Midfield Group transforms handling at meat processing plant in Vic

Completion of a significant automation project has transformed the back end of operations at Midfield Group’s meat processing plant in Warrnambool, Vic.

Claimed as a first of its kind, the MHM Automation solution has automated all processes after product is boxed and barcoded, taking it from boning room to pallet without any manual handling.

Cartons of meat are closed, frozen, sorted, tracked, stored, retrieved, palletised, wrapped and labelled by machines, all with minimal human intervention.

MHM General Manager Sales & Marketing Tony Johnson said, “This kind of process automation provides the answer to a range of challenges that processing plants are grappling with right now — from labour shortages to the need to reduce their carbon emissions.”

The custom-designed system was the result of engagement and consultation with Midfield Group.

Midfield Group’s objectives for the upgrade included freeing up space for further processing expansion, reducing its reliance on manpower, having the ability to effectively manage inventory for production and sales, and reducing its overall energy consumption.

Six-mag carton lidder.

After consultation with Midfield, MHM Automation proposed a custom-designed solution comprising a six-mag lidder, four SSO plate freezer stacks, two automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) and a three-cell robotic palletising system.

The project was delivered in stages over three years, culminating in the commissioning of the ASRS in June 2023.

The ASRS

Delivered by MHM in collaboration with its European technology partners TGW and Inther, the ASRS automatically sorts incoming cartons from the production line by SKU. It then transfers and stores them in a space-efficient racking system and retrieves them on demand to assemble rainbow pallets to fulfil individual customer orders.

Automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS).

Two ASRS systems were installed at Midfield — one for chilled and one for frozen meat products.

“With the ability to deal with a high volume of products in constant motion, the ASRS streamlines the movement of goods in and out of storage effectively and efficiently. It is ideal for plants producing large numbers of SKUs and needing to combine those products into custom pallets to meet customer requirements,” Johnson said.

The ASRS provides many benefits, including comprehensive inventory management and seamless integration with production and sales management systems. Its high-speed elevators and live shuttle system enable efficient order picking. Notably, it is designed to eradicate manual handling concerns and ensure good traceability.

Control room.

While ASRS systems are commonly used in warehouses to handle pallets or cartons of dry goods, MHM’s system is relatively unique in its ability to operate in chilled and frozen environments.

“This makes the technology ideal for food processors,” Johnson said.

Integrated solution benefits

Other equipment in the system also delivered important improvements to Midfield’s operations.

The installation of the lidder and plate freezers in 2021 amplified the plant’s freezing capacity to approximately 25,000 cartons per day.

Designed to meet stringent export food safety requirements with its 24-hour freeze time, MHM’s plate freezers also deliver significant energy savings of up to 30% compared to blast freezing. Contact freezing between plates is designed to ensure the frozen cartons are completely flat, which was important to enable integration with the ASRS and automated palletising system at Midfield.

Single station opening (SSO) plate freezer.

Added in 2022, the palletising system alleviated labour requirements, which were proving difficult to fulfil in a stretched labour market. It mitigated health and safety hazards associated with manual handling of heavy meat cartons and also introduced automation to pallet scanning and Meat Messaging label generation, eliminating the need for manual port marking.

The automation solution delivered includes:

• Six-mag carton lidder — automatically places and seals lids on cartons.
• Single station opening (SSO) plate freezer — four stacks, each with capacity to freeze 3072 cartons in 24 h.
• Automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) — one for chilled products and one for frozen products.
• Three-cell robotic palletising system (pictured at top) — includes auto-check scanning, stretch wrapping and labelling.

Midfield Group CEO Dean McKenna said the project’s success was the result of a trusted partnership.

“At Midfield Group we are committed to providing superior products and reducing our environmental footprint. We strive to be ahead of the curve when it comes to introducing new technologies that help us achieve those goals.

“MHM Automation understands our goals and works with us to achieve them. We particularly value their ability to provide an integrated, end-to-end solution. They have delivered everything they promised, and more,” he said.