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ELECTRICAL - AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS IN FOOD & BEVERAGE PROCESSING

04/03/23
Lê Ngọc Ân
1. Demand for using automation technology in Food & Beverage processing
 
    Food & Beverage (F&B) is one of the essential product groups for consumers. The Vietnamese population is expected to reach 105 millions by 2030, that forecast an increase in demand for these products. On the other hand, health issues, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic period, became the top priority of the consumers, that require the products meet the high requirements in quality as well as the food hygiene and safety standards. The problem for manufacturers now is how to make high quality products and also optimize their resources to increase profits.
 
    To solve that problem, they have to build a production system that intergrated the automation technology. Therefore, they can meet the productivity requirement, optimize their resources, limit the human intervention into the product and make sure all the products they make are safe for the users and have the same quality.
 
    In fact, there were many manufacturing companies in Vietnam and around the world successfully apply this. Let's look at some outstanding processing system that intergrated the automation technology in the field of F&B in Vietnam:
 

The beverage processing system of Tan Hiep Phat, that use the Aseptic technology of GEA. The process include stages:  Extraction - Centrifugal filter - Mixing - UHT - Filling & Capping in sterile environment.

A milk processing system with morden technology and equipment in Dong Nai province, Vietnam.

    The investment cost for such processing systems is not small, but the long-term benefits bring to the manufaturers are very big, contribute to their sustainable developement. Firstly, an automation system will help to reduce the operation cost. Secondly, it will help to inhance the competing capacity of the owner compare to their rivals. Thirtly, a strong production capacity can help them meet the high demand of the society and further for export. Finally, it guarantees the product quality and the food safety standards, as mentioned above. 

    So, what will an automation processing sytem include? Let find out below.

2. The components of the automation processing system in the F&B field

    In general, a complete processing system will include the following main parts: 

  • Mechanical system: Include the tanks (material tanks, mixing tanks, finished product tanks...), pipe system, working floor, mechanical structures...

Tanks, pipe system of a milk processing system

  • Machine & equipment: Include the actuators (valve, pump, motor...), sensors (temperture, flow, conductivity, pressure, level...), specialized machines in F&B field such as filling machine, homogenizer machine, clarifier machine..., heat exchanger (THE, PHE)...

  

Automatic valve (left) and homogenizer machine (right) of GEA

  • Electrical system: Include electrical control cabinets and the electrical cable system (power cable, signal cable) with the role to connect the machines and equipment mentioned above with the control system. 

Electrical control cabinets and cable system of a F&B factory

  • Control system: Include the PLC controller with the role as an industrial computer, control the operation of the whole system according to the program. HMI with the display and control role. Higher level is the SCADA software with manufacturing data collecting and storge function.

SCADA on PC, put in the central control room

    HTEN is a company with more than 17 years of experiences in the automation field, we have succesfully provided the Electrical - Automation system for many customers in the F&B field, include big companies in Vietnam and other Asean countries like Vinamilk, Tan Hiep Phat, Masan, TH, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Nutifood, Pepsico, Kido, AFI, Lothamilk, Otsuka, PT Diamond, IDP....
 
    To understand more about what the Electrical - Automation system include, and what are HTEN's solutions, let's look at the network bellow.
 
3. Electrical - Automation solutions of HTEN in F&B processing
 

 

4. The orientaion of the F&B manufacturing in the future
    
    The trend of integrating iOT solution will be the development orientation of manufacturers in the industry 4.0. Basically, it is the connection between devices, machines, sensors at the factory with each other and with the internet. System data will be upload into a cloud. Then, the iOT will collect and analyze them, assist managers to find out options to improve productivity or solve a problem through visual reports and charts. There were many of our customers concern about this solution.

    This solution will bring some benefits:

  • Users can access to the production system from anywhere, with any device through a web browser. They don't have to be at the factory to have the information.
  • For big manufacturers with many factories in many different locations, gathering data into a single source (cloud) will help managers have an overall view of their production process of the whole production sytem, thereby optimizing management efficiency.

    However, the integration of iOT solutions in F&B production is still not popular in Vietnam due to many reasons. Firstly, the investment cost is not small. Secondly, manufacturers not totally believe in the security of this solution. Third, managers are not familiar with the remote monitoring & management model... So it will take some time for this solution to become more popular.

 
5. Conclusion

    Above is our introduction about the application of Automation technology in the F&B production and solutions we bring to customers. If you have a demand for the solutions and services we provide, please contact us through the information below:

- Email: info@hten.vn

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