After graduating from Villanova University in Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Bob Murtagh began his career in finance. But he was soon drawn to the packaging industry.

“My wife’s family had a packaging manufacturing business, which I started to visit on weekends,” he said. “Once I understood the vastness of the industry, I couldn’t resist.”

Murtagh has spent more than 36 years in the industry in a variety of high-level positions. At Tisma Machinery Corp., for example, he served as general manager, president, chief executive officer and owner. Murtagh then joined Yeaman Machine Technology, where he is currently the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. He has also supported the industry by serving on numerous PMMI committees. 

Aside from meeting new people with new producion challenges, Murtagh said completing system-startups is what he enjoys most about his job in the industry.

“Watching the fruits of your labor start paying off for our customers is very satisfying,” he said.

Murtagh noted that lead times have been one of the biggest challenges facing the industry, but that the issue is beginning to see improvement. The packaging industry is also being pushed to develop more versatile equipment that can handle a variety of products while solving the labor challenges food manufacturers face.

“We are seeing more challenging applications from a flexibility standpoint and doing more with less, and also finding qualified technical resources such as employees,” he said.

How has the use of robotics evolved in the baking and snack industries in recent years? 

Robotics have come a long way in a very short time. The ability of a robot to handle very complex/repetitive tasks coupled with the sophistication in design of the EOATs (end of arm tool) make robots more essential in today’s production environments — especially with the current labor market struggles that everyone is facing.

What are the biggest benefits robotic packaging and case packing can provide to an operation?

Flexibility, dependability and repeatability. Many of today’s production environments demand product SKU flexibility as well as final packing variety to accommodate the retail space requirements from store to store. We need to be able to support a change in product format and a change in packaging format very quickly to assist with production demand.

How can smaller operations incorporate the use of robotics?

Smaller operations may initially opt for a cobot rather than a full production robot. A cobot is a slower speed robot that can work safely and in unison with employees. This will initiate users into the robotic automation space and allow them to familiarize themselves with the full capabilities of robots. 

How does a baker/snack maker know they’re ready to incorporate robotics into their packaging operation?

To compete in today’s marketplaces, producers need to be constantly innovating to meet the required retail demands. That flexibility, quality requirements and labor challenges along with the more affordable cost of entry we’re seeing with robots will typically provide end users with the analytical reasons, or a return on investment case, to move forward with this type of automation.

What must manufacturers account for and potentially adjust when adding robotics to their packaging department?

Support, both in-house and from the supplier. While the programming of robots is becoming more straightforward and user-friendly, having the technical support to assist your production is vital. Some of the advancements such as remote diagnostics can help, but having qualified personnel available is just as important.

How can robotics be optimized to handle a variety of baked products, including delicate or bulky items?

The advancement of EOAT technology should accommodate most products on the market today, both in texture and orientation in the packages. This, along with easier recipe programming and upgraded vision systems for quality control, will allow all producers to maximize the robot’s potential now and in the future. 

What robotic case packing do you offer, and how can it help manufacturers improve production?

Our top load and side load robotic case packers offer excellent flexibility in product handling from product to product, collation requirements (stacked, on edge, inverted, etc.), speed, modular construction to accommodate future growth and, most of all, footprint. Our very compact footprint with our unique infeed systems allows producers to fit our machinery in the tightest of spaces.