Goal:

The Smartz4Can project aims to revolutionize the fish and seafood canning industry by enhancing efficiency, traceability, and sustainability through the implementation of a cutting-edge 4.0 technology platform. This platform focuses on smart data management to reduce production times, improve product quality, and lower water and energy consumption. Utilizing the proven MES-MOM asmCore platform, Smartz4Can will undergo vertical parameterization tailored specifically for the canning sector, covering all aspects of manufacturing processes such as cleaning, cooking, can closing, and sterilization. Additionally, it will adapt general functionalities like warehouse management, quality control, and energy consumption to meet the specific needs of canning SMEs.

Necessity and Challenges:

The fish and seafood canning industry faces significant challenges related to traceability, food safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Given that this industry performs numerous transformations within the food chain, implementing systems that ensure these aspects without compromising competitiveness is crucial. Retailers, the primary clients, increasingly demand digital solutions that guarantee traceability and quality control while optimizing costs. For industry partners, maintaining competitiveness sustainably by reducing costs and ensuring superior quality and safety is vital, especially since SMEs in the fish food sector face the same stringent requirements as larger enterprises but with far fewer financial resources. The Smartz4Can project provides European food SMEs with a production management system offering functionalities comparable to those of large industries, thereby safeguarding their competitiveness and future viability.

Expected Benefits:

The Smartz4Can project is designed to deliver extensive benefits across the fish and seafood canning industry, promoting a more sustainable and efficient operational model.

• Food Safety: Enhanced by digital traceability and quality control from raw materials to finished cans.

• Competitiveness: Improved through advanced production management, efficiency KPIs (OEE), and labor management.

• Sustainability: Monitored through water and energy consumption metrics, contributing to reduced environmental impact.

• Real-Time Management: Facilitated by real-time information and KPI-based manufacturing management.

The vertical solution is specifically designed for the canned fish and seafood industry but is also extendable to other SME food industries combining batch and discrete manufacturing processes. Industry partners will see increased competitiveness at a sustainable pace, reduced costs, and maintained high standards of safety and quality.

Productivity Improvements:

• Expected productivity increase of 10%-20%, depending on process complexity and average lot size.

• Estimated reduction in cycle time by 10%-20%.

• Significant reduction in food safety risks, with a 60% decrease in non-conformities.

Environmental Impact:

Efficient production control will substantially lower the industry's environmental footprint through increased productivity and decreased resource consumption.

• 5%-10% reduction in energy consumption.

• 15%-20% reduction in water consumption.

• 15% reduction in emissions.

Smartz4Can sets a new standard in digitalizing and optimizing the fish and seafood canning industry, ensuring long-term sustainability, enhanced competitiveness, and superior product quality.

Award date: 5/15/2024

Duration: 12 months

Partners:

• ASM SOFT: https://asm.es/en/

• CONSERVAS LAGO PAGANINI: www.conservaslagopaganini.com