Industrial Automation in the Canning Sector: Options and Benefits

The implementation of automated solutions in the seafood canning industry brings multiple benefits that directly affect productivity, product quality, costs, and process profitability.

In this article, we will explore some of the main automation solutions we offer to our clients at Gaictech, aiming to enhance production performance.

Product Reception

The reception of products at a seafood canning plant is a critical phase that directly influences the efficiency and quality of subsequent processing. During this stage, products may arrive in bins or containers and must be handled safely and efficiently to prevent damage and ensure a continuous workflow.

One of the essential pieces of equipment in this process is the bin tipper, a solution designed to facilitate the unloading products onto production lines, thereby reducing manual effort and optimizing work time. Accordingly, it can operate manually or integrate into automated systems for seamless handling.

Automatic Fish or Mollusc Sorting

Product sorting is an essential phase in the canning industry, as it allows the organization of raw materials according to their size or weight, optimizing their performance in subsequent processes such as cooking, storage, and packaging.  Automating this process while maintaining accuracy is crucial to ensuring a continuous workflow and avoiding waste.

Hence, at Gaictech, we integrate automated solutions across all our machinery lines for the canning industry. In the sorting lines,

• Sardine and other Pelagic Sorting Line.

  Gaictech’s sardine sorting line is designed to grading pelagic species such as sardine, mackerel, and horse mackerel according to their size using diverging rollers. Its automated system allows fish to be separated by size without requiring manual intervention.

  Additionally, conveyor belts may be installed to collect each size grade of fish and direct it to its corresponding processing line.

• Tuna Classification Line.

  Tuna is one of the most processed species in the canning industry, and its precise classification is fundamental to optimizing subsequent processing. Gaictech’s tuna classification line allows for the automatic sorting of tuna by size or weight.

  High-production solutions (up to 50,000 kgs/h) can be offered to reduce the unloading time of tuna fishing boats, thereby minimizing the docking costs in the port (when classifying the tuna at the source, in the port).

  When sorting is carried out at the factory, the time required to handle the tuna before it enters the storage chamber is significantly reduced, resulting in improved product quality and reduced weight loss.

• Mussel Shell Classifier.

  Mussels are a product that requires meticulous classification after being separated in the debyssing machine. Gaictech’s mussel shell classifier automates this process through a system of diverging rollers, allowing the product to be segmented by size.

Automatic Cookers

Cooking fish and seafood is a sensitive process, but it is nonetheless suitable for automation. The ability to perform this phase continuously or in cycles will depend on the type of product.

• Continuous Sardine Cooker:

  Its operation is based on precise control of temperature, time, and steam flow, ensuring uniform and efficient cooking.

  Thanks to its continuous transport system, sardines advance through the cooker without interruptions, allowing for a constant production rate. This equipment incorporates sensors and digital controls that automatically regulate cooking conditions, adjusting parameters such as pressure and steam flow in real-time.

  Moreover, the cooker’s design allows for integration with previous and subsequent production lines, facilitating an efficient workflow.

• Vacuum Tuna Cooker:

  This equipment is designed to manage fully automatic cooking cycles, controlled by a state-of-the-art PLC, ensuring precision and efficiency without the need for manual intervention.

  Additionally, the precise temperature control through thermocouple probes, which measure both the internal temperature of the fish and the cooker’s temperature, enables real-time automatic adjustments to the cooking process.

• Continuous Mussel Cooker:

  This machine operates with very short cooking cycles, allowing for nearly continuous production. Among its notable automatic features are pneumatic systems for door opening.

  Additionally, it is equipped with an initial hopper for storing mussels before they enter the conveyor, ensuring constant production even with minor delays in previous stages of the line. The system control is managed by a state-of-the-art industrial PLC, which automatically regulates cooking cycles and allows for integration with upstream plant systems.

Sterilization in Autoclaves

Autoclaves play a crucial role in the canning industry, especially in the sterilization of already packaged products. The process begins with loading the products into baskets or carts, which are then introduced into the autoclave. An automatic cart circuit can be applied to streamline this loading process.

Additionally, the integration of sensors and digital controls enables real-time monitoring of critical parameters such as temperature and pressure, ensuring optimal conditions throughout the entire cycle. The automation also extends to the loading and unloading of the autoclaves, with systems autonomously managing the movement of carts and baskets, thus reducing manual intervention.

These innovations not only optimize production but also guarantee complete traceability and compliance with current health regulations.

Palletizing Automation

The palletizing and depalletizing processes are fundamental for ensuring efficient logistics in the final stages of canning production. Automating these processes not only optimizes time and resources but also enhances workplace safety and reduces the risk of product damage.

At Gaictech, we offer specialized solutions in this area, with automatic palletizing and depalletizing systems capable of handling various types of containers. Furthermore, these machines can be integrated into existing production lines, thereby improving the overall workflow efficiency.

For example, Gaictech’s automatic autoclave cart circuit comprises an integrated system that autonomously manages the processes of basket loading, loading, unloading, and basket unloading of containers in autoclaves through specialized software. This system includes automated conveyors for loading and unloading the autoclave carts and complete centralized automation of all involved equipment.

Other Automated Processes

Throughout the processing of fish and shellfish for canning, several tasks can be automated. Gaictech’s lines feature various machines that integrate these automatic solutions to reduce manual handling and save time and personnel costs.

For sardines and other pelagic species, gutting is performed using automatic cutting and suction systems that remove the viscera without damaging the fish’s structure. Subsequent processes, such as adding oil, sauces, or brine, are carried out with automatic dosing machines, ensuring the exact amount of liquid in each can.

For tuna, the cutting is conducted by specialized automatic machines that reduce processing time. Other processes, such as separating bones from flesh, chopping the tuna, or bagging the pieces, can also be largely automated.

Mussels follow a different process due to their nature. Cleaning is done using washing systems with brushes and high-pressure water jets to remove impurities and marine residues. Depending on the final presentation of the product, different machines with varying levels of automation are employed: shell and meat separators using brine or vibration, lamellar separators, shell crushers, volumetric fillers, etc. In this field, the possibilities are vast due to the various uses of mussels.

Benefits of Automation

Automation in the canning industry can transform production processes to improve efficiency, productivity, and final product quality.

• Implementing automated systems in key areas such as sorting, cleaning, cooking, canning, sterilization, and palletizing/de-palletizing allows for reduced personnel expenses and increased production capacity without compromising the final product quality.
• By minimizing manual handling, food safety is improved, reducing the risk of contamination. The integration of technology such as smart sensors and real-time control systems optimizes resource consumption, decreases raw material waste, and enhances product traceability, ensuring a more profitable long-term process.
• Real-time data collection and analysis throughout the entire line. Thanks to integration with management systems (such as ERP and MES), companies can monitor indicators like the productivity of each line, OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), and the calculation of estimated vs. actual production.

In this way, automation facilitates the identification of bottlenecks, allows for real-time production adjustments, and improves product traceability, ensuring greater control over each stage of the process.

Additionally, data collection is crucial for equipment maintenance optimization. Through predictive analysis, companies can anticipate potential failures and execute preventive maintenance tasks. With this information, production managers can make decisions based on concrete and reliable data, adjusting factory planning to maximize efficiency.

In a sector where process continuity is a priority, having an automated system that collects and analyzes data in real-time translates into a key competitive advantage.