Dosing on the process side
The current trend is toward the development of small machines designed to increase the production capacity of artisanal workshops. Pastries, biscuits, sandwiches, and ready-made meals are driving the market, and each new task to automate represents an additional technical challenge. By agreeing to design custom equipment, manufacturers like CB Equipements, Celtech , and Procys have acquired specialized expertise in areas such as ingredient counting, sandwich assembly, filling injection, and macaron piping. Tomorrow, thanks to the integration of robotics and vision solutions, their machines will be able to go even further. "For example, it will be possible to apply fillings to macarons, pancakes, or waffles in various shapes," explains Laetitia Peignet of Procys.
Dosage on the packaging side
On the packaging side, manufacturers are developing both low-speed machines for semi-industrial producers and solutions aimed at improving productivity on high-speed lines. This improvement relies in particular on innovation in equipment, as dosing is constantly evolving. "For dosing foaming products, for example, there are now solutions such as grid nozzles and spigot nozzles, without dip tubes, which work perfectly well and allow for increased line throughput," explains Louis Derangère of MOM Packaging.
French manufacturers have also worked to reduce format changeover times by replacing mechanical cams with servo drives. This falls more within the realm of standardized machines, for reasons of economic competitiveness, but sometimes with a high degree of customization, as is the case with Stoppil. Another significant trend, highlighted by Mike Davis of BW Filling & Closing , is the need for simpler machines with intuitive interfaces. This reduces the learning curve and maintains performance, even in a context of high turnover. Manufacturers are thus innovating in both user experience (UX) and functionalities, such as recipe changes and fault diagnostics.
Mike Davis also notes that some end users are already anticipating the reduction of additives in their products and are investing in equipment offering a higher level of hygiene, including automated clean-in-place (CIP) systems.
Towards a new era of dosage
Machine data analysis and remote access are experiencing rapid growth. Manufacturers such as Thimonnier, PACK'CO, MOM Packaging, Celtech, CDA and CB Equipements now offer customized services to analyze performance, anticipate failures and provide alerts for upcoming maintenance.
Finally, Ninon Delrieu of CDA emphasizes that the repairability and lifespan of equipment are becoming key criteria in manufacturers' choices. This is yet another reason to trust members of the French Fab, whose quality is recognized worldwide.
