Impacto da Automação e de Modificações Estruturais na Produtividade do Processo Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) em um Frigorífico de Aves

Abstract

The Brazilian poultry industry presents a high level of competitiveness, demanding efficient production processes and technologies capable of ensuring quality, standardization, and loss reduction. Among these technologies, individualized quick freezing (IQF) stands out, whose performance depends directly on the regularity and efficiency of the feeding system of the spiral freezer. This study evaluated the effects of replacing the feeding equipment in the IQF line of a poultry agribusiness located in the western region of Santa Catarina – Brazil. The research, with a quantitative and comparative approach, analyzed operational data from the IQF line before and after the replacement of the feeding equipment, considering productive indicators, labor, freezing uniformity, and the occurrence of failures such as product adhesion in the period from 10/01 to 11/01/2024. The process flows were mapped to support the comparison between the two pieces of equipment. The results demonstrated significant improvement in the feeding flow, elimination of manual dosing, reduction in process variability, and decrease.in the number of operators per shift. A 3.75% increase in daily productivity and the elimination of complaints related to stuck products were also observed, evidencing greater standardization and final quality. These findings corroborate studies in the literature that highlight the benefits of structural modifications, layout reconfigurations, and automation in the food industry. It is concluded that the replacement of the feeder contributed to greater operational efficiency and process sustainability, although specific characteristics of each plant indicate the need for complementary studies and new possibilities for improvement, such as optimizing the material of the vibrating chute.