Behn + Bates, a subsidiary of Haver & Boecker, specializes in the production of machines for filling food products. The traceability of the individual filled bag is a major issue in the food industry. Data communication goes hand in hand with this. The complete systems supplied by Behn + Bates with packing machine technology, discharge lines and palletizers also include components that mark the bags accordingly. It is precisely documented what has happened to the bags. Regulatory authorities conduct unannounced audits in the industry to ensure quality assurance.
The collection of data in times of increasing digitalization is of immense importance. On the part of Behn + Bates, there is the attitude that the machine control only takes over further tasks to a certain extent. If a larger scope is added, for example interfaces to the customer, a palletizer, etc., the sister company Haver Automation, specialist for process optimization and efficiency enhancement, is involved in the project. By now, data handling is a concrete demand of the customers. They order a complete package and expect all machine components to communicate with each other and with their own systems.
With regard to automatization, it can be stated that the high degree of automation has not yet arrived in all countries of the world. In some countries with a high population share, manual and semi-automatic machine technology is still used in order to produce as cheaply as possible. It must also be taken into account that woven PE bags are still frequently used in these countries, which in many cases find a secondary and tertiary application. Behn + Bates applies the same machine standards worldwide with regard to hygiene, safety and explosion protection. Global players want to work with the same, reliable technology worldwide. Behn+Bates can realize this by collaborating closely with these customers. As a result, local manufacturers also have to adapt to these modern requirements.