates. These innovations ensure that technological progress in food preservation aligns with circular economy principles—addressing food waste without contributing to plastic pollution.
For smart temperature-sensitive packaging to achieve its full potential, standardization, cost reduction, and consumer education are key. As the technology matures and becomes more cost-effective, its integration from farm to fork will create a transparent, accountable, and highly efficient food supply chain.
Ultimately, these intelligent packaging technologies are more than just labels; they are data-rich tools that empower consumers, retailers, and supply chain managers to make informed decisions, transforming an uncertain "use-by" date into a verified guarantee of freshness, thus taking a massive bite out of global food waste.
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Through hardware and technology, technology has been transforming traditional bakeries into centers of culinary success. From automated kneading machines to smart ovens, these inventions are making the art of baking easy, and the baking industry is being transformed into a center for culinary innovation.
Let's examine the key categories of bakery hardware and technology that are revolutionizing our understanding of the world of baked goods, bread, and confections.
Intelligent Ovens: Using Artificial Intelligence in Baking
Artificial intelligence (AI) - powered smart ovens have completely changed the baking game. The sensors and cameras built into these ovens make real-time baking process monitoring possible. After analyzing the data, AI algorithms dynamically modify the baking time, humidity, and temperature. As the pinnacle of baking performance, smart ovens enable bakers to experiment confidently with complex recipes and delicate desserts.
Computerized Inventories: Guaranteeing Efficiency and Freshness
In the busy world of baking, inventory control is crucial. Computerized inventory management systems have greatly streamlined this process. These systems monitor real-time ingredient levels and automatically send out alerts when stock levels are low. Bakers can monitor how ingredients are used, reduce waste, and guarantee that only the best, freshest ingredients are used in each product. This simplified method not only increases productivity but also lowers expenses and promotes sustainability.
Mobile Point-of-Sale (POS) Technologies: Improving Customer Experience
The bakery experience includes convenience and customer service in addition to delicious goods. Mobile point-of-sale (POS) systems have transformed customer relations. POS devices enable bakeries to process orders quickly, take a variety of payment methods, and even provide loyalty programs. These solutions improve client satisfaction by cutting down on wait times and guaranteeing smooth transactions. Additionally, they offer insightful data that enables bakeries to customize their products based on the interests of their customers.
Decorating Robots: Making Tasty Creations
Bakery goods are artistic creations in addition to delicious cuisine. The Picasso of baking has been replaced by decorating robots. These robots are trained to pipe beautiful patterns, make delicate sugar flowers, and pipe frosting in precisely the right amounts. As a result, bakery goods captivate the eyes and taste sensations. Bakeries are able to provide visually attractive, personalized products that are crafted with unmatched accuracy to suit specific preferences and special occasions.
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Just one poor-quality product can damage a brand’s reputation and weaken customer trust, while consistently satisfied consumers fuel loyalty through repeat purchases and positive word-of-mouth. Effective quality management ensures uniform product standards, providing a competitive advantage and strengthening customer retention. Streamlined processes help minimize recalls, shorten production cycles, and enhance overall product quality. In the food and beverage industry, consistency is essential—not only for keeping customers but also for lowering the cost of acquiring new ones.
Although it can be challenging to streamline the food and beverage industry's quality control procedures, the following are some tried-and-true solutions:
Ensure Collective Responsibility for Quality
Businesses frequently make the mistake of putting all the responsibility for quality in one department. Instead, the entire company should share responsibility for quality. Businesses may guarantee continuous excellence by creating a culture in which everyone is responsible for upholding high process and product quality standards. Maintaining product quality, lowering the chance of product recalls, and cutting related expenses are all made more straightforward by this cooperative approach. Every team member must be dedicated to fostering a quality-focused mindset, follow best practices, and act professionally in their positions. Quality becomes a continuous corporate priority when viewed as a collaborative endeavor.
Drive Continuous Improvement by Redefining Processes
Continuous improvement necessitates constant process improvement, which is the cornerstone of long-term success. Businesses must be open to change because stagnation can result in inefficiency. Despite the discomfort it may cause, change is necessary to propel advancement. To eliminate inefficiencies, improve the quality of their products and processes, and maintain their competitiveness in the market, businesses should concentrate on reinventing their processes. Smoother transitions and less resistance can result from standardizing the change process. Spec helps streamline this process by offering integrated, cloud-based platforms that enhance flexibility, security, and overall efficiency in managing quality control. Employees should be involved in the process because they are familiar with the daily operations and may spot areas for improvement. Their opinions and recommendations will aid in putting significant changes into practice, raising general participation and output.
Provide Training Opportunities to Enhance Productivity
Achieving quality goals and ensuring that staff members have the tools they need to succeed depend heavily on leadership. Strong leadership requires transforming creative ideas from all organizational levels into workable quality policies. To guarantee the successful implementation of new procedures, all staff members need to be trained on the newest methods, best practices, and technology. The design of this training should facilitate seamless transitions and empower staff to execute changes successfully. Food quality control-focused training opportunities can enhance the finished product, benefiting the business and its clients.
Tend offers automated farm management solutions that help farmers optimize operations, boost productivity, and enhance sustainability through real-time data and analytics.
Leverage Technology for Streamlined Quality Management
Operational efficiency can be significantly increased by implementing next-generation quality management technologies. Cloud-based platforms give firms a competitive edge by integrating and streamlining all quality procedures in one convenient solution. These solutions help businesses manage quality processes by improving flexibility, security, and dependability. Businesses can more effectively handle the difficulties of the contemporary marketplace while maintaining constant product excellence by integrating all quality management operations into a single system.
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