Flexible Automation for Food Production: Meeting Industry Demands with Scalable Solutions

by MFT Automation

The food packaging industry requires your operation to adjust to rapidly evolving trends and regulations, which are often driven by shifting consumer preferences for convenience and sustainability. It is also imperative that your facilities ensure a consistently sanitary environment. To keep pace, it is important to embrace automation that enhances efficiency, meets strict sanitation standards, and adapts to ever-changing production needs. At MFT Automation, we specialize in flexible automation solutions designed to streamline food packaging and optimize your production processes.

Why Flexibility is Key in Food Packaging Automation

Food production presents unique challenges: from handling different packaging formats to maintaining hygiene and compliance. Our flexible automation systems allow you as a food manufacturer to:

  • Increase Efficiency – Automated equipment in our washdown and hygienic line reduces manual labor, speeds up processes, and enhances overall productivity.
  • Maintain Sanitation Standards – Equipment built with passivated stainless steel and FDA-approved contact surfaces ensures compliance with food safety regulations.
  • Adapt to Market Demands – As consumer preferences shift, automation must support new packaging types, sustainable initiatives, and materials like wax paper, cardboard, and biodegradable plastics.

Hygienic Washdown Friction Feeders: Solutions for High-Performance Food Packaging

Designed for food producers who require reliable, washdown-ready automation, our Hygienic Washdown Friction Feeders ensure seamless food packaging with:

  • Minimal Contamination Points – Reduces downtime with a design that minimizes the need for disassembly and reassembly.
  • Easy Cleaning & Maintenance – Built with 304 passivated stainless steel, offering superior resistance to moisture and corrosion.
  • Sanitary Compliance – FDA-approved contact surfaces including feed belts, stripper wheels and discharge belts, and IP-certified components allow you to meet industry regulations.

Whether utilizing flow wrapping machines for snack packaging or food production machines for frozen goods, MFT’s custom automation solutions provide the flexibility you need to stay competitive.

Future-Proof Your Food Production with MFT Automation

Your food industry operation demands scalable, hygienic, and efficient automation to keep up with rising production needs. MFT Automation’s custom food packaging machines empower manufacturers to increase output, maintain safety standards, and adapt to evolving industry trends.

Ready to optimize your food packaging process? Contact MFT Automation today to discover how our solutions can enhance your production line.

Automation Scalability: Creating Your Perfect Automation System

by MFT Automation

In today’s rapidly changing manufacturing environment, businesses demand efficiency, flexibility, and growth-ready solutions, all while keeping the quality of your product. The challenge? Finding automation systems that not only meet your current needs but also evolve alongside your business. At MFT Automation, we specialize in designing custom automation packaging systems that scale—so you’re always on the cutting edge of your industry. Read more

What is a Friction Feeder? And Other Frequently Asked Questions

by Shane

Many companies have seen the benefits of automating their processes. Friction feeders are a powerful piece of automation equipment, capable of enhancing a system or boosting productivity as a standalone piece of equipment. Just learning about automation or friction feeders? As automation and friction feeder experts we have all the frequently asked questions answered!

What is a friction feeder?

Friction feeders are a powerful piece of automation equipment that separates and dispenses flat products from a vertical stack, one product at a time.

How does a friction feeder work?

Where are friction feeders used?

As a piece of automation equipment, friction feeders are often used in larger automation systems, though they can stand independently. Friction feeders can be found in several different industries including, packaging, printing, food, medical, and more. Examples of friction-feeding applications include tipping, batching, counting, inserting, collating, and more.

Will it feed my product?

The best way to know if your product will feed is to test the product. At MFT Automation, we understand the need to test before you invest. If you send us a sample of your product we will send you a free video demo of your product being run through our equipment.

Why invest in a friction feeder?

Automation has a high return on investment. Time is money and companies save a lot of time when they invest in automation. Workers can focus on more complex tasks while the friction feeder takes care of tedious and monotonous tasks. These complex tasks are a more efficient use of wages when automation is an option. Product quality is also increased as friction feeders are more accurate and precise with placements and counting. Friction feeders are highly versatile in size, material, and maximum speeds to fit into any production environment and can easily be integrated into existing production lines or stand independently

What are the friction feeder options at MFT Automation?

Check out our high-performance friction feeders:

 The Signature Series (v3)

Industrial Performance (ip)

High Continuous Performance Series (HCP)

Hygienic Washdown Series

A Different Angle: Versatile Vertical Friction Feeding

by Shane

Generally, most friction feeders are placed above a transport, such as a lugged or vacuum belt conveyor, and dispense the product onto the surface at a straight or slightly downward angle. But some applications require a different angle.

Vertical feeding is a common solution for inserting a product into an opening on the top of various forms of packaging.

Putting Two & Two Together: What is Tipping?

by Shane

The packaging industry has seen tremendous growth with new consumer demands and innovations. According to a report by the consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, packaging generates about $900 billion in annual revenues worldwide. Automation has helped push the industry to new heights, saving time and money by automating monotonous processes that gobble up workers’ precious time and resources. A process that commonly gets automated in the packaging industry is tipping.