Manufacturing automation machinery presents substantial benefits for British industries, with rigid container and bottle manufacturing companies, particularly for the dairy sector, showcasing its transformative potential.
Historically, the reliance on cheap foreign manual labour pre-Brexit coupled with an over reliance on cheap imports from Asia has hindered machinery investment. Now add factors like an aging workforce, a resurgence in British manufacturing and demand for goods locally, globally, and now, means manufacturing automation machinery can no longer be a nice to have, but rather a necessity for survival.
Despite the hell of the pandemic, it did bring about a surge in demand for robot and machinery installations, especially in areas such as rigid container handling needed for pharmaceutical and scientific container production. Robots are increasingly utilized in end-of-line tasks such as packaging and palletising, significantly reducing manual labour and enhancing production speed and accuracy, not to mention safety – both in terms of employees and the end product being produced.
Although Britain’s robot adoption rate trails behind other G7 nations, (apart from automotive and logistics, where we’re smashing it), notable progress is being made in other sectors like high-volume food and beverage manufacturing, where ridged plastic container manufacturing is a necessity for hygienic packaging, especially in milk production. Investment in automation machinery such as automatic bagging machines (auto-baggers or bottle packing machines) and conveyor systems promises increased productivity, safety, efficiency, and a reduced cost of production, where just maybe, some of that extra profit being made could go back into the pockets of farmers.
The British government thankfully has woken up to the potential, and recognises the urgent need to make automation more accessible and affordable to SMEs if productivity growth is to soar. In its last budget, measures were announced (also supported by Labour) which mean businesses will now benefit from:
- Full expensing – which offers 100% first-year relief to companies on qualifying new main rate plant and machinery investments until 31 March 2026
- The 50% first-year allowance (FYA) for expenditure by companies on new special rate (including long life) assets until 31 March 2026
- The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) providing 100% first-year relief for plant and machinery investments up to £1 million, which is available for all businesses including unincorporated businesses and most partnerships.
