Innovation has long been part of the Co-op’s DNA. For more than a century, it’s found new ways to make the most of every drop of milk.
Today, that commitment is being accelerated by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.
Smarter quality control – one bag at a time
AI is playing an important part in advancing quality control, process efficiency and packaging reliability. One standout example is on the Co-op’s 25kg milk powder bagging lines, where AI-enabled image recognition technology now checks every bag for damage on 56 packing lines.
Developed in-house by the Automation & Operational Technology team, the system automatically rejects bags that don’t meet quality standards and provides timestamped images for traceability – helping prevent issues before they escalate.
Every one of the 66 million bags filled annually is now visually inspected by AI, reducing waste and downtime, while maintaining product quality.
The technology has also been adapted at the Co-op’s Clandeboye site to monitor bulk butter packaging. Here, AI tracks multiple stages of the packing process and can pause production if a fault is detected, allowing operators to intervene early.
Automation in packing and palletising
Across many of the Co-op’s packing and palletising plants, automation is now the norm. These facilities run 24/7 with minimal human intervention, supported by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) – driverless forklifts designed specifically for the Co-op’s operations.
AGVs handle tasks such as loading empty bag pallets, unloading finished pallets and restacking them at designated drop-off points.
Most of the packing process is highly automated. Bags are de-stacked, opened, filled and heat-sealed without manual input. Once sealed, they pass through an in-house image cognition system, which uses cameras and machine learning to inspect every bag for quality issues.
After checking the weight, foreign matter detection, and printing of traceable information on the bags, the bags are palletised by robots, stretch wrapped, labelled and transported by AGVs.
Expanding AI across the supply chain
AI is being used more across the Co-op’s broader operations, too. From predictive asset maintenance to optimising production workflows, the business is actively exploring how this technology can drive greater value and efficiency across the entire supply chain.
Engineering teams are applying AI and large-scale industrial data operations within an Asset Performance Management platform. Analysing data from multiple sources and integrating predictive models means faster, data driven decisions. This allows the Co-op to improve how it allocates resources across its asset base.
What’s next: Autonomous Mobile Robots?
Looking ahead, the Co-op is exploring the use of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). Unlike AGVs, AMRs use cameras and sensors to navigate factory spaces more freely. They detect obstacles, avoid collisions and safely carry out repetitive transport tasks. This next level of automation promises better safety and operational efficiency as the Co-op continues to evolve its operations.
As AI and automation continue to develop, the Co-op is well-positioned to use these technologies to drive smarter, safer and more efficient operations. From the factory floor to the supply chain, these innovations are helping deliver better outcomes for customers, farmer owners, and employees – ensuring it can stay ahead in a rapidly changing world.