The Food Processing Plant in the 1980's

The Food Processing Plant in the 1980's is a subjective title and this paper is related to the industry I am involved in, but I believe that many of the points are valid in most industries. The aim of this paper is to highlight where the professional engineer can make an important contribution in the concept, design and implementation of a food processing plant in the 1980's. The contents of this paper are not revolutionary or startling in concept but are thought provoking to ensure your industry and consequently the nation's productivity and working environment will be substantially better than they are today. The food processing industry is often capital intensive, with a volume throughout which may be well in excess of one million cans or packets every 24 hours. I believe that we are at a critical point in the concept and design of the workplace from both productivity and working environment aspects. To achieve a desirable plant in the 1980's, it is considered that objectives in philosophy related to our areas of responsibility, should be set so that there is a high probability of a coherent end result. The six major areas are considered to be Productivity; Material utilisation; Capacity; Potential development; Control systems and Environment.