The large sized food processing factories have been able to use the Honeywell or hardware-based systems such as HMI and PLC’s for their major process lines. In smaller operations, equipment is often controlled separately with workers moving batches from one station to the next. The trend of automation is inciting the small and mid-sized operations to look at ways to increase their productivity, reduce their cost and improve their product quality. So, they’re driving full speed ahead towards automating their processes. In the future it is expected that there will be a lot more automation in the food sector as a whole. It is the key to expansion, for both food quality and consistency. Looking at historical data, there has been a spike in this sector, but it is only a small percentage. However, we see it continuing to grow because more and more food and beverage companies are realizing the benefits of automation.
A system like automationX can unite incoming, work operations and equipment in a single cohesive & simplified layer is of great value. Not only does it optimize the use of worker’s time and assets but also provides an added layer of recipe control and management, reduction of food waste resulting in saving costs, identification of defects and issues that maximize quality consistency, end-to-end traceability and overall efficiency boost. This system must be designed using commodity hardware, while dealing with the complexities of the process, to be cost effective. The nature of manufacturing has significantly changed over time, it’s a lot more fascinating than it used to be.