Across process applications, maintenance teams are in a constant battle to maintain operational productivity and minimise downtime. Although maintenance team resources are often stretched, implementing data-driven diagnostics can enhance their capabilities, as Burkert Industry Manager, Greg Wainhouse, explains.

As advanced product inspection technology takes centre stage, food manufacturers are rethinking how they harness the full potential of their workforce. Kati Hope, Global Account Manager at Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection looks at how to balance people and production technology to achieve maximum production efficiency.

250 years ago, American inventor Oliver Evans laid the foundation for mass production with the first fully automated flour mill, powered by water and mostly made of wood. While technology has advanced significantly, success in automation still looks the same today as it did in Evans' time, says Tom Cash at automation parts supplier Foxmere, who explains the integration of technology for quality assurance.

With the final implementation deadline for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA 204) set for January 2026, organisations have a significant opportunity to align compliance with the global industry move to 2D barcodes at the point-of-sale. By integrating these two initiatives, not only will brands stand to streamline changes and avoid additional interruption, but they can extend the benefits of traceability beyond mere compliance, as Adem Kulauzovic, Director of Automation at Domino Printing Sciences, explores.

Efficient weight controls and checkweighing systems on bakery production lines are integral to meeting consumer expectations. To ensure compliance with net weight regulations, processors need to identify under or overweight packages. Daniel Shail, Applications Engineer at Fortress Technology Europe explains why this is so imperative.

Staubli's Simon Jenkins looks at how comprehensive training, combined with tailored application support, can help mitigate the current skills shortages which threaten to slow the introduction of the technologies which are essential to achieve the productivity levels needed to support growth.

At the heart of any automated setup is the controller, a decision-making hub that monitors and controls industrial equipment and its motion. However, the choice between a PLC, a PAC or an IPC hinges on a series of crucial decisions dictated by the specific application. Here, Tom Cash, director of Foxmere, explains how to select the right controller based on your operation.

David Sarhok, Account Manager Europe for food and beverage processing and equipment at Watlow, unpacks how modern temperature controllers can overcome seven of the most common efficiency problems in food and beverage thermal processing.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released its new Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022-2030. Inspection and contaminant detection specialist Fortress Technology Sales Director Phil Brown explores how HACCP planning feeds into this, and what needs to be included in a food safety plan for it to gain approval from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The food and beverage industry can optimise costs and simultaneously boost performance in the production environment, says Nabtesco. Its gear systems are extremely precise, very robust and absolutely reliable, which significantly optimises costs and boosts performance.