Our Projects and Capability

Automation Project

Tiong Lian Food

Achieving greater efficiency by reducing time-consuming and labour-intensive work

Scope of work

Automatic conveyor belt system for different floors and workstations

Read more here
(Credits to JTC, SPH, Tiong Lian Food)

About the Client

Tiong Lian Food is one of the leading importers and distributors of quality pork and other meat products in Singapore. This is a local supplier in Singapore. The family business has been around for 47 years and is now being run by the third generation.

The company’s core business involves carcass de-boning, processing and preparation, supplying bulk parts and wide variety of meat cut. From fresh chilled, frozen or marinated and ready to eat products, meats are carefully selected before they are packed into hygienic tray packs and distributed to supermarket chains, wet markets, and other sectors of the food supply chain, throughout Singapore.

To overcome land and resource constraints, Tiong Lian has turned to technology and innovative ways to increase food production capacities.

The customer wanted a full solution for the production site in order to increase productivity. Tiong Lian considered automation while planning the new production facility and invested $7 million in installing automatic conveyor belt systems between the different floors and workstations, setting up overhead conveyors and a crate system to transport raw pork, and purchasing meat slicers with infrared sensors.

Factory Automation –
Turnkey Linkage System

A customized Smart Conveyor System to integrate each cutting machine to multiple packing machines, equipped with Sensors to capture production output and related data to measure production performance and optimize production planning.

Factory Automation –
Turnkey Stacker System

A customized Crate Buffering System that spans several levels of its production facility, automating the sending of crates from the crate washing machine to a storage holding area storing 4,170 crates. The system will also be integrated to its existing mini-ASRS.

Project Objective Delivered

This project has created significant positive improvements for Tiong Lian :
• Operational Efficiency
• Faster Process Time
• High Output per day
• High Efficiency of Space Utilization
• Improved Workplace Safety
• Job Enhancements and Job Creation for the local workforce.
On a wider level, it has allowed the company to contribute towards Singapore’s Smart Factory goal by enable more digitalization and automation in manufacturing processes, enhancing Singapore’s efficiency and long-term competitiveness on the global stage.

Tiong Lian has also contributed to Singapore Green Plan 2030 – a whole-of-nation movement to advance Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development.

With Tiong Lian’s improved capability and capacity in the food industry, the company now stands strongly to support Singapore’s goals in strengthening food security and building a more resilient food future.

Positive Impact of an Automation project
on manpower resources

Industrial 4.0 involves a high level of modern automation equipment and digitalization. To allow mass production output with little to no human involvement.

Industry 5.0 (Announced in 2021) involves the re-humanisation of the race towards automation. Industrial 5.0 complements the existing 4.0 approach by bringing humans back into the factory process.
In this project, we can see that human capital remains an integral part of the modern Factory Automation.

This transformation project has led to positive impacts on manpower resources :
  • Job Redesign of more than 20 staff involved in meat cutting, packing and crates organization. (Upgraded for more high value business functions). 15% of employees who are aged between 60 and 70 have adapted very well to the reduction of labour-intensive work.
  • Job Creation of PMET roles have increased to handle the more sophisticated needs of this automation project.
  • The company is better able to attract and retain talents.
  • After the transformation, the company is better positioned to hire older employees, and subsequently hired over 10 older employees to take on meat-cutting, packaging, machine operations and cleaning roles.
  • Training for better prospects: At least 20 of Tiong Lian’s staff will be trained in operating the new smart conveyor, data counting and crate buffering system- aligning them to skillsets required for smart factory/industry 4.0-5.0
  • Employees now have the opportunity to expand their work capacities too.
Why our customers choose us :