Machines matter

Last week, Sam and I went to visit the cheese machinery company, Alpma GB Ltd at its Basingstoke location. The company, based in Germany, supplies machinery to the cheese making trade globally. A discussion with its UK managing director, Nick Aikenhead, showcased the issues manufacturers are facing with trade, and the growth areas globally, from India to the US and everything in between.

We often don’t think about the work that goes into developing machinery for the production lines. The computer aided design (CAD), the ironing out of bottlenecks, the detailing of using people versus a robot or an automated system and how to find and fix the issues that come up in a high-speed system are behind the scenes for most people. Fortunately for most of us, the machinery manufacturers do this work. Even spare parts and upgrades are thought of, and with the new online systems that show customers their machines and the parts available in 3D, it is a key part of Alpma’s operations.

The full interview will be set for the March issue of Dairy Industries International. In the meantime, Alpma will be at 10 exhibitions and trade shows globally this year, so it is a chance to see them and look at their offerings in person.

What we also found fascinating was the company history, which began about at the beginning of the 20th century. The company started out as cheese makers, Alpenhain, but when it had to build a machine to wrap a camembert, it became a machinery company as well. However, the firm still holds an interest in its production side and it offers a helpful test site for cheese making, along with cutting, inspection and packaging. It also offers a significant apprenticeship programme, and will be celebrating 80 years in business in 2027. A grand day out and it was so lovely to put the faces to the names.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
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