Not so long ago, the food and beverage manufacturing industry was among the slowest industry verticals to adopt new production technologies. But now, with the industry growing as aggressively as ever and faced with rising demand, the industry is increasingly relying on automation to keep the shelves stocked. Along with this increasing reliance, the industry has seen certain trends emerge: as to how food and beverage manufacturing is choosing to implement automation in their facilities, what’s driving those trends, and the challenges they face in augmenting the applications of automation in food production. What Are the Major Trends in Food & Beverage Automation? The most notable automation trends among food and beverage producers are: Digital transformation — This transformation must be planned from the top down, making sure to account for all moving parts and taking into consideration not only the transformation itself, but the operational team that will be responsible for daily monitoring and interpretation of data used to optimize the facility. Robotics — A robotic system can run as an island of automation, however its real power is delivered when it is integrated into your overall efficiency process. The robot cell design, end of arm tooling development, robot selection and integration of the design into the rest of your production or packaging line is what unlocks the powerful features of robotics. Artificial intelligence (AI) — This technology tends to play well when implemented in applications where a specific volume of product is meant to fill a container, like 16 oz. of ice cream to fill a pint. AI can help ensure the correct and exact volume is distributed into each pint, each time. It also provides the information necessary to diagnose inefficiencies in machinery that may be impacting production and help plant managers remain proactive around planned downtime, routine maintenance or … Continued
E Tech Group’s Business Director for Material Handling, Kurt Wakeman participated in a roundtable discussion on the future of automation industry with two other industry professionals for the Plant Services, The Tool Belt Podcast. The podcast and article were originally published by Plant Services. Click here to listen or read the transcript of the full episode. In this episode of The Tool Belt, three system integrator professionals share their perspectives on where the automation industry is heading. The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) is a global trade association with over 500 member companies in 35 countries that seeks to advance the industry of control system integration. Control system integrators use their engineering, technical and business skills to help manufacturers and others automate their industrial equipment and systems. For this year’s System Integrator Roundtable episode, Plant Services editor in chief Thomas Wilk spoke with three veteran system integrator professionals about how the industry is changing and which new technologies are poised to make a big impact. Kurt Wakeman is the business director for Material Handling group at E Tech Group. Bob Pusateri is director of business development at Electronic Drives and Controls. Sam Hoff is President and CEO of Patti Engineering. PS: Kurt, let me pose that question to you. Do you see a big change in the kind of work that your team will be doing in 2023 or beyond, versus the last couple of years? Or do you see the same kind of workload increasing? KW: Yeah, I do think 2023 looks a little different based on some of the economic challenges we’ve been facing. Customers tend to be investing a little bit more in existing equipment as opposed to buying new systems. They’re a little bit tighter with their money and they’re investments, so we’ve seen a big uptick in demand for recontrols, … Continued
Challenge
Integrating additional cooling towers in milk production can support a plant’s processing capacity and quality control. These results were desired by a leading American dairy producer who faced challenges with their milk production process. The dairy producer wanted to integrate two additional cooling towers with their existing system to improve production efficiency and support the increased demand for their milk products. The company engaged E Tech Group for this project as the system integrator developed their existing system and had the integration expertise to successfully deploy this project on-time and within budget.
Solution
The project required comprehensive control engineering support. This included system design and development, input/output validation, system functionality testing, and custom control panel design and fabrication based on the customer’s requirements. PLC, HMI, and SCADA programing were also needed to control and monitor the new equipment as well as balance the water flow between the customer’s cooling towers. E Tech Group engaged the engineering team to create the best controls strategy for the customer.
First, the project team verified the project scope with the customer and collaborated on proactive solutions to potential installation and integration challenges. Next, the project team developed the control system design including Rockwell Automation CompactLogix PLCs and PanelView Plus HMI, and Inductive Automation Ignition SCADA programing. New IFM I/O Link modules, PowerFlex drives and Soft Starters were also integrated to monitor new instruments and control new motors for pumps and fans added to the system. The project team integrated these components with the customer’s custom UL 508A control panel build, keeping safety, functionality, and durability of the design top-of-mind.
Results
The panel construction was executed in eight weeks and site commissioning was completed in three days including a few days planned for fine tuning. The integration and installation of additional cooling towers helped increase the customer’s milk processing capacity, supporting greater production efficiency and quality control. By investing in modern technology and upgrading their infrastructure, the plant was able to meet the growing and quality demand for their milk products and support its competitive edge in the market.
Challenge
Fires are a devastating event for any business. It can result in the loss of equipment, inventory, and even the facility itself. The aftermath of a fire can be challenging for any company as it seeks to rebuild and return to business as usual. This case study highlights how E Tech Group collaborated with an architectural engineering company to support an international almond supplier after a fire destroyed their roasting line. The project team worked together on a tight schedule to replace and upgrade the almond supplier’s roasting system, leveraging PLC, HMI, networking, and control panel expertise.
Solution
The almond supplier needed to replace their out of commission roasters with a new, modernized system. On the old line, the operators had to walk between two floors to start and monitor production. The customer needed a solution that simplified the almond roasting process while providing more visibility from beginning to end. The first step was forming a strong communication strategy between the customer and the project team. This consisted of daily progress meetings about the project’s developments and potential challenges such as equipment procurement, control panel design, and PLC and HMI programing to control the roasting systems. One of the biggest challenges was the “design-build” method to execute the control panel build. This meant the control panel design had to be open to changes while it was still being built in the shop. The project team relied on their strong collaboration skills to successfully merge these steps to support the tight project timeline.
E Tech Group’s principal engineers leveraged their expertise to develop the control modules in CompactLogix PLCs and PanelView Plus HMI for the customer’s various devices as well as configured Moxa managed switches for multi-level network topology. The engineering team also worked closely onsite with electricians to change the control panel design as needed, which included designing auxiliary panels and ordering time sensitive parts for safety and air handling operations. The onsite team also focused on configuring network controls as well as fan VFD motor controllers and burners for the new roasting line. The project manager maintained timely communications with the project team and the customer, securing engineering resources to help with the PLC and HMI code design and managed the team’s progress toward the finish line.
Results
With everything in place, the project team was able to successfully execute the project and trained the customer’s operators and maintenance staff on their new and improved roasting system. The project took about four months to complete from the design phase to site acceptance testing. Rather than walking between two floors to start and monitor the roasting process, the customer’s operators could now start the entire line with the push of a button on the HMI and have production visibility from start to finish. Also, the added controls to the plant network, such as Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk AssetCenter, supported the management and protection of the customer’s automation-related asset information. With the project complete, the customer was able to resume production with a more intelligent, modernized roasting line.
