From automation to data capture

In itself not an illogical assumption, although it does not necessarily cover the load. With the right partner, process automation becomes a tool that continuously contributes to growth and grows accordingly.

Tom Piette had been working for a machine designer specializing in the food industry for about a decade when he decided to pave his own path with Innomatic in 2015. "I wanted to stay involved with customers and processes in the longer term," he gives as his rationale. "As a design engineer, you deliver the machine, and it stops there. Whereas process automation, at its core, is a growth story. You have to keep looking at it continuously and critically: is the line doing what it is supposed to do? Is it achieving the intended quality or productivity? Is it evolving with the growth and needs of the company?"

Three services

To tell that story, Innomatic is betting on three central services: classic process automation through PLC, quality control through Smart Vision and data capture through OEE, possibly combined with MES. "Process automation is always the basis, but thanks to systems such as Smart Vision inline cameras and OEE, you can go much further. In fact, such systems are much more accurate than a person. Smart Vision sees perfectly whether a wafer has the right shape or consistency, and via data capture you quickly collect data on speed, productivity, downtime, temperatures, acidity, water consumption, energy consumption ... We collect and visualize these on a clear dashboard, so that operators, quality managers, plant managers or technical services can quickly interpret them. In this way, processes can ultimately be efficiently and thoughtfully adjusted, manually or automatically."

Focus on food industry

Innomatic explicitly targets the food industry. "We know the problems, challenges, machines and machine builders of this sector. If we know that Smart Vision delivers excellent results in the quality control of waffles, we can also implement it successfully in a production line of tortillas, for example." With customers such as Vandemoortele, Tiense Suiker and Confiserie Van Damme, Innomatic can already count a number of major players among its clientele. Although Piette emphasizes that smaller companies also have something to gain. "It is a misconception that artisan production does not tolerate automation. There, too, it can increase efficiency and quality. Moreover, as a local partner, we guarantee quick interventions when needed, with every customer."