The food & beverage industry has long used highly automated machinery equipped with some of the most advanced technologies available on the market. However, automated manufacturing technologies and processes are currently undergoing a period of transformation due to the availability of new technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), cloud computing and cyber-physical systems. As a result, the availability of new solutions and Industry 4.0 paradigms are affecting this sector.
Although the mass adoption of connected automation and robotics in the food & beverage industry is expected in the coming years, many companies are still in the feasibility demonstration stage. Investments are being made in digitization because its potential is understood, but demonstrating the value proposition is not always easy. The automation industry is also grappling with the implementation of IIoT. Although the end result will profoundly change the industrial landscape, the actual transition process will be incremental and, in some cases, challenging.
Current trends and challenges
By connecting the physical world to a digital counterpart, the IIoT has ushered in a new era of efficiency, growth and information, providing companies with a clear view of key production resources and processes. What previously required analog equipment and inefficient procedures can now be achieved with a growing number of digital and cloud-based solutions. Equipping machines with artificial intelligence enables manufacturers to implement a predictive maintenance strategy.
Predictive maintenance is widely recognized as the way forward in many areas, not only in industrial automation. A study conducted by Accenture and GE found that predictive maintenance resulted in a 30 percent reduction in maintenance costs and up to a 70 percent reduction in production line downtime caused by equipment failure.
In addition to the megatrends of IoT and “Big Data” and the push toward the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” there are a number of additional trends shaping the future of modern food and beverage production:
– Consumer focus on health: demand for natural, gluten-free and lactose-free foods is reshaping the industry, driven by increased consumer focus on health. Now more than ever, manufacturers must increase the flexibility of their production lines to adapt to frequent changes in ingredients, packaging and labels.
– Food safety standards: the rise in the number of foodborne illnesses and the increase in global food trade have led to stricter food safety standards. These food hygiene requirements mean that equipment manufacturers and component suppliers must seek dedicated solutions to comply with the regulations.
– Increased production speed: motion control applications in the food & beverage industry require high performance. The competitive need to increase the speed of production, now rapidly approaching the limits of physics, is another demand that equipment manufacturers must address.
– Cost reduction and efficiency: last but not least, the need to optimize and simplify machinery for greater production efficiency and subsequent cost reduction is driving manufacturing trends such as compact solutions, decentralized architectures, and the use of fieldbuses to simplify wiring.
The combination of all these elements poses a major challenge for manufacturers of motion control solutions, as the focus will increasingly shift from components to the provider’s consultative ability to offer solutions that span the physical system to the digital sphere, to create so-called “cyber-physical” realities.
The realization of a digital ecosystem
The term automation can refer to a variety of process technologies: from production line sensors and actuators to robotic pneumatic valve stations capable of providing “micro-precision.” The most widely used automation technologies in the food & beverage industry are electromechanical and pneumatic technologies.
When it comes to developing predictive maintenance capabilities, a significant amount of data needs to be collected from sensors and then processed. For a production line to be effectively versatile, this decision support data is critical to enable rapid adjustments and rebalancing of the line.
Usually, the challenge is focused on production efficiency rather than actual performance. Fortunately, new digital technologies and unprecedented levels of Internet connectivity are providing the tools to realize the goal.
The entire production line is expected to be replaced as a result of the implementation of new automation technologies. However, it is probably much more advisable to deploy equipment first in one area and then elsewhere in the planned phases. This scalable approach will reduce costs and help demonstrate the value of the project in the pilot area.
Bridging the skills gap
A skills shortage is among the most critical issues facing packaging companies. In this regard, manufacturers of automation systems play a key role: they help users not only build plants but also take advantage of the enabling technologies of the smart factory. Manufacturers in the automation industry that recognize the importance of developing skills related to the Industry 4.0 paradigm will offer structured programs to support their partners and customers with the evolution of new technologies.
For many years, Parker Hannifin has been supplying manufacturers of food processing and packaging machinery with motion/PLC controllers, electric drives and brushless motors, electromechanical actuators, linear motors, pneumatic control technologies, and related actuators, offering customized standard products and complete systems or subsystems.
Thanks to Parker’s IIoT platform called“Voice of the Machine.”, all these kinds of products and technologies become part of a digital ecosystem. The ecosystem includes support and training for Parker’s global network of more than 13,000 distributors in 97 countries. “Voice of the Machine” represents components and machines digitally using the discrete IoT/functional module concept.
Parker devices also feature an I/O-Link interface: an open, inexpensive, and powerful communication protocol that enables simple and scalable point-to-point communications between sensors or actuators and the controller. The main advantages of using I/O-Link are evident during normal plant operations. Equipped with multiple and easily extensible sensing points, I/O-Link provides accurate machine data and communicates it in real time, enabling close monitoring of processes.
It is important to keep in mind that the key to the next industrial revolution will lie not only in technologically advanced products, but also in the expertise and skills that must be developed in parallel. Combining decades of experience in industrial automation and new Industry 4.0 technologies, Parker offers an example of an organization that can help customers upgrade their existing machinery in line with IIoT paradigms. This will help pave the way for Industry 4.0 paradigms and lay the foundation for a new generation of highly efficient and profitable production processes.
Manuel Finotto, IoT business development manager, EMEA, contributed to this article.
For more information about ‘sttore Food ans Beverage, visit our website.
Related content:
Nitrogen Generation: An Alternative to CO2 in Food-grade Applications
The food & beverage industry has long used highly automated machinery equipped with some of the most advanced technologies available on the market. However, automated manufacturing technologies and processes are currently undergoing a period of transformation due to the availability of new technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), cloud computing, and cyber-physical systems. As a result, the availability of new solutions and Industry 4.0 paradigms are affecting this sector.
Although the mass adoption of connected automation and robotics in the food & beverage industry is expected in the coming years, many companies are still in the feasibility demonstration stage. Investments are being made in digitization because its potential is understood, but demonstrating the value proposition is not always easy. The automation industry is also grappling with the implementation of IIoT. Although the end result will profoundly change the industrial landscape, the actual transition process will be incremental and, in some cases, challenging.
Current trends and challenges
By connecting the physical world to a digital counterpart, the IIoT has ushered in a new era of efficiency, growth and information, providing companies with a clear view of key production resources and processes. What previously required analog equipment and inefficient procedures can now be achieved with a growing number of digital and cloud-based solutions. Equipping machines with artificial intelligence enables manufacturers to implement a predictive maintenance strategy.
Predictive maintenance is widely recognized as the way forward in many areas, not only in industrial automation. A study conducted by Accenture and GE found that predictive maintenance resulted in a 30 percent reduction in maintenance costs and up to a 70 percent reduction in production line downtime caused by equipment failure.
In addition to the megatrends of IoT and “Big Data” and the push toward the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” there are a number of additional trends shaping the future of modern food and beverage production:
– Consumer focus on health: demand for natural, gluten-free and lactose-free foods is reshaping the industry, driven by increased consumer focus on health. Now more than ever, manufacturers must increase the flexibility of their production lines to adapt to frequent changes in ingredients, packaging and labels.
– Food safety standards: the rise in the number of foodborne illnesses and the increase in global food trade have led to stricter food safety standards. These food hygiene requirements mean that equipment manufacturers and component suppliers must seek dedicated solutions to comply with the regulations.
– Increased production speed: motion control applications in the food & beverage industry require high performance. The competitive need to increase the speed of production, now rapidly approaching the limits of physics, is another demand that equipment manufacturers must address.
– Cost reduction and efficiency: last but not least, the need to optimize and simplify machinery for greater production efficiency and subsequent cost reduction is driving manufacturing trends such as compact solutions, decentralized architectures, and the use of fieldbuses to simplify wiring.
The combination of all these elements poses a major challenge for manufacturers of motion control solutions, as the focus will increasingly shift from components to the provider’s consultative ability to offer solutions that span the physical system to the digital sphere, to create so-called “cyber-physical” realities.
The realization of a digital ecosystem
The term automation can refer to a variety of process technologies: from production line sensors and actuators to robotic pneumatic valve stations capable of providing “micro-precision.” The most commonly used automation technologies in the food & beverage industry are electromechanical and pneumatic technologies.
When it comes to developing predictive maintenance capabilities, a significant amount of data needs to be collected from sensors and then processed. For a production line to be effectively versatile, this decision-support data is critical to enable rapid adjustments and rebalancing of the line.
Usually, the challenge is focused on production efficiency rather than actual performance. Fortunately, new digital technologies and unprecedented levels of Internet connectivity are providing the tools to realize the goal.
The entire production line is expected to be replaced as a result of the implementation of new automation technologies. However, it is probably much more advisable to deploy equipment first in one area and then elsewhere in the planned phases. This scalable approach will reduce costs and help demonstrate the value of the project in the pilot area.
Bridging the skills gap
A skills shortage is among the most critical issues facing packaging companies. In this regard, manufacturers of automation systems play a key role: they help users not only build plants but also take advantage of the enabling technologies of the smart factory. Manufacturers in the automation industry that recognize the importance of developing skills related to the Industry 4.0 paradigm will offer structured programs to support their partners and customers with the evolution of new technologies.
For many years, Parker Hannifin has been supplying manufacturers of food processing and packaging machinery with motion/PLC controllers, electric drives and brushless motors, electromechanical actuators, linear motors, pneumatic control technologies, and related actuators, offering customized standard products and complete systems or subsystems.
With Parker’s IIoT platform called “Voice of the Machine,” all these kinds of products and technologies become part of a digital ecosystem. The ecosystem includes support and training for Parker’s global network of more than 13,000 distributors in 97 countries. “Voice of the Machine” represents components and machines digitally using the concept of discrete IoT/functional module.
Parker devices also feature an I/O-Link interface: an open, inexpensive, and powerful communication protocol that enables simple and scalable point-to-point communications between sensors or actuators and the controller. The main advantages of using I/O-Link are evident during normal plant operations. Equipped with multiple and easily extensible sensing points, I/O-Link provides accurate machine data and communicates it in real time, enabling close monitoring of processes.
It is important to keep in mind that the key to the next industrial revolution will lie not only in technologically advanced products, but also in the expertise and skills that must be developed in parallel. Combining decades of experience in industrial automation and new Industry 4.0 technologies, Parker offers an example of an organization that can help customers upgrade their existing machinery in line with IIoT paradigms. This will help pave the way for Industry 4.0 paradigms and lay the foundation for a new generation of highly efficient and profitable production processes.
Manuel Finotto, IoT business development manager, EMEA, contributed to this article.
For more information about ‘sttore Food ans Beverage, visit our website.
Related content:
Nitrogen Generation: An Alternative to CO2 in Food-grade ApplicationsParker Hannifin | Parker Hannifin