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As urbanization increases along with the population, more demand is put on the food and beverage industry to meet increasing demands. The industry is expected to grow at about a 12% rate for the next 4 years, which means manufacturers and processors have a big call to answer. Food and beverage automation companies have been waiting in the wings for just this moment.
Where industries like metals and machine builders have been on the front of adopting automation, the food industry lagged. This can largely be attributed to the difficulty of the transition as well as the unknown. Consumables – from raw material acquisition to production, processing and storage – are heavily regulated by the FDA and USDA.
Manufacturers don’t have time to adopt a new automation system only to find out their product quality is failing, their setup no longer complies with industry standards or, worse, an unreported defect results in a national recall. They need to be sure that upon implementation they can be sure operations are already at or better than previous baselines. That’s where food and beverage automation companies can step in to help.
Automation adds value at every step of food and beverage production, which means companies can reap a host of benefits by partnering with the right automation company. Process control can be applied to:
The trends we’re seeing in food and beverage automation are diverse. This allows room for a creative approach to automation that food processing system integrators can leverage to provide automation solutions that are best for the present and the future of the company:
Food and beverage manufacturers expect to use 50% of their annual capital on automation technology, including AI and Industry 4.0. 70% of manufacturers report productivity as the biggest drive for beginning this digital transformation, and nearly 80% report labor shortages being another main factor.
With skyrocketing growth in the industry, which is expected to affect North American food producers disproportionately, the risk of lagging behind competitors is now ever-present and ever-increasing. Automation is no longer an option, and neither is sitting on the idea until it becomes comfortable.
The good news is, while implementing a facility-wide automation system with integrated controls is a significant investment, the tangible ROI of a top-tier system created by a leading food and beverage process automator is indisputable. Manufacturers can expect:
There is an emerging market within the food processing industry that, while only just starting to gain footing with the FDA, is sure to become a large part of industrial food production in the coming decades: ethical meat production. Both plant-based alternative meats and cultivated proteins require different automation system design than traditional meats/proteins. Consider:
Lab-cultured proteins are specifically tricky, because will require a hybrid approach to food automation and biologics automation. Manufacturers and startups in this industry are dealing with both the food and drug portion of FDA regulations because of the lab-driven nature of cell-cultivated meats. As well, factory automation for cultivated meat simply isn’t a thing that exists right now. There is no template for automation engineers to rely on in their system design/build.
Food and beverage automation companies need not only domain expertise in the food industry, but also the life sciences industry to provide these clients with the bleeding-edge automation systems they need to disrupt the meat market. And a creative approach doesn’t hurt, either.
As one of North America’s leading automation system integrators, E Tech Group stays ahead of the curve when it comes to automation services. With a division dedicated to the food and beverage production industry, we have automation engineers and staff with expertise in the specific needs of this market. And that includes cultivated meats – we recently built a PlantPAx 5.0 building control system for one of the first companies to gain FDA-approval to create cell-cultured meats for human consumption.
E Tech Group has provided industrial clients across sectors with unmatched automation services for over 30 years. Our collaborative, client-focused approach coupled with our ability to provide seamless transitions upon system implementation mean our clients are left after project end with state-of-the-art, flexible automation systems that benefit them now and as they continue to grow. Robust security features, custom control panel design and top-tier automation technology make E Tech Group the ideal choice as your Main Automation Partner.
We are partnering with Rockwell Automation on the launch of their new FactoryTalk® Optix™Portfolio: Revitalize Your HMI Operations webinar series. The third and final webinar in this series is coming up in August- the first two are available OnDemand. The series is about how the FactoryTalk® Optix™ end-to-end HMI solution can revitalize HMI operations across the equipment lifecycle.
The manufacturing landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. The rise of Industry 4.0, characterized by increasing automation, interconnectivity, and data-driven decision-making, is forcing manufacturers to adapt and embrace new technologies. At the forefront of this transformation lies a powerful tool: industrial data analytics.
By effectively utilizing the vast amount of information generated by automated manufacturing processes, companies are unlocking a treasure trove of insights that are revolutionizing how they operate. This data-driven evolution is propelling manufacturers towards a future of unparalleled efficiency, innovation, adaptability, and competitiveness.
“Industry 4.0” is engineering jargon for the 4th industrial revolution, which is all about digitalization and AI. Enter the other current industry buzz word: digital transformation, which is all about mechanizing as many aspects of a business’ operations as possible. What do these have to do with industrial data analytics? Almost everything.
Industrial analytics refers to the process of gathering, organizing, culling, integrating, and translating raw data into understandable information that is able to be acted upon. Industry 4.0 and digital transformation would not be possible without it.
Consider an automated facility: every sensor, alarm, piece of equipment is constantly generating data. For that to be worth anything to the person standing at the control system panel, that ocean of stats and measures needs to make sense. That requires an integrated system that allows constant, clear, complex communication between devices across the network, and a central HMI that is able to access, affect and generate that information into a context the operator can utilize.
You need industrial analytics to assess, plan and design an automation system, and an automation system also requires analytics to perform all its functions correctly. You can’t have some without the others; Industry 4.0, digital transformation and industrial analytics are inextricably intertwined.
Generally, there are four types of data analysis used in industrial automation solutions:
These data analytics happen in a continuous cycle where descriptive analytics sets the foundation, diagnostic analytics refines the understanding, predictive analytics forecasts future scenarios, and prescriptive analytics suggests actions to optimize those scenarios.
This is a distinct development from Industry 3.0, which was the first emergence of computers, robotics and automation. Data analytics were rudimentary and limited, which led to systems that were opaque, mysterious and problematic. What good is an automated process that generates raw data if, when something goes wrong, there’s no salient way to access a coherent report that tells you why?
Data analytics can be thought of as something of a Rosetta Stone of automation. Where we once had infinite spools of raw data we could barely piece together, leaving much of it unintelligible mess, we now have the technology to translate that data into a usable format, allowing us to unlock the full potential of the knowledge that data can provide. Now that we know how to build control systems that know how to use it, it would be a detriment not to.
When you are able to understand the full picture of what is happening on the floor of your facility in real time, you ensure you truly do have control and oversight covering every detail of your operations. And with the hardware, software and automation services available, any industrial entity can transform their business with these analytical keys to success. Industrial analytics can be applied to virtually every facet of a company’s operations with functions like:
And the benefits don’t stop there. Consider how improved efficiency can reduce energy waste; how increased consistency can lead to better quality; how better visibility can improve network security. It’s the technological incarnation of the old adage, “The more you know”.
Is there such a thing as too much data? Not if you know how to handle it. E Tech Group partners closely with our clients to create comprehensive automation systems that optimize the present and prepare for the future. Our advanced control system solutions utilize automation software that constantly collects, organizes, analyzes and translates usable raw data into information that’s easy to understand and also applicable. Let us help you transform your business with automation system design that won’t leave valuable data resources to waste when they could be used for actionable insights.
E Tech Group prioritizes building and maintaining partnerships with the global leaders in automation products. Not only does this help us implement the best control system solutions for our clients, but it also keeps us at the forefront of automation advancement while keeping a solid hold in the history of the automation movement.
Siemens Automation Group (Siemens Global) is one of the longest-standing leaders in the field of process engineering, pioneering automation for well over 150 years. With that kind of heritage, it’s easy to infer they are committed to advancing manufacturing and industry. That’s just one of the reasons they develop some of the most adaptable and flexible automation products around – which is just one of the reason E Tech Group maintains a close partnership with this giant in engineering.
The story of Siemens begins as a small company trying to improve upon the original electric telegraph design in the mid-19th century. Founded in 1847, within twenty years, their product, called the pointer telegraph, was all over Europe as a result of multiple government contracts. By the 1880’s, they faced numerous startups that would pose competition in the rapidly-expanding energy technology market.
They went public in 1899 – over 125 years ago! By this time, Siemens had already proliferated its engineering capabilities, including inventing the first elevator motor in 1880 and the first crane drive in 1891. Shortly after going public, they developed the world’s first reversing electric drive in 1907.
In 1958, Siemens came out with SIMATIC, the first modular system for contactless control. It was basically the progenitor to PLCs, which emerged less than 20 years later. SIMATIC is still regarded as one of the world’s most successful automation systems. In 1960, they developed the first industrial numerical control system, and by 1996, the availability of mini computers and moving hardware controls to software allowed them to truly achieve a totally integrated automation system.
The next major movement in automation was decentralizing controls, and Siemens was at the head with the Simodrive Posmo A in 1999. It allowed different machines to communicate and coordinate with each other, as it was integrated with the motor on each piece of equipment. And if this concept is starting to sound familiar, it’s because this was the tipping point in gaining the ability to build and implement complex, integrated control systems on large scales.
It’s impossible to detail the myriad and significant developments in Siemens products that have occurred over the last 25+ years. Today, Siemens Global is a leader in automation and system integration products across the spectrum of industries, worldwide. And it’s a combination of who they are and what they do that keeps them there. We value Siemens AG as a partner and resource because:
Siemens has a long-standing reputation for building dependable and high-quality automation products. This translates to less downtime, lower maintenance costs and a longer lifespan for equipment. Their products go through rigorous testing procedures to ensure they meet strict quality standards. This gives users confidence in the performance and reliability of Siemens-built control systems.
Coupled with their extensive domain experience across many industrial contexts, users can rely on Siemens automation products being designed by engineers and developers with deep understanding of the contexts in which they’ll later be applied.
Siemens offers a vast portfolio of automation products, from PLCs and HMIs to sensors, drives, and communication networks. This allows system integrators to source everything they need for their automation project from a single vendor, simplifying procurement and integration.
Siemens’ core concept of Totally Integrated Automation emphasizes seamless communication and interoperability between all their automation components. This simplifies control system design, reduces project time and ensures smooth operation of the entire automation system.
Siemens continuously invests in research and development, keeping their automation products at the forefront of technology. This ensures users have access to the latest advancements and can benefit from improved efficiency, productivity, and performance.
Their automation products are also designed to be modular and scalable. This allows Siemens system integrators to start with a basic system and expand it as their needs evolve, without the need for a major control system retrofit, future-proofing their investment.
Siemens automation software is known for its intuitive interface and ease of use. This reduces programming complexity and training time for operators, but it also ensures that the control system panel design is able to be integrated in a way that users can access, analyze and control their automated processes at a high availability.
And we can’t forget about industrial cybersecurity, which is an ever-growing concern. Siemens prioritizes security features in their automation products, giving users peace of mind about their systems’ vulnerability.
E Tech Group is a North American leader in industrial automation and control system integration services. We are committed to disrupting and advancing the world of automation and engineering – to create a world where industrial operations are safe, efficient, scalable, and able to adapt to changing circumstances, whether they be expansions, regulations, labor shortages, or anything else.
We bring our deep domain expertise, creative approach and diverse skill set of our automation and IT teams to design the ideal, custom automation solution for every project and every client. Whether a small upgrade or a complete turnkey system build, our clients and industry partners know that an E Tech Group automation system uses the best practices and the best products.
Siemens AG’s combination of extensive experience, comprehensive solutions, commitment to innovation, and global reach solidifies their position as a leader in automation technology. As far as industry partners, we value our relationship as a Siemens system integrator and the opportunities their innovative products provide us with regard to providing the most advanced, elegant process control and integration solutions for our clients.
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