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Emydex’s Cutting-Edge Technology for Sheep tracking with NLIS.

Emydex’s Cutting-Edge Technology for Sheep tracking with NLIS.

Following Victoria’s introduction of RFID ear tags for sheep and the requirement for all sheep to be registered in the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) the other Australian states have now also mandated this with most requiring the system to be in place by January 2025.

Emydex is well-positioned to be able to assist processors in implementing the system in a cost-effective and efficient way. Having had a system in place from the very first Emydex beef implementation eight years ago and subsequently with a sheep processor in Victoria, the standard livestock processing system can interface with RFID ear tag readers in the yards as well as on the processing floor.

Livestock can be scanned in the yards as it is unloaded via RFID panel readers connected to an Emydex delivery terminal. This station can record the delivery information such as the vehicle details, NVD number, animal numbers delivered, welfare issues and stock conditions such as wool pull. This data not only updates the delivery information but also uploads the ear tag data to the NLIS database to perform a ‘transfer holdings’ to the abattoir PIC. At this time, any alerts or warnings for the delivered stock are downloaded to the Emydex system.

Similarly, checking of the RFID on the processing line can raise any issues to the processing staff by checking the NLIS database in real-time and triggering alerts to the processing staff. The stations that read the RFID data can be stand-alone, non-manned stations or can be used to collect other information such as stun data (voltage, duration, rise time), sex and dentition, manual ear tags, animal health and weights thereby maximising the utilisation of such stations and enhancing the information collected on the line for later reporting.

 

Example Processing Line NLIS station.

Emydex-Processing Line NLIS station

The NLIS data is uploaded to the NLIS database either on an individual animal or lot basis thereby meeting the processor's statutory requirements whilst enhancing the efficiency and data collection on the processing line itself.

 

Emydex NLIS Interface Management Screen

Emydex NLIS Interface Management Screen

The Emydex kill line solution provides a comprehensive solution for the management and processing of livestock from procurement to payment and can be a simple, one-station grading station to sophisticated RFID gambrel tracking solutions processing many carcasses per minute.

If you want to learn more – contact Emydex in any of our global market offices in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, or North America

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Expanding Live Animal Handling Functionality

Having rewritten from scratch, the core Emydex warehousing functions into our new Emydex XDA Android application, Emydex have expanded the handheld scanning functionality to cover Live Animal handling for beef processing, lamb processing and pork processing.

Deaths of animals (prior to slaughter) are now able to be captured in Emydex using the XDA application on portable handheld devices which includes options not limited to Dead-On-Arrival, Condemn on Arrival, Dead-in-Yard and Condemn-in-Yard.

“Although it does not happen often when an injured animal is presented and the veterinarian and company animal welfare officer (AWO) agree that the animal is not fit for slaughter, the animal should be killed on the spot to ensure that animal suffering is minimised” – Shane Hayes Product Manager.

The XDA application now also allows approved operators to be able to capture the details of the animal such as ear tag or slap mark/tattoo and the reasons why the animal has been condemned. This information can then be used for historical reporting, as well as analysis and trending using Emydex BI.

XDA-RFID

At times, customers will need to feed animals whilst they are on the plant before they are killed. Feeding details such as feed type, time, operator and comments can now be captured against a lot of animals using handheld devices.

Lastly, when bovine or ovine have EID ear tags, customers using Bluetooth wands connected to Emydex Android devices can wand the cows or lambs and associate these ear tags with a selected lot. Operators can instantly see the expected quantity, scanned quantity and percentage complete. Once the wanding is completed, documentation can be printed directly from the device.

If you want to learn more – contact Emydex in any of our global market offices in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, or North America

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BAADER ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN EMYDEX

Attending the contract signing in Dublin were L-R: David McMahon, CEO of Emydex, Petra Baader, CEO of BAADER Global SE and James Grennan, CTO of Emydex

BAADER ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN EMYDEX, ESTABLISHING ITS LEADERSHIP IN DIGITALISATION EXPERTISE FOR THE FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY

 

  • BAADER has acquired a majority stake in EMYDEX Technology, a leading provider of Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software for the food processing sector.
  • EMYDEX's international expansion will be bolstered by BAADER's global presence, enabling both companies to offer expanded and complementary product offerings.
  • Customers in the food processing sector will benefit from the combined expertise of BAADER and EMYDEX, leading to an increase in digital products, including new technologies such as AI solutions.

 

BAADER, a globally renowned manufacturer and supplier of food processing machinery and solutions, has acquired a majority stake in EMYDEX Technology. EMYDEX is an international leader in the provision of scalable Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software for the food processing sector. Combining the strengths of both companies will mean enhanced digital capabilities for BAADER and accelerated growth and market reach for EMYDEX.

 

EMYDEX was founded in 2004 in Ireland and has since expanded into a global concern marketing a scalable MES software solution that addresses the challenges of process management in the food industry. Now, its top-tier solution is integrated in food processing facilities across Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

 

BAADER Global SE is the global partner for food processing solutions with over 100 years of experience. Headquartered in Luebeck, Germany, the company develops innovative and holistic solutions that ensure intelligent, safe, efficient and sustainable food processing at all stages. With 30 subsidiaries in Europe, the USA, China, South America, Africa and Asia, BAADER employs 1,600 people in more than 100 countries.

 

This new development marks a significant milestone for both BAADER and EMYDEX. With the acquisition of EMYDEX as a subsidiary company, BAADER moves to integrate its digitalisation division across all food processing sectors, delivering innovative EMYDEX MES solutions to customers in the red meat and poultry industries. EMYDEX will see its international expansion plans bolstered thanks to the market leadership and global presence BAADER brings to the table. As a result, both companies will be strongly positioned to offer expanded and complementary product offerings to their customers.

 

Following today’s announcement, David McMahon and James Grennan of EMYDEX, CEO and CTO, respectively, will continue as shareholders and will retain their executive roles with the company.

 

Petra Baader, CEO of BAADER Global SE, expressed her delight at the successful acquisition, stating, "This significant step promises to enhance our portfolio offerings. As a crucial strategic pillar for the BAADER Group, digitalisation will be significantly strengthened through this acquisition, promising increased value for our customers in the future. The impressive track record of EMYDEX and its reputation within the food industry make it an ideal fit for BAADER. We warmly welcome the entire EMYDEX team to the BAADER family. We are looking forward to working together to propel factory floor automation into the future.”

 

David McMahon, CEO of EMYDEX, said, "Today is a landmark day for EMYDEX as we announce the details of our strategic partnership with BAADER. As demand for EMYDEX’s solutions continued to grow – particularly from large-scale global customers with multiple plants – we knew we needed to fund the growth opportunity. BAADER, with its similar culture and ethos, as well as the access it provides to new markets, was the ideal partner to help bring EMYDEX on the next stage of its journey. We’re very excited to work with the BAADER team to realise our collective plans for growth and innovation over the coming years.”

 

L-R: Dr. Norbert Engberg, CEO of Digitalisation at BAADER, David McMahon, CEO of Emydex, Petra Baader, CEO of BAADER Global SE, James Grennan, CTO of Emydex, Dr. Nils Grenda, Chief Corporate Secretary at BAADER

 

Dr. Norbert Engberg, CEO Digitalisation at BAADER, noted, "One plus one is more than two: The global network and existing customer relationships maintained by BAADER significantly expand the market potential for both EMYDEX and BAADER. Our enhanced global presence will further solidify this position." He added that “EMYDEX combines performance with a strong presence in the red meat and further food processing, thereby positioning us to open up new markets and opportunities.”

 

The acquisition aligns with the strategic objective set by BAADER to lead rapid digital transformation and software advancements in the food industry. While the existing software solutions for the fish industry will remain a core part of the BAADER product portfolio, now BAADER is empowered to provide comprehensive digital solutions and services that cultivate even stronger customer relationships. The partnership also fosters an environment conducive to technological and market growth for EMYDEX. Food processing customers will benefit from the combined expertise of BAADER and EMYDEX as together, they pave the way for an increase in digital products, including new technologies such as AI solutions..

 

For more information, please contact:
Harald Ehren
Global Head of Corporate Communications
Mobile: +49 162 723 1207
Email: press@baader.com

 

About EMYDEX

Emydex was founded in Ireland almost 20 years ago in 2004. Since then, it has become a world leader in the supply of factory floor software solutions. It has expanded beyond Ireland with its best-in-class solution found in food processing facilities in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Southern Africa. Its team of 60 is located in its four global offices around the globe.

 

About BAADER

BAADER is a global leader in food processing solutions with over a century of experience and a presence in 100+ countries. Our team of 1,600 professionals is dedicated to supporting food and protein suppliers worldwide. We specialize in fish and poultry processing and are transforming the industry through digitalization and data analysis. Our solutions, rooted in engineering principles, prioritize gentle, hygienic food handling and aim to enhance efficiency, traceability, and sustainability.

 

More details on BAADER can be found at www.baader.com and EMYDEX www.emydex.com

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Ministerial visit to Silver Fern Farms for St Patrick’s Day

Enterprise Ireland welcomed Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine of Ireland, Charlie McConalogue to New Zealand where he visited the Silver Fern Farm in Christchurch to see the Emydex Technology factory floor software in action.

#StPatricksDay2023 #InnovationAtTheEdge #SilverFernFarms #Emydex

 

Attending the Ministerial visit were L-R above: Dylan Marsh, STREAMLINE Lead, Silver Fern Farms; Mary Kinnane, APAC Director Enterprise Ireland; Brendan Gleeson, the Secretary-General in the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Matt Ballard, Chief transformation officer, Silver Fern Farms; Charlie McConalogue T.D, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland; H.E. Jane Connolly, Ambassador of Ireland to New Zealand; Jeffrey Macer-Wright, General Manager, Emydex Australasia; Niall Casey, Enterprise Ireland

 

The ministerial visit followed soon after another visit to the Silver Fern Farm’s Belfast plant the week before by Emydex CEO, David McMahon, accompanied by Emydex Australasia General Manager, Jeffrey Macer-Wright, Ian Carson, Emydex Technical Sales Manager, and Chris Baker, Project Manager with Emydex New Zealand (pictured below)

 

On the visit, the Emydex team met with the Silver Fern Farm’s Belfast plant management team including Plant Manager, Phil Kilgour, as well as other managers in the plant

 

Emydex CEO, David McMahon with Phil Kilgour, Belfast Plant manager

 

Emydex & Silver Fern Farm’s Belfast team

 

Emydex Team safety briefing with Silver Fern Farm’s Belfast Kill Floor Manager

 

Emydex CEO, David McMahon at the Emydex Beef Grading Terminal on the factory floor

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Emydex Tour of Australia and New Zealand

A lot of ground was covered by Emydex in Australia and New Zealand over three weeks in February and March, visiting both customers and prospects in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and North & South Islands in New Zealand

It was great for Emydex CEO David McMahon to finally (post covid) meet and get to know all our fifteen hard-working Emydex employees working around Perth, Brisbane, Auckland, and Christchurch.

Week 1 of the trip centred around Emydex customer meetings in Western Australia (Harvey Beef, WAMMCO), Victoria (O’Connor Beef, Central Agri group), Wagga Wagga (Junee Lamb), finishing up in Sydney on Friday for a series of meetings with prospective customers. This gave Emydex CEO David McMahon and Emydex GM for Australasia, Jeffrey Macer-Wright, some time on Saturday morning to take in some of the sights of Sydney via a running tour, before heading on to Auckland over the weekend.

 

A statue of Sir Thomas Mort in Sydney Harbour, founder of Emydex customer, Mort & Co
Centre: A statue of Sir Thomas Mort in Sydney Harbour, founder of Emydex customer, Mort & Co

 

Week 2 focussed on customer and prospect meetings in North and South Islands in New Zealand. In New Zealand, Jeffrey and David met up with Ian Carson, as well as five Emydex NZ employees working around Auckland on North Island, and Christchurch on the South Island. Emydex staff travelled from their WFH locations to attend deferred Emydex Christmas parties in Auckland and Christchurch.

Customer visits included Wilson Hellaby, North Island, as well as visiting Christchurch to see Emydex in action in the Silver Ferns Beef primal processing plant in Belfast. The latter half of the week was spent in Dunedin for a series of meetings in Silver Fern Farms head-office, as well as meetings with prospects, and a potential partner company, Scott Technology.

 

Left: Wilson Hellaby, Auckland. Centre: SFF, Belfast, Christchurch. Right: SFF HQ, Dunedin

Left: Wilson Hellaby, Auckland. Centre: SFF, Belfast, Christchurch. Right: SFF HQ, Dunedin

 

Week 3 was spent mainly in Queensland, Australia, where Emydex have an office supporting our ten staff in South Brisbane in the city centre. Customer meetings were held over two days, with Mort & Co at their head-office in Toowoomba, followed by a visit to see one of their feedlots in operation at Grassdale. In addition, a visit to see one of Mort & Cos supplier factories. Scheduling challenges meant the team had to settle for a virtual call with Emydex customer Sunpork, based in Eagle Farm, close-by to our Brisbane office. The remainder of the week included several prospective customer meetings in both Queensland and Victoria. The week ended with Birthday celebrations for long-serving Emydex employee Carl Brennan, a Lead Solutions Engineer with Emydex over 10 years, who last year permanently relocated with his family from Ireland to Brisbane.

 

Left: most of the Emydex Brisbane office team. Centre: Grassdale feedlot. Right: Carl Brennan

Left: most of the Emydex Brisbane office team. Centre: Grassdale feedlot. Right: Carl Brennan

 

Overall, the three-week trip included nine customer meetings, as well as nine prospective customer meetings, and culminated with a visit by Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine of Ireland, Jane Connolly, Ambassador of Ireland to New Zealand, and a delegation from Enterprise Ireland to see #emydex in action in the Silver Fern Farms Ltd primary beef processing plant in Belfast, Christchurch.

 

L-R: Dylan Marsh, STREAMLINE Lead, Silver Fern Farms; Mary Kinnane, APAC Director Enterprise Ireland; Brendan Gleeson, the Secretary General in the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Matt Ballard, Chief Transformation Officer, Silver Fern Farms; Charlie McConalogue T.D, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland; H.E. Jane Connolly, Ambassador of Ireland to New Zealand; Jeffrey Macer-Wright, General Manager, Emydex Australasia; Niall Casey, Enterprise Ireland

L-R: Dylan Marsh, STREAMLINE Lead, Silver Fern Farms; Mary Kinnane, APAC Director Enterprise Ireland; Brendan Gleeson, the Secretary-General in the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Matt Ballard, Chief Transformation Officer, Silver Fern Farms; Charlie McConalogue T.D, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland; H.E. Jane Connolly, Ambassador of Ireland to New Zealand; Jeffrey Macer-Wright, General Manager, Emydex Australasia; Niall Casey, Enterprise Ireland

 

Emydex’s Technical Director, James Grennan will travel out to Australia and New Zealand in May for a series of technical workshops with Emydex customers.

Both David and James will return to Australia in July when Emydex will be exhibiting at the foodpro trade show in Melbourne from 23-26 July

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Dawn Pork & Bacon, 17 years on Emydex and counting

Dawn Pork & Bacon is one of Ireland’s leading Pork producers, operating out of Grannagh, Co Waterford in Ireland. May 2023 will see the 17th year Anniversary since Emydex first started working with Dawn Pork & Bacon, in 2006.

Emydex was founded in April 2004, so Dawn P&B was one of the very first customers to go live with an Emydex software system to manage, control and report on all their production, stocks, yields, and traceability requirements.

Continuous Improvements

Initially launched on Emydex Version 3 of the application, the system has been upgraded on a number of occasions to keep the software solution in check with the latest technical developments released by Emydex in both the core system, as well as the various industry modules in use. Industry modules operated by Dawn P&B cover their entire factory floor processes, door-to-door including pig kill line and payments, carcass stock management, into-boning, boning hall management, box packing and palletizing, sales order picking, and dispatch.

In 2009 the system was extended to add an Emydex weighbridge system for Dawn to manage truck deliveries to the plant used to verify dispatch weights against weights at the bridge, eliminating potentially costly mistakes.

24/7 Support

Alan Doocey, Dawn Pork & Bacon’s IT Manager at the time later relocated with his family to Australia, eventually ending up working for Emydex Australia, where he still works today on the Emydex Australia customer support team. Alan provides real-time technical helpdesk support to Emydex customers in Australia and New Zealand, as well as other Emydex customers around the globe who signed up to a 24x7x365 support agreement. The 24x7 team is made up of support engineers like Alan in Brisbane, in addition, to support staff in New Zealand, Canada, and Dublin.

Commenting on the successful working relationship between both companies over such a long tenure, Billy Leslie, Financial controller with Dawn Pork & Bacon said

We in Dawn Pork & Bacon are delighted to celebrate a very successful partnership of 17 years with Emydex in 2023. The Emydex suite of software plays an integral part in the day-to-day running of our business. The system is very user-friendly allowing production staff to fully engage with it. As a result, the information the system produces is extremely reliable enabling us to maintain tight control of our yields, stock management, and our supply chain.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with Emydex in the future. A future that will include increased regulatory control and sustainability reporting challenges within the Agri-Business sector. In partnership with Emydex, we are confident that these challenges can be overcome.

If you want to learn more – contact our Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, or North American offices

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