Trusted by industry leaders
In brief
Food industry material handling concentrates constraints that few other sectors combine: bags of 25 to 50 kg, drums, packaging reels, machine components to replace in confined spaces, sustained production rates and strict hygiene requirements.
Neoditech responds to these realities with three complementary solutions: the SCARA manipulator arm, the Mobile Jib Crane and the Mobile Order Picker – all available in mobile configuration to adapt to fixed production lines and seasonal campaigns alike.
Investment is supported by HSE improvement grants, Healthy Working Lives funding (Scotland), and insurance premium reductions from reduced MSD claims. Danone, Mars, Sodebo, Barilla, Panzani, Maison Loste, Tipiak and Laïta already trust our equipment.
Why does the food industry need dedicated handling equipment?
Food manufacturing is one of the most demanding industrial sectors for material handling. Operators manipulate repetitive loads throughout their shift: bags of flour, sugar or starch weighing 25 to 50 kg, buckets of 10 to 30 kg, drums of 20 to 60 kg, often in confined spaces between machines, under low ceilings or in narrow aisles. Added to this are strict hygiene standards that limit the technical solutions available, and high staff turnover that makes continuous training costly. The result: structurally elevated risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), frequent work absences and compromised productivity.
Protecting your operators without slowing production
Musculoskeletal disorders account for 27% of all work-related ill health in the UK, according to HSE data. Food manufacturing concentrates a disproportionate share of these cases nationally. Repetitive manual handling of heavy bags, bending over production lines and constrained postures in confined spaces are the primary triggering factors.
A Neoditech manipulator eliminates the weight felt by the operator: the load is supported by the machine, the movement is guided by the operator. Result: zero excessive muscular effort, even at the end of a shift. MSD prevention in food manufacturing is no longer a theoretical objective – it becomes a measurable reality from the first week of use.
Neoditech equipment qualifies for HSE improvement notice compliance investment, Healthy Working Lives grants (Scotland), and insurance premium reductions from reduced MSD claims and RIDDOR compliance cost avoidance.
Workstations open to all operator profiles
The food manufacturing sector faces persistent recruitment pressures. A workstation equipped with a manipulator arm or jib crane requires no particular physical strength: men, women, junior or senior operators can maintain the same production rate without differentiated physical constraint. This is a concrete attractiveness lever that widens the candidate pool and reduces time to competency for new starters.
Hygiene compliance and production continuity
Food industry hygiene requirements demand easy-to-clean surfaces, absence of parts that could contaminate products and full equipment traceability. Neoditech solutions rely on mechanical systems with no embedded electronics in contact zones, featuring smooth surfaces that are easily cleaned. No production line stoppage is required for routine maintenance. Food industry handling equipment integrates into your environment without modifying your hygiene protocol.
Equipment that adapts to your production lines
Food production lines are not static. A seasonal campaign shifts material flows, a new product reference modifies workstation configuration, maintenance requires rapid repositioning. Our solutions respond to these three realities:
Electric wheel base: autonomous movement between packaging and palletising stations, without manual handling of the equipment itself.
Pallet truck base: rapid repositioning between production lines or between seasonal campaigns, without permanent infrastructure.
Floor-fixed base: for high-cadence fixed stations where stability takes priority over mobility.
No structural modification to your facility is required. Installation takes just a few hours, without extended production stoppage.
Three solutions to cover all your food industry handling operations
SCARA manipulator arm
SWL up to
100Kg
Handling of packaging reels in confined spaces, component changes on production machines...
Mobile Jib Crane
SWL up to
100Kg
Handling of bags, cartons, buckets and drums of raw materials.
Mobile Order Picker
SWL up to
100Kg
Ideal for picking bags, buckets, cartons and drums.
SCARA Arm, Mobile Jib Crane, Mobile Order Picker: which solution for which operation?
| Equipment | SWL | Typical operation | Key advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SCARA manipulator arm |
50 or 100 kg | Pick and place of bags in confined spaces, part replacement on production machines, handling of packaging reels | Compact design, millimetre precision, excels in confined spaces, custom gripper |
| Mobile jib crane | Up to 100 kg | Pick and place of bags, canisters and buckets at fixed or semi-fixed workstations | Simple, robust, ideal for repetitive lifting operations within a defined radius |
| Mobile order picker | Up to 100 kg | Moving bags or loads over long distances via electric pallet truck, order picking in warehouse or storage areas | Mounted on electric pallet truck, follows the operator throughout the entire logistics area |
Request a free workstation audit
Our account managers visit your facility, review your constraints and recommend the right configuration.
Concrete applications in your food production facilities
Financing your investment
Equipping your facility should not be a budget barrier. Several mechanisms support investment in ergonomic handling equipment:
HSE Improvement Notices and Compliance Investment: If your facility receives an HSE improvement notice related to manual handling or MSD risk, investment in handling equipment qualifies as compliance expenditure and may be eligible for accelerated capital allowances or grant support depending on your region and sector classification.
Healthy Working Lives (Scotland): Scottish businesses can access grants and support for workplace health improvements, including ergonomic equipment investment. The scheme prioritises MSD prevention and occupational health initiatives.
Insurance Premium Reductions: Demonstrable reduction in MSD claims and RIDDOR reportable incidents through ergonomic equipment investment typically results in lower insurance premiums and improved health and safety ratings with underwriters.
Capital Allowances: Ergonomic handling equipment generally qualifies for capital allowances under UK tax law, reducing the net cost of investment.
Occupational Health Improvement Schemes: Depending on your jurisdiction, ergonomic equipment investment may qualify for occupational health improvement grants or tax incentives.
Why Neoditech?
Why food manufacturers choose Neoditech
Neoditech is a designer and manufacturer. Not a reseller, not an integrator of generic solutions: each piece of equipment is designed and assembled in France, with a gripper developed by our engineering team to match exactly your load, your space and your production rate.
Danone, Mars, Sodebo, Barilla, Panzani, Maison Loste, Tipiak and Laïta have strict requirements for hygiene, traceability and production rate. Our teams work discreetly, adapt to site constraints, provide complete documentation (CE marking, compliance with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, technical datasheets). What you get concretely:
Free on-site workstation analysis, with no obligation
Bespoke gripper designed by our internal engineering team
French manufacturing, controlled lead times
Installation within hours, operator training on site
CE marking, compliance with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
What our solutions do not cover
Let us be direct.
Loads exceeding 100 kg: beyond the SWL of the SCARA TITAN and Mobile Jib Crane, a dedicated lifting system (overhead crane, powered hoist) is more appropriate.
Direct handling of bare food products: our equipment handles packaging (bags, drums, cartons, reels), not food in direct contact.
Complete automation without operator: our solutions keep the operator at the centre of the process. For fully autonomous lines, a robotics integrator is more suitable.
The SCARA manipulator arm is designed to operate in spaces where other equipment cannot enter: narrow aisles, spaces between machines, low ceilings. Its compact articulated architecture allows it to grip a bag of flour or sugar, move it along a controlled trajectory and place it with precision without operator effort. The weight felt is zero. The PARTS model covers loads up to 50 kg; the TITAN reaches 100 kg. Food industry MSD prevention begins with eliminating repetitive manual handling of heavy loads.
The choice depends on three criteria: available space, distance the load must travel and nature of the operation. The SCARA arm excels in confined spaces and operations requiring millimetre precision (component replacement, reel handling). The Mobile Jib Crane is ideal for repetitive lifting operations over a defined radius (2 to 2.7 m) on a fixed or semi-fixed workstation. The Mobile Order Picker intervenes when the load must accompany the operator over long distances in the logistics zone. Our team conducts a free on-site workstation analysis to guide you towards the most suitable solution.
Yes. Our equipment can be configured to operate in low-temperature environments, high humidity or subject to high-pressure cleaning. The engineering team adapts materials and protections accordingly. A preliminary workstation study is systematically conducted to validate solution compatibility with site-specific constraints: temperature setpoint, cleaning frequency and pressure, nature of products handled, before any recommendation is made.
Yes. Our three solutions offer mobility options suited to food facility realities: electric wheel base for frequent moves, pallet truck base for repositioning between lines or campaigns, floor-fixed mounting for high-cadence permanent stations. No permanent infrastructure is required for mobile configurations. Repositioning is carried out without specialist tools and without extended production stoppage.
Several mechanisms apply. HSE improvement notice compliance investment, Healthy Working Lives grants (Scotland), insurance premium reductions from reduced MSD claims, and capital allowances under UK tax law all support equipment investment. Neoditech equipment qualifies for these schemes. Our team discusses available options in your region and sector.
Contact us!
Conclusion :
take action
Food industry material handling does not have to remain your leading source of MSDs. The equipment exists, the financing exists. Our account managers visit your facility at no cost to analyse your workstations and propose the right solution, with no obligation.
Neoditech: your partner for food industry material handling
At Neoditech, we place ergonomics, innovation and safety at the heart of our solutions to improve your processes whilst protecting the health and comfort of your operators. Ergonomics and productivity do not oppose each other: they reinforce each other. This is what we have demonstrated since 2007, facility after facility, across France and Europe.
We design solutions that combine ergonomics and productivity. Our equipment enables manufacturers to improve operator safety while optimizing their production processes. Neoditech is also :
Customers supported in France and Europe
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Manipulators sold in France and elsewhere
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