It would kind of count. Are we making the same soup every day, changing it out? What goes into Clam Chowder has nothing to do with Chicken Noodle and the tanks, kettles, and fillers need to be scrubbed. But I could see if money was no object and if you were making one soup or just beans in a can automating most of it. I have seen automated labelers and packers and the cookers if there monitored correctly can run by themselves. Same with the Boilers that send the steam to them. The lines could be automated and I once worked in a warehouse which used robots to move cases of oil around so that could be repurposed to move cans, lids, and ingredients about. You probably could drop it all down to maybe three guys in the end. Two to monitor sections and one maintenance guy but I wouldn't see it running very fast. Maybe a 100 cans a minute (normal is near 500) so everything can run smoothly and if they only make one simple soup or food with a minimal of ingredients and complexity. Its the tests for thickness and cooking that require real tests. I mean some things you don't mess with. Don't cook a food in a can long enough and your going to have botulism.
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