Wraps … and robots
Trends Grote is keeping its eye on, Mr. Hissrich said, include increased demand for wrap assembly equipment, whose uses include halving wraps for retail packs in c-stores or pinwheel and roll-up cutting for appetizer trays in grocery store delis.
Also on the horizon is greater use of robotic assembly and vision-based quality control systems, which Mr. Hissrich said are becoming cost-effective for sandwich assembly automation.
“Grote Co. is actively pursuing how best to integrate new technologies like these into our product line,” he said. “Robotics has great potential for automatic placing of some sandwich toppings that to this point have been difficult to automate, and vision systems will allow for automated quality control measures, such as ensuring an accurate deposit count.”
But even before the robot age dawns, Mr. Hissrich said Grote is helping its customers in the here and now with automated processes that reduce the number of touches demanded by manual handling, and thereby reducing the probability of introducing pathogens into product. And that’s far from the only benefit that comes with automation.
“Our equipment is being purchased not just by manufacturers looking to reduce labor costs, but also by manufacturers that simply cannot find the labor needed to meet production requirements,” he said. “This appears to be an ever-increasing challenge for some of our customers.”
