Fully Automated Handling and Packing of Salmon

As part of global climate actions, there is an increased focus on how food producers can optimise their production in all processes. Fishery companies around the world face the challenge of finding solutions that can minimise CO2-emissions in terms of farming, processing and transportation while still maintaining a high quality when exporting fresh fish to foreign markets.

Palletising more than one ton of salmon a minute

A Norwegian salmon company has built a new factory in Hirtshals, Northern Denmark containing a huge sorting and packaging facility ready to receive thousands of tonnes of salmon. With solutions from the Danish automation company BILA Automation, the company has succeeded in optimising their sorting and packing process significantly.

Palletising robots packs more than one ton of salmon a minute

Four palletising robots pack 8–12 boxes a minute each, while two other palletising robots can deal with up to a ground-breaking 20 boxes a minute each. In total, this is equivalent of more than one ton of salmon a minute and from here an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) collects the finished pallet and transports it to the warehouse or for shipment.

Significantly improved competitiveness

The combination of maximum capacity and innovative utilisation of existing technology from BILA Automation has helped the Norwegian company to implement a new ground-breaking concept in the salmon industry. The technology has minimised the average time it takes from the moment the salmon-laded ship arrives from Norway to the point in time when the salmon are on their way to customers all over the world.

In addition, the new concept has reduced road transportation – and thereby the carbon footprint – significantly, improved the working environment for employees and minimised operating costs. Overall, the company’s competitiveness has been significantly increased.

The palletising facility can set new standards across the food industry and the concept has already been implemented with major international poultry manufacturers – an excellent example of utilizing technology across multiple industries.