La Mie Câline Automates Its Bakery Lines

Interview

Sébastien LONGEPE, Industrial Director at La Mie Câline

In 2018, La Mie Câline chose automation to optimise its production lines. More specifically, the food manufacturer called on JYGA to robotise a bakery line for high-throughput baguette production. The objective was to automate a demanding task: handling and tipping bulky 20 kg tubs of sticky dough.

At the 2019 AGROVIF event organised by software publisher VIF, Sébastien LONGEPE, Industrial Director at La Mie Câline, discussed the automation project.

Why automate your new bakery line?
Recruitment difficulties, high production requirements and the need to optimise our costs led us to automate our new baguette line. We wanted greater productivity, with higher throughput and volumes while reducing downtime.

We also wanted to reduce the physical strain of the task while developing the skills of our production and maintenance teams.

What did you expect from the integrator selected for the project?
During the pre-study phase, the chosen integrator needed to be able to identify the project’s specific requirements and the appropriate technologies. We also expected the integrator to adapt to our constraints: a sensitive food-production environment, demanding tub movements and limited available space.

What key points needed particular attention?
Several key considerations had to be addressed before launching the automation project:

• Use a simple approach suited to the operation,
• Eliminate as many uncertainties as possible during the pre-study,
• Carry out tests during acceptance,
• Protect product quality,
• Work with a responsive supplier,
• Rely on a robotics specialist who can explain and train effectively,
• Communicate internally to address the teams’ concerns.

What benefits have you gained from automating your bakery line?
Our production teams now enjoy better working conditions. This optimisation also makes our operation more sustainable through improved competitiveness and quality.

Internal skills are better recognised, which supports recruitment and makes production roles more attractive. Finally, the teams are gradually becoming more open to robotisation, and further automation opportunities will be explored.