Smart manufacturing in the food sector

Smart manufacturing offers opportunities to track performance throughout production and provides deeper insight into key production areas to show where operations can improve.

They also provide flexibility and help to respond quickly to changing situations and external pressure, including the ability to respond to supply chain developments to improve on-demand production, as well as to help prevent and, if necessary, manage recalls.

Software tools used in smart manufacturing operations include:

• Manufacturing Execution System (MES) softwareAutomates data collection for deeper and more immediate insight into production. Improves decision making in operations, commodity market and raw materials to help manage material variation and improve yield. It also involves a robust food safety/quality system and helps track ingredients.
• Manufacturing intelligence software (EMI): Consolidates data from many sources within operations and provides reports and analysis to help drive performance. Quality managers can review production events and monitor work cells to track first-pass performance. Plant managers can monitor performance as part of plant-wide data and metrics tracking.
• Line integration systems: Help configure, monitor and analyse line performance from a standard operator station, so that production equipment can be deployed and optimised quickly.
• Model Predictive Control (MPC) software: Uses predictive models to calculate optimal set points during production. Continuously monitors multiple parameters to maximise equipment performance and better manage complex processes.

The application of strategies for smart manufacturing can also bring benefits in workforce management, improving productivity while protecting workers. Older, more experienced workers are retiring and younger, less experienced workers are taking their place, and smart manufacturing can manage these challenges well.

• Labour utilisation: Smart manufacturing gives access to real-time data that is contextualised and relevant to the work being done to create frictionless productivity.
• Worker safety: Safety systems integrated into machinery control systems can help mitigate risks. In addition, safety incident data can identify risks and adjust areas where safety-related stoppages occur.
• Workforce availability: Worker-specific instructions and contextualised production information can help reduce complexity for new workers, and mobile devices provide information in an interactive and familiar format.
• Smart manufacturing operations also allow food and beverage producers to leverage external services to supplement the existing workforce when skilled talent is not available locally, for example:
• Third-party remote monitoring services that provide continuous machine monitoring, data collection and live assistance if a maintenance team is understaffed and overwhelmed. These services are valuable for critical processes, 24/7 operations and those in remote locations.
• Integrated engineering services to keep operations running smoothly in the event of staffing issues. Factory-trained field service professionals can provide dedicated engineering and maintenance support services and complement the skills of existing staff.
• Creating a future-ready workforce: Workers must have the knowledge and skills to design, maintain and support the network infrastructure. They must also be able to harness data that can keep lines running longer and improve productivity.

Optimises resource management 

With smart manufacturing, resource management - water, air, gas, electricity and steam - also benefits.

For example, the impact of the food and beverage sector on energy management is significant and smart technologies can facilitate access to energy data and increase visibility to help make smarter decisions in controlling energy use.

With these capabilities, food and beverage manufacturers can proactively manage load requirements, improve system performance and reduce costs.

Considerations to take into account in a smart production project

While smart manufacturing offers multiple benefits, it also requires a broader approach to security. Seamless connectivity and smart devices can lead to security threats. A security programme must extend from the enterprise, down to the plant level, and to all end devices.

For the food and beverage industry, safety must be present in the processes, equipment and people responsible for keeping products safe and ensuring high quality.

In short, smart manufacturing has the ability to completely transform food and beverage manufacturing operations by providing access to relevant, real-time information that helps make the right decisions to improve processes. Therefore, smart manufacturing in the food sector is the key to staying ahead in a constantly changing industry and world.