Robotics and automation specialist, OAL, has secured a £5 million Innovation Loan from Innovate UK to deploy over 1,000 robotic systems in the food manufacturing industry by 2030 to address labour shortages.
The five-year programme will seek to support the commercial rollout of fenceless robotics including compact robotic systems designed to operate safely alongside people on production lines without traditional caging.
It is estimated that the UK food & beverage logistics industry struggles to fill more than 100,000 roles, leading to poorer efficiency, longer lead times and delivery delays.
OAL stated that its fenceless robotics technology enables manufacturers to retrofit these systems directly on to existing production lines without major changes to factory layouts.
By automating repetitive tasks such as pick and place handling and palletising, manufacturers will boost efficiency, accuracy and safety, while allowing operators to focus on higher value work.
OAL managing director, Jake Norman, said: “Labour remains one of the biggest structural challenges in food manufacturing, yet traditional automation is often too large or inflexible to adapt to changing demands – be they consumer- or retailer-led.
“Fenceless robotics addresses this head on. We can rapidly deploy robots into space-constrained environments to automate pick and place and palletising tasks.
“This transformational technology gives manufacturers a real competitive advantage and reduces their exposure to labour shortages. We’re thrilled to secure the support of Innovate UK to accelerate this vital project.”
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